I have written about Riya here several times recently and it seems that it will be a very cool application.
I am one of the lucky ones selected to be an alpha tested of Riya but unfortunately that doesn’t do much for me because I am Mac based and the uploader for Riya is Windows only (for now, I am assured by Tara Hunt – Riya’s top evangelist). Fine, I can handle the delay – it is annoying but you come to expect it.
However, what really stuck in my throat was when I received an email from Riya this morning saying:
If you have the digital photoset and time for this testing, we will thank you by either a digital camera or if you prefer, a cash payment as follows:
1000-2000 pictures: $120
2000-3000 pictures: $150
3000+ pictures: $200
That’s great – except for the fact that as a Mac user I can’t participate in this offer – this offer is being made exclusively to Windows testers – Mac testers are being excluded by virtue of the fact that there is no Mac uploader and so no way for them to upload our 1000+ pics.
Shame on you Riya.
Tom, I don’t get it you said you didn’t mind being left out of the alpha because you can handle the delay but you are upste because you’re left out of the cash part of it, is that not just part of the test too?
I really just don’t get the indignation, Riya owe you nothing, you can get indignant all you want but it doesn’t serve much purpose.
You’re going to have to accept that with small software companies they don’t have the resources to have the parallel development you desire/
Hey Tom,
I know…I know…;)
Being a Mac user myself (and we had this discussion – ish), I find the wait longer for everything. But think of it this way. You don’t have to deal with all of the crappy bugs right now. Soon, when we have the Mac uploader, we’ll have fixed all sorts of stuff for you to have fun with.
Does that make it better?
T.
@Dave – I didn’t say I don’t mind the delay – I said it was annoying (but not unexpected) – but more than annoying is that I am being excluded from an opportunity to get some remuneration for my testing of the application – just because I am using a Mac.
Looking at Tara’s comment Riya obviously do have the resources, they simply chose to prioritise the Windows platform – and, in effect, to pay people for using Windows.
@Tara – that depends on how long “soon” is 😉
Ah Tom … that’ s ridiculous – of course they’ll pay the Windows users, since how can you properly alpha test something if it doesn’t really work on Mac anyway.
This isn’t a PC/Mac issue at all. They have a service, and the ones that were able to test it there prepared to reward. So what if there only Windows users?
Ed,
you can’t be serious. The only reason it doesn’t work on Mac, is because Riya have decided that it won’t work on Mac (yet, according to Tara).
isn’t that their prerogative though?
what i wonder about these days is the role of evangelist. Do responses like Tara’s (or Gina’s on my blog) limit the negative press a start up company might get by humanising and personalising arguments in such a way that bloggers might be less inclined to be vitriolic… and how much of that effect is intentional…
(no offense Tara and this isn’t aimed specifically at you, something i’ve been wondering about from several situations like this one…)
Absolutely it is Frank – just as it is my prerogative to say I think it is discriminatory!
yes, and in the strict sense they are discriminating, but is this something to be ashamed of? isn’t it just an unfortunate economic reality?
anyhoo – i’m off to Spain! 😀