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  • I currently work as a consultant to maintain an old application written in 4GL Uniface for a customer (and, yes, it's hard to resist to say that Uniface is the real WTF already).
    I needed some technical informations, so I tried to get some out of Compuware's ("The leader in IT value", owner of Uniface) support page. For some strange reasons, you first have to log on to search on these pages. Unfortunately, I don't have a valid account - I used to have one but this was not renewed when they changed their support web side.

    Now, if you want to register, they are asking for the usual things (like "state" in an european country) plus your "client" number. However, as the company I am employeed is not a Compuware customer, I don't have any such client number. So, what can I do? Oh, hey, they have a "contact us" link. Okay, I wrote a message explaining my problem and asking if it is possible to get an account or browse the precious knowledge base somehow without logon.

    To my surprice, answer came quick, it took just some hours:

        Hello xxxxx,

        We searched & looked but for some reason we could not locate your name in our New
        Frontline registration database.
        In order to access FrontLine you will need to register. Please go to
        <http://frontline.compuware.com/> and register.
        Please be certain to list your client number when you register (you can locate that
        information on your license file).
        We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
        Sincerely,
        Compuware's FrontLine Support

     Now I am looking for a way to register so I can ask them if I can register. Hmmm. Any advice?



  • I'm pretty sure you're boned. Maybe you can call them up?



  • Ah, Compuware.  How I hate thee.

     

    No, you are unable to access *any* technical information about Compuware's products unless you:

    a) Have already had a manager fall for the sales tactics of a rep

    or

    b) Are talking to a rep.  But the technical information will be completely different and definitely not represent the product you are evaluating.

     

    So, yea, you're boned. 



  • Click on the "Register" link on that page they sent you.  You need a valid client number to prove you paid for something and you are worthy of seeing their crappy site.

     
    http://frontline.compuware.com/register/reg.asp 



  • Yeah, and that's exact the problem: I don't have a client number as my company is not a client - our customer is (but I doubt that anyone can find this number).

    And so I wrote them to ask if I can access their sides or get an account without that stupid magic number. And the reply was that they cannot find my account and I should register first, so that they can answer my mail.

     <font size="-1">To understand recursion you must first understand recursion</font>
     

     



  • @funthomas said:

    Yeah, and that's exact the problem: I don't have a client number as my company is not a client - our customer is (but I doubt that anyone can find this number).

    And so I wrote them to ask if I can access their sides or get an account without that stupid magic number. And the reply was that they cannot find my account and I should register first, so that they can answer my mail.

    That reminds me of Wavetrend, an obscure and equally deranged company. "We don't deal with the lower classes like customers directly, you'll have to address any questions to one of our distributors"[paraphrased] - which is not particularly helpful when we're trying to get parts compatible with one of their more grossly outdated products, none of their listed distributors carry anything that old, and we're trying to ask who does have it.

    The irony in that situation was just silly - their buggy, proprietary hardware traps us into buying further stuff from them, and then they don't actually seem to want to sell us anything.



  • I don't suppose that their site is so bad that they don't error check the account number so that you can type any old crap into the registration form and it will allow you in.



  • Uniface is Compuware's development environment for building, renewing and integrating the largest and most complex enterprise applications.

     

    Sounds like everyone's boned.  Is Compuware based out of South Korea?



  • You need an account to ask for an account.

    WTF! I mean, who do they think they are, Gmail? 


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