Something I've NOTISed

by Alan Alexander-Manifold

10/2/1991

In one way, NOTIS System, Inc.
	Is perfectly consistent;
To any change in this regard
	They're mightily resistant;

Each version of the LMS
	Displayed this awesome trait,
Which MDAS, GTO, and loaders
	Also demonstrate.

What trait is this, where NSI
	Can really not be beat?
From the very jaws of victory
	They still can snatch defeat!

I like the tailored OPAC screens,
	And LSYS makes me smile;
The fiscal close will make our books
	Easy to reconcile;

Whoever thought of GTO
	Was really on the ball;
And living without MDAS
	Simply would not do at all.

But when you see the OPAC guides,
	Or fight with GTO,
Or find out MDAS 1.1
	Won't work with 5.0,

Or when you go to use some feature
	You've relied upon,
And find out only then and there
	Your favorite feature's gone,

You've really got to wonder
	How they came by such a knack,
Of matching each stride forward
	With a dozen small steps back.

I wouldn't trade in 5.0
	For version 4.6,
And many things they've bollixed up
	Will get a ready fix;

They always try--I'll give them that,
	But when all's said and done,
Don't even hope that things will change
	With version 5.1!