I've run many servers over the past 25 years. I have had my share of problems and always find it best to keep my customers informed, even when the news is not good. I would think that AntPool could/should do the same if they want to attract people to use their pool and keep them. I know they are a different culture than what I am use to here in the USA, but that won't stop me from being critical from time to time. As I pointed out, I am not always critical. I even tried to help them when they had their DDOS problems.
Pools, hardware manufactures, and other bitcoin companies come and go all the time. BitMain is no different. They just happen to be one of the biggest players right now. I've bought a lot of their equipment and have experience working with their support staff. I don't do all my mining with AntPool, but I do have several AntMiner machines on their pool so I watch their performance and constantly evaluate what is best for me. When I don't think things are what they should be, I won't hesitate to say something because in this country, I am free to do so. In this age, there is no excuse for not keeping customers uninformed.
I am not the type of person that complains at every opportunity. I wish BitMain and AntPool well so we may all be successful. I only complain because I want to see them do better. I also try to praise from time to time when things go well.
What's been annoying me about the entire Bitcoin mining field is that the bar has been set so low by outright scams and companies like BFL, KnC and Hashfast that the idea that the remaining companies are to be held to anything resembling high standards is seen as unrealistic and even foolish.
Bitmain is a company you can trust to deliver the goods in a timely fashion. In any other industry this would be a given, but in Bitcoin it's seen as a miracle. And I guess it is, since nobody else is selling current gen gear. But that also means that we are supposed to just nod and smile when they launch one insane pricing regime after another.
First they priced their machines in BTC, and everyone who didn't buy their machines agreed that this was a great way to support BTC as a currency. We who were buying saw that prices went up when BTC went up. However, BTC didn't go up for long and this pricing regime was starting to work for the customers, but that, of course (it is genuinely perfectly understandable), couldn't last. Now they've made it clear that they basically will follow BTC when the price goes up, but not down. It all makes perfect sense if you know the Bitcoin community and Bitcoin companies, but in any other industry this would be seen as exploitative pricing and close to or actually illegal, depending on the jurisdiction.
So to push Bitmain to inform its customers better and improve their services, even if TTravis can be a bit quick to pull the trigger from time to time, should be welcomed; or at least endured.
