1. terminatorx's Avatar
    There are a lot of us who use BlackBerry not only because we like the product, but to also show our support as Canadians. We like the idea of giving back to our economy, supporting local jobs and the notion that we are doing a patriotic thing. There are others who reject the concept of supporting a business simply because it is Canadian, even vehemently opposing and arguing against it. I will never understand these people. So I wanted to write this post to list some of the reasons I think it's good for us as Canadians, to support BlackBerry. Also, I'm interested to hear the input of both those who are for and against this.

    Here's some of the reasons I can start with.

    1. Preserve BlackBerry's business and its distinctive character
    2. Well being of local Ontario communities with employees who work at BlackBerry
    3. Generating more dollars for local economies, which allows BlackBerry to give more back to communities and Canadian economy
    4. Job opportunities and good wages for Canadians near BlackBerry offices, or those wanting to re-locate
    5. Ongoing BlackBerry research and education work with local and other universities
    6. Stimulate competition and allow the company the opportunity to grow through more revenue opportunities
    7. Because you live in Canada and supporting business which are founded/operated in Canada is a good thing
    8. Because BlackBerry isn't doing as good as it once was, and more of your help and support are needed and appreciated
    9. Helping this company to secure a future, so we can be more proud of it and Canada
    10. Because this company used to manufacture products in Canada and other parts of North America, unlike other companies with rampant use of Chinese sweat shops like FoxConn (yes, BlackBerry forced to use them now as well, but only because of tight competition)


    I am not saying everyone has to buy a BlackBerry instead of an iPhone if they live in Canada. But I am bothered by the large numbers who are moving to Apple and Google for petty reasons like wanting to be cool or a fashionista when a BlackBerry device will work perfectly as well or better. Do some more research on BlackBerry's products, and buy something nice you like. This equally applies to Canadian enterprises/business who have the opportunity to buy product from BlackBerry and are instead purchasing Android/iPhone products for their employees.

    For me, it really boils down to this: If you as a Canadian/executive are reading the above and your first reaction is to disagree or ridicule me, then you are part of the problem. Not just for BlackBerry, but for Canadian business in general.

    In recent days the CBC ran stories about the layoffs at Tim Horton's head office, and many commenters to those stories lashed out at the BK/Timmies merger, stating they will boycott Tim Horton's and Burger King, because Tim Horton's is now no longer a Canadian company.

    If you feel the same way, then why don't you just show your support right now for BlackBerry while it is still owned as a Canadian company? What will happen *if* one day BlackBerry is taken over by an American or other country? At that point you will be wondering wishing it never happened, and might even be sad that you didn't do more to support the company. Well, here's you chance. And if you don't buy BlackBerry, at least tell your family and friends instead of just recommending Apple or Samsung products like so many other automatons do.
    01-31-15 09:50 AM
  2. BB_Junky's Avatar
    I used to stand behind them, but I needed an all around device, who likes carrying 2 phones all the time.


    Sent from the device that works best for me using Tapatalk HD
    Last edited by BB_Junky; 01-31-15 at 10:18 AM.
    kbz1960 and Cynycl like this.
    01-31-15 10:02 AM
  3. anon(9188202)'s Avatar
    There are a lot of us who use BlackBerry not only because we like the product, but to also show our support as Canadians. We like the idea of giving back to our economy, supporting local jobs and the notion that we are doing a patriotic thing. There are others who reject the concept of supporting a business simply because it is Canadian, even vehemently opposing and arguing against it. I will never understand these people. So I wanted to write this post to list some of the reasons I think it's good for us as Canadians, to support BlackBerry. Also, I'm interested to hear the input of both those who are for and against this.

    Here's some of the reasons I can start with.

    1. Preserve BlackBerry's business and its distinctive character
    2. Well being of local Ontario communities with employees who work at BlackBerry
    3. Generating more dollars for local economies, which allows BlackBerry to give more back to communities and Canadian economy
    4. Job opportunities and good wages for Canadians near BlackBerry offices, or those wanting to re-locate
    5. Ongoing BlackBerry research and education work with local and other universities
    6. Stimulate competition and allow the company the opportunity to grow through more revenue opportunities
    7. Because you live in Canada and supporting business which are founded/operated in Canada is a good thing
    8. Because BlackBerry isn't doing as good as it once was, and more of your help and support are needed and appreciated
    9. Helping this company to secure a future, so we can be more proud of it and Canada
    10. Because this company used to manufacture products in Canada and other parts of North America, unlike other companies with rampant use of Chinese sweat shops like FoxConn (yes, BlackBerry forced to use them now as well, but only because of tight competition)


    I am not saying everyone has to buy a BlackBerry instead of an iPhone if they live in Canada. But I am bothered by the large numbers who are moving to Apple and Google for petty reasons like wanting to be cool or a fashionista when a BlackBerry device will work perfectly as well or better. Do some more research on BlackBerry's products, and buy something nice you like. This equally applies to Canadian enterprises/business who have the opportunity to buy product from BlackBerry and are instead purchasing Android/iPhone products for their employees.

    For me, it really boils down to this: If you as a Canadian/executive are reading the above and your first reaction is to disagree or ridicule me, then you are part of the problem. Not just for BlackBerry, but for Canadian business in general.

    In recent days the CBC ran stories about the layoffs at Tim Horton's head office, and many commenters to those stories lashed out at the BK/Timmies merger, stating they will boycott Tim Horton's and Burger King, because Tim Horton's is now no longer a Canadian company.

    If you feel the same way, then why don't you just show your support right now for BlackBerry while it is still owned as a Canadian company? What will happen *if* one day BlackBerry is taken over by an American or other country? At that point you will be wondering wishing it never happened, and might even be sad that you didn't do more to support the company. Well, here's you chance. And if you don't buy BlackBerry, at least tell your family and friends instead of just recommending Apple or Samsung products like so many other automatons do.
    Wish more Canadians had felt that way about the Corel WordPerfect Office Suite back in the day when they still had a decent market share and a superior office suite to Microsoft Office IMHO.
    01-31-15 10:08 AM
  4. donnation's Avatar
    It's nice to support BB because of national pride, but BB has to offer that same support to its buyers. Right now, they don't. Their customer service is beyond terrible, their constant delays are frustrating, and their attitude towards consumers is not one that is going to cause people to use pride as a reason to purchase from them. It's great to support your country, but if it's not a two way street then it's just blind patriotism.
    01-31-15 10:19 AM
  5. z10Jobe's Avatar
    Wish more Canadians had felt that way about the Corel WordPerfect Office Suite back in the day when they still had a decent market share and a superior office suite to Microsoft Office IMHO.
    Great post OP!!!

    I couldn't have said it better. When BlackBerry was huge, I didn't really care about BlackBerry because they were doing fine without me or any patriotic support. Now that they are in trouble, I bought my first BlackBerry in 2013 and realized, that it is actually great hardware, undeserving of all the media bashing and public negativity.

    When I had my business, I used corel word perfect office versions 8, 12 and 13 (they used x for the 1 in their two digit versions). Great software and way less expensive than Microsoft.

    Many Canadians don't care about where things are made unless you are talking hockey and then they all wrap themselves in their team Canada jersey.



    Posted via CB10
    nolimits7 likes this.
    01-31-15 10:41 AM
  6. lnichols's Avatar
    It's nice to support BB because of national pride, but BB has to offer that same support to its buyers. Right now, they don't. Their customer service is beyond terrible, their constant delays are frustrating, and their attitude towards consumers is not one that is going to cause people to use pride as a reason to purchase from them. It's great to support your country, but if it's not a two way street then it's just blind patriotism.
    This. I'm not Canadian, but I really like BlackBerry and BB10. However BlackBerry the company has been pretty bad to us loyal customers. I bought the PlayBook week one for $699 based on what they said it was going to be and to help them get the new OS out. They didn't deliver nor made any effort to do anything for those of us who took the plunge. They also lied to move inventory at the fire sale pricing of the device. Then they told developers to abandon native and develop for Android and submit to Amazon's app store. I think it is clear that their focus is not, and has never been on the users of their phones, and now it is simply on making sure Prem see's ROI. I truly think they could care less if BB10 lives as long as they find something to make money.

    How can you expect your customers, or Canadians in general, to show loyalty when you show no loyalty to them and will throw them under the bus if it is best for your bottom line?

    Posted via CB10
    01-31-15 10:48 AM
  7. Parrillas NY's Avatar
    Not only canadians support Balckberry, you are wrong!!
    kbz1960 likes this.
    01-31-15 10:53 AM
  8. z10Jobe's Avatar
    It's nice to support BB because of national pride, but BB has to offer that same support to its buyers. Right now, they don't. Their customer service is beyond terrible, their constant delays are frustrating, and their attitude towards consumers is not one that is going to cause people to use pride as a reason to purchase from them. It's great to support your country, but if it's not a two way street then it's just blind patriotism.
    My experience with BlackBerry customer support is different than yours. A q5 of mine developed an intermittently freezing screen after 7 months of use so I took it in cuz it was still under warranty. I had a replacement q5 in 6 days.

    A former samsung of mine was 3 months in the shop for a warranty repair. Samsung is the largest Phone maker in the world and has a large patriotic following in South Korea.

    Sooo... BlackBerry customer service may be often terrible in your experience, but it isn't exclusively so.

    Their delays you speak of are likely due to the fact that their phones are not designed and produced in massive sweat shops like the big boys in the market.

    Posted via CB10
    nolimits7 likes this.
    01-31-15 10:54 AM
  9. terminatorx's Avatar
    Not only canadians support Balckberry, you are wrong!!
    Yes, you are absolutely right. Sorry I didn't mention a point about that.. I do notice from this board that there are A LOT of Americans who support and love BlackBerry. Even though I have no ties to BlackBerry, as a Canadian I really do appreciate that whenever I see posts from Americans who are using the devices.
    MTBBguy, acovey and nolimits7 like this.
    01-31-15 10:57 AM
  10. z10Jobe's Avatar
    Not only canadians support Balckberry, you are wrong!!
    You are correct sir that not only Canadians support BlackBerry. I don't think that the poster intended to convey that.

    Posted via CB10
    nolimits7 and terminatorx like this.
    01-31-15 10:58 AM
  11. BB Adict's Avatar
    Sorry! I can never support solely the basis of national pride. The first thing I look for, is value. I work too hard for my money to just throw it to nationalism.

    In the first place, companies to outsource parts of their business anyway, so they are not being totally patriotic in keeping the all the "locals" employed. Their bottom line is making every dollar they can. They work in their own self interest. My bottom line, is to get the best value for my dollar. I work in my self interest.

    Posted via CB10
    Heinz Katchup and kbz1960 like this.
    01-31-15 11:00 AM
  12. Zirak's Avatar
    I swing the opposite way. I look locally first. There is a value attached to having your neighbour employed. Anyone who was raised in a small down understood those economics.

    Sorry! I can never support solely the basis of national pride. The first thing I look for, is value. I work too hard for my money to just throw it to nationalism.

    Posted via CB10


    Sent while driving from my Crackberry.
    DrBoomBotz and spike12 like this.
    01-31-15 11:14 AM
  13. donnation's Avatar
    My experience with BlackBerry customer support is different than yours. A q5 of mine developed an intermittently freezing screen after 7 months of use so I took it in cuz it was still under warranty. I had a replacement q5 in 6 days.

    A former samsung of mine was 3 months in the shop for a warranty repair. Samsung is the largest Phone maker in the world and has a large patriotic following in South Korea.

    Sooo... BlackBerry customer service may be often terrible in your experience, but it isn't exclusively so.

    Their delays you speak of are likely due to the fact that their phones are not designed and produced in massive sweat shops like the big boys in the market.

    Posted via CB10
    Actually your experience is the exception. Blackberry customer service has been terrible for years now and while I'm glad you had a good experience with them they have largely been extremely poor in the way they handle things.

    Go look in the Passport forum for example. People have been pretty much ignored with their trade in program phones and are being told by BB to deal with Clover Wireless that they can't help them (BB I mean). Its BB's program so they should have some type of accountability for it but they just pass the buck as usual.
    01-31-15 11:14 AM
  14. z10Jobe's Avatar
    Sorry! I can never support solely the basis of national pride. The first thing I look for, is value. I work too hard for my money to just throw it to nationalism.

    In the first place, companies to outsource parts of their business anyway, so they are not being totally patriotic in keeping the all the "locals" employed. Their bottom line is making every dollar they can. They work in their own self interest. My bottom line, is to get the best value for my dollar. I work in my self interest.

    Posted via CB10
    I agree with your first paragraph. I look for bang for buck first. Where it is made second. That is how I got started with BlackBerry. The price of the z10 was too good to ignore. The Canadian aspect was icing on the cake.

    Posted via CB10
    01-31-15 11:34 AM
  15. z10Jobe's Avatar
    Actually your experience is the exception. Blackberry customer service has been terrible for years now and while I'm glad you had a good experience with them they have largely been extremely poor in the way they handle things.

    Go look in the Passport forum for example. People have been pretty much ignored with their trade in program phones and are being told by BB to deal with Clover Wireless that they can't help them (BB I mean). Its BB's program so they should have some type of accountability for it but they just pass the buck as usual.
    Well as I said my experience was great and as you pointed out, others was not so. And yes BlackBerry should be helpful if their subcontractor is not providing the service in a timely manner.

    But overall in the competitive phone market, it is David vs. Goliath. BlackBerry does not have any other products that can support them as their sales slump that apple, samsung, sony, lg. Microsoft etc. have. So Canadians should support BlackBerry better before it is sold and chopped up for parts a la Avro Arrow. I'm not saying blind support, but at least look at their products before dismissing them.

    Posted via CB10
    01-31-15 11:42 AM
  16. smart548's Avatar
    I am italian, but (I think) I will never buy a FIAT car. And I am doing so not because it is an italian brand, but because their cars are not as good as others.
    Canadians don't have to feel FORCED to buy a BlackBerry vs other phones just because BlackBerry is a Canadian brand. They should simply because BlackBerry produces the best smartphones in the market ;-)

    Posted via CB10
    01-31-15 11:48 AM
  17. Fistmaster's Avatar
    Guess what. I am not Canadian and still support BlackBerry.

    Never understood that patriotism about things ffs. If BlackBerry would for Canadians only then BlackBerry wouldn't survive.

    Support BlackBerry workwide. Asians, Arabs, Africans, Europeans.

    Laughable.

    Posted via CB10
    01-31-15 11:53 AM
  18. Mric182's Avatar
    One word: protectionism
    01-31-15 12:05 PM
  19. BB Adict's Avatar
    I swing the opposite way. I look locally first. There is a value attached to having your neighbour employed. Anyone who was raised in a small down understood those economics.

    Sent while driving from my Crackberry.
    I understand that fully, but the company will always the first to move either it's full operations or selected segments. Where is their community pride and patriotism? I maintain that their priority is the bottom line and what makes them the most money.

    Posted via CB10
    01-31-15 12:11 PM
  20. anon(9188202)'s Avatar
    One word: protectionism
    True enough! Remember these? "Buy American," "Made in the USA," "I'm Backing Britain," "Made in Britain," "Buy Canadian," "Canada, Buy Into It." Not enough time to list all of the campaigns around the world, but economic protectionism is a part of every country and not a boogeyman to be feared. And let's not even get started about the laws governments enact to protect their citizens economic interests.
    Last edited by SeeBeeEss; 01-31-15 at 01:06 PM.
    Mric182 likes this.
    01-31-15 12:30 PM
  21. hvacdon's Avatar
    Every BlackBerry product sold either in Canada or elsewhere in the world, contributes to the Canadian economy. BlackBerry and it's employee's contribute tax dollars to their municipality, province and federal government. While not everyone chooses to purchase a BlackBerry product, I find it annoying when some people (and especially Canadians) take take every effort to bash BlackBerry using often irrational or biased arguments to support their case. So if you really value the Canadian economy and you are a tax paying Canadian, then you should be doing everything possible to support BlackBerry either through product purchases and/or promotion.
    01-31-15 01:40 PM
  22. terminatorx's Avatar
    Guess what. I am not Canadian and still support BlackBerry.

    Never understood that patriotism about things ffs. If BlackBerry would for Canadians only then BlackBerry wouldn't survive.

    Support BlackBerry workwide. Asians, Arabs, Africans, Europeans.

    Laughable.

    Posted via CB10
    Yes, I definitely get that and the thread wasn't meant to diminish anyone's support of BlackBerry as a non-Canadian. Nothing to do with that. I was just talking about the topic of Canadians supporting the company especially seeing how there is so much home-grown bashing going on. It's not a laughable concept; see the response from SeeBeeEss about protectionism.
    01-31-15 02:55 PM
  23. Fistmaster's Avatar
    Yes, I definitely get that and the thread wasn't meant to diminish anyone's support of BlackBerry as a non-Canadian. Nothing to do with that. I was just talking about the topic of Canadians supporting the company especially seeing how there is so much home-grown bashing going on. It's not a laughable concept; see the response from SeeBeeEss about protectionism.
    Okay. But why do you guys would bash such a great company like BlackBerry ???

    Posted via CB10
    01-31-15 03:17 PM
  24. kbz1960's Avatar
    Yes, you are absolutely right. Sorry I didn't mention a point about that.. I do notice from this board that there are A LOT of Americans who support and love BlackBerry. Even though I have no ties to BlackBerry, as a Canadian I really do appreciate that whenever I see posts from Americans who are using the devices.
    Yes. So shouldn't they be supporting their country's products and not yours?

    BTW I have a Z30 and playbook that has been in drawer somewhere for months.
    sentimentGX4 likes this.
    01-31-15 03:27 PM
  25. anon(9188202)'s Avatar
    Yes. So shouldn't they be supporting their country's products and not yours?

    BTW I have a Z30 and playbook that has been in drawer somewhere for months.
    In all fairness, they do whenever possible, which is quite normal and certainly to be expected: 'Buy American' laws creeping back, to Canada's chagrin - Business - CBC News I lived many years in both the U.S. and Canada and have found their legislated economic "protectionism" and patriotic buy campaigns to be remarkably similar. The major difference is that the U.S. has 10 times more population, making it very difficult for Canada to compete against their southern neighbour in almost everything except Hockey. LOL
    kbz1960 and terminatorx like this.
    01-31-15 04:59 PM
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