Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!marque!lakesys!mikes
From: mikes@lakesys.lakesys.com (Mike Shawaluk)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: PKAZIP news
Message-ID: <1787@lakesys.lakesys.com>
Date: 26 Mar 90 14:20:56 GMT
References: <260b2bdb:6150comp.sys.amiga@tronsbox.UUCP> <28253@cup.portal.com>
Reply-To: mikes@lakesys.UUCP (Mike Shawaluk)
Distribution: na
Organization: Lake Systems - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Lines: 50

In article <28253@cup.portal.com> Doug_B_Erdely@cup.portal.com writes:
>If this is true.. I will mention this at our next Amiga Users Group Meeting
>and encourage everyone *NOT* to support Phil Katz nor ZIP in anyway. We will
>also forbid ALL .ZIP file from the clubs board. The MS-Dos weenies may think
>he is a god, but... 
>
>I don't see how he could just 'cancel a contract' and rip the programmer off
>of his fair share of the income. Whatever it may be.

I am posting this in response to this and other messages or followups
relating to the posting of the message from Dennis Hoffman, in regard to the
"wrath of PKWARE" and the termination of his contract for support and/or
upgrades of PKAZIP.

Dennis' message does not tell the entire story regarding PKWARE's decision to
terminate their contract with him.  As I am also working under contract with
PKWARE (I am producing a VAX/VMS version of PKZIP/UNZIP), I had a lengthy
discussion with Phil Katz regarding his decision regarding Dennis, but I
won't go into what was discussed, other than to emphasize and/or clarify one
point in Dennis' message: PKWARE is *NOT* abandoning support for the Amiga!
A CLI version of PKAZIP is very high on their priority list; in fact, PKWARE
is currently seeking an individual in the Milwaukee area to work for them on
a temporary basis, either part- or full-time, who has experience with the
Amiga in C and/or assembly language, etc.  (sorry for the embedded
advertisement; I will revert to email for any additional information).

I will just summarize the "decision" in saying that, from my level of
understanding, it was brought about by failure of both parties to agree on
specific terms regarding the ongoing support and updates of PKAZIP.  I will
be seeing Phil this evening, and I will ask him to prepare a statement for
this newsgroup to state his position and/or views concerning the Amiga
community and PKAZIP.  Please note: I have a vested interest in an Amiga
version, as I am an Amiga user first, and a VAX/VMS developer thereafter; I
am also a friend of both Phil's and Dennis', and this break in their business
relationship will no doubt strain both of these friendships.  However, I
don't want to see potentially misleading and/or volatile information being
spread, at least without a chance for rebuttal from the "opposition".

If anyone has any specific questions, concerns, comments, flames :-), or
whatever, please email them to me.  I will assure that they will be responded
to, and/or passed along to PKWARE, if desired.

Thank you.

  - Mike
-- 
   - Mike Shawaluk             
"Rarely have we seen a mailer  ->  DOMAIN: mikes@lakesys.lakesys.com 
 fail which has thoroughly     ->  UUCP:   ...!uunet!marque!lakesys!mikes 
 followed these paths."        ->  BITNET: 7117SHAWALUK@MUCSD