Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!bu.edu!snorkelwacker!mintaka!spdcc!spt!mdc
From: mdc@spt.entity.com (Marty Connor)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: StuffIt in the trash!
Summary: Public Formats mean never having to beg companies for info.
Message-ID: <6288@spt.entity.com>
Date: 19 Sep 90 20:07:23 GMT
References: <1990Sep4.182943.22627@ccu.umanitoba.ca> <2829@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COM> <1990Sep18.021828.1904@slum.MV.COM> <24394@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Reply-To: mdc@spt.UUCP (Marty Connor)
Organization: Hacks 'R' Us, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 29

In article <24394@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> isle@eleazar.dartmouth.edu 
(Ken Hancock) writes:

>This entire thread is getting plain irritating.  Everyone is talking about
>"ifs" and "presumes."  Is there anyone who has even bothered to do any
>research like call Alladin and ask about other platform development?
>...
>Ken

Aladdin's net rep said that Aladdin considers the format proprietary,
and indicated that at least for the present he doesn't see them
publishing it.

But, you miss the point here.  All this talk about what Aladdin might
or might not do is not relevant.  What if they change their mind
later?

If the format is public they can't decide that they don't want to be
nice today/this-week/this-year and make people sign more restrictive
agreements.

Public formats mean a few people can't make it tough for everyone.

Something to think about...

-- 
Marty Connor, Marty's Computer Workshop,  "Specializing in Macintosh Training"
126 Inman Street, Cambridge, MA 02139; (617) 491-6935
mdc@entity.com, or ...{harvard|uunet}!mit-eddie!spt!mdc