Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!eagle.wesleyan.edu!bparsia
From: bparsia@eagle.wesleyan.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: Hypercard spirit and the 2.0 press release
Message-ID: <1990Oct5.115212.33991@eagle.wesleyan.edu>
Date: 5 Oct 90 16:52:12 GMT
Lines: 41

I heard some talk about people wanting the source code to Hypercard 1.x on the
theory that if Apple sold out, the public could make a competitive product that
would fulfil the "promise of Hypercard". All that was needed was for Bill to
release the source code...

Now wait a minute. Apple has had a terrible time upgrading Hypercard to 2.0.
Does anyone really think that the great programming masses will be able to do
better in a random, unorganized fashion? I doubt it. If we could, why not just
make a clone that would be faster, smaller, use less memory, do everything we
want it too, etc? We wouldn't *need* the Apple source code. So, who's first...

Not to mention that this would lead to a prolifieration of hypercards (you
know, like Supercard, plus, Toolbook, etc.). Some would work, some wouldn't.
How would we all distribute the sucker? Etc. Etc. Etc. Whoever suggested this
has fallen into the trap of not thinking realistically.

Anyway, what's the need. We'll *all* have the 2.0 binary with *all* attendent
XCMD's. The problem is that for most work, we'll need (or want) the neat-o
stacks.

Well, then, why not "roll our own". After all, making stacks and writing XCMDs
is MUCH EASIER than working in Pascal/C/whatever. If it wasn't, then, what's
the point?

So if you are a programming jock, just write your own personal tools for
hypercard. Don't shell our any dough. If you care about other people who aren't
as script powerful as you are, then put your work up on the public domain. In
fact, if someone got their act to get, we could organize a five disk set that
had *more* tools, *more* stacks, and *more* fun (well, at least *as* much fun)
as the offical Claris release. We could even sell it for a nominal fee through
mail order (enough to cover our costs). As long as the binary is whole, we have
all the flexability we need to create our own packages--for ourselves and for
the community. *That* would be in the spirit of Hypercard.

Now, let's see if there are any takers.

Bijan J. Parsia

P.S. I meant this mainly tongue in cheek, but if people are *really*
interested, let me know. I don't have 2.0 yet, so I don't know what we'll need.
I'd be more than happy to help organize, though. It would be truly beautiful.