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From: koonce@maypo (tim koonce)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.m6809
Subject: Re: Proposal for Graphics Format Std.
Message-ID: <1403@cartan.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Fri, 13-Nov-87 22:18:28 EST
Article-I.D.: cartan.1403
Posted: Fri Nov 13 22:18:28 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Nov-87 12:04:35 EST
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Reply-To: koonce@maypo.UUCP (tim koonce)
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Organization: UC Berkeley Math Department
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I agree to a large extent with some of what you're saying, Jim.  As a
good example, Ward Christensen (inventor of the XModem protocol)
claims that the only reason his protocol became so popular is because
it was developed early in the development of micro communications, and
because he immediately posted it in the public domain, and because it
was a simple protocol to implement.

i.e.  If someone wants to develop a protocol to be popular, the best
way to do it is to make the protocol and software PD.  That's pretty
clear, I think.  And, from what I've heard, the GIF and VEF formats
*are* Public Domain.  I could be wrong on this, though.
Unfortunately, that doesn't always make the specs easy to find.  (I'm
still trying to find the Kermit specs, and spent a good while looking
for the YModem specs.)

On the other hand, some people *do* like to see a little
cash-in-pocket after spending thousands of hours on a program.  It's a
curious conflict of interests.  One typically has the choice between a
program becoming popular (PD or shareware), or making some money from
it.

Plus, your concern over animation/sequencing may be easily solvable
through a modification to an existing standard.  Most protocols try to
build in some extra flexibility for future additions, often through
leaving undefined mode bytes, etc.  Seems that the thing for you to do
is to *first* find out as much as possible about *existing* formats,
and then modify them, if necessary, to suit your needs before
complaining about them.


Tim Koonce


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|ARPA:   koonce@bosco.berkeley.edu       |                                    |
|Delphi: TIMKOONCE                       |                                    |
|CIS:    [72276,1135]                    |                                    |
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Tim Koonce