Does REBOL want to be a platform?
[1/2] from: chris:langreiter at: 31-Aug-2002 16:20
Then somebody at RT better finds the time to read Mr Spolky's latest
article and especially this paragraph:
"Anybody who ever tried to sell software components (ActiveX
controls, beans, etc.) knows that you have to have a royalty-free
runtime or no developer will touch you with a 10 foot pole."
http://joelonsoftware.com/articles/Platforms.html
You might add "Except for the sporadic consulting gig", but otherwise
that's exactly how things are. Joel might add REBOL as case study
even, and that's just not what this great platform-to-be deserves.
Action Plan:
* REBOL/Core/Pro and /View/Pro must be free for redistribution [1]
* ... and so must be a "developer version" of /Command and /IOS.
* Company direction must be clear (at the moment I think nobody
knows what RT is up to, which is the worst possible situation for
a platform vendor - as much as I like to be surprised ;-).
[1] What happened to the license change Carl proposed 3 1/2 months
ago? - http://www.escribe.com/internet/rebol/m22427.html
-- Chris
[2/2] from: ddharing::mindspring::com at: 31-Aug-2002 13:54
I read Joel's article last night. Rebol could be a platform just like the
JVM (Java Virtual Machine) but without freely distributable runtimes for the
uncrippled product it won't happen.
I've been monitoring RT's progress since 1999 and have been disappointed by
their lack of momentum. I love the idea of the X-Internet, but it looks like
they're beginning to chase after the corporate CEO with a grand vision of
the next groupware product instead of courting the developer. Does RT want
IOS to be the Lotus Notes of the X-Internet.
Don't get me wrong. The Notes product made Lotus a lot of money, but where
is it really today and how many people develop for it? PACTIV Corporation
uses it as a glorified email system and I've heard the same thing about
other companies too.
Let's bring on the license changes that Carl S. talked about and see where
RT stands a few years from now. I think we'll all be pleasantly surprised.
David den Haring.