From: cshotton@oac.hsc.uth.tmc.edu (Chuck Shotton)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm
Subject: Re: MacTCP license fees & Eudora
Date: 13 Nov 1992 16:17:34 GMT
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.comm
Organization: Academic Computing

In article <1992Nov12.141207.1@tesla.njit.edu>, erh0362@tesla.njit.edu
(Elliotte Rusty Harold) wrote:
> 
> > 
[My original suggestion that someone create a MacTCP replacement...deleted]
> > 

> 
> 	Are you willing to commit several of your programmers to do this?  And 
> the monetary resources necessary to pull this off?  Are you willing to commit 
> even one experienced programmer to this project full-time?  If not, why do you 
> expect others to do so?
> 

You sound as if someone attempting to create an alternative to MacTCP is a
threat to you. Why the attitude? Perhaps you're not familiar with
collaborative programming projects that take place on the internet all the
time. Perhaps you are just overestimating the magnitude of the problem.
Apple has very nicely set forth the programming requirements in the MacTCP
Programmer's Guide. No need to waste time there. There is LOTS of code to
start from. For example, NCSA Telnet and KA9Q provide nice starting points
for a TCP/IP stack. So you get a nice head start there, too.

> 	An "enterprising band of developers" wouldn't be interested.  There's 
> no money in freeware.  TCP/IP networking support is something that should be 
> provided by the vendor (i.e. Apple) if said vendor really wants to compete with 
> UNIX anywhere or in the educational market in general.  Unfortunately I suspect 
> Apple is losing interest in those markets.
> 

Dude, greed does not motivate the entire world, though it seems so in your
case.
There are PLENTY of software developers writing code for the Mac that don't
expect a dime in return. They do it as a service to the Mac community. But
again, that appears to be an alien concept... Check into some of the more
widely publicized collaborative programming efforts on the net, such as the
TopSoft group. You might find plenty of able and willing developers just
waiting to jump at the chance to become heros to the Mac public by hacking
up a replacement for MacTCP. In fact, I'll volunteer to coordinate the
effort if people are interested.

 And for your information, Apple's was about the 4th TCP stack to be
released for the Mac, well behind vendors such as Pacer and Novell. So,
your statement that "TCP/IP networking support is something that should be
provided by the vendor" really doesn't ring true in this case. Apple added
TCP/IP support because it was REQUIRED for Macs to operate in a
GOSIP-compliant environment. No GOSIP, no Government sales. Plain and
simple. What was originally developed as an Apple marketing discriminator
has now become another example of Apple waiting until 3rd parties develop a
lucrative market, then swooping in to pick up the lion's share.

Support doing something about it, rather than shooting down other's ideas.

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Chuck Shotton                      |    
Ass't Director, Academic Computing |       "This space for rent."
UT Health Science Center Houston   |  
cshotton@oac.hsc.uth.tmc.edu       |         
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