Both of them have been involved extensively with Z39.50 implementations as well as in the development of the standard. I ve compiled their comments and responses. It has been established that online access, particularly via the Internet, is required, which means that a protocol must be used. Use an existing protocol. Now we re reduced to shopping, rather than designing.
Gopher is very widely available, with many independent implementations.
Various minor versions of the user interface exist, but they are all based on one code body. Current versions of Z39.50 cover all of WAIS needs, so the variation is no longer necessary. It doesn t address data transmission at all. It is used only in some very exclusive communities. Z39.50 is complex, and has some of the shades of green that come from association with the OSI dinosaur.