I got a lot of flames for this, so be it, no big deal. But, if I saved some other developers the effort of implementing OpenDoc parts by stating my position publicly, then it was worth the trouble. The real lesson of OpenDoc is that it would be better to have the courage to speak up earlier, so the loops can be shorter, decisions can be made more quickly. The same is true when we decide to go ahead and make an investment. Let other people know what you're doing and why.
People are so worried about having their feelings hurt.
Product managers at Apple would punish us for our independence. Let's save time and money and be more effective, let's be adults, and communicate our directions to each other. And thank people for letting us know what they're doing, instead of seeking retribution. Here's where I'm at on platforms as of March 1997. We're rooted in the Mac, porting to Win32, hope to go to Solaris, and are interested in going to Rhapsody.