RE: [Evolution] Ximian Connector?

[Brian <brianb sboss com>]

On Tue, 2001-12-04 at 19:09, Stephen Witkop wrote:
> The only problem that I have with this is the timing. Ximian Connector
> has obviously been planned for some time, so why wasn't it laid out
> along with all the other plans for evolution. It just makes it seem as
> though Ximian was afraid they would lose support among developers and
> users so they didn't announce anything until they had what they wanted.
> I'm not saying that's what they were actually doing but that's certainly
> the way it seems.

*DISCLAIMER*: Don't take this personally, Stephen, as I'm not aiming
this square at you.  This is a general rant.

<SOAPBOX>
So what if they did make a proprietary plug-in and had it planned all
along?  They've given us a great mailer that's completely standards
compliant and 100% free!  I consider myself just as much of a GPL/FSF
supporting guy but jeez ... do I feel betrayed by Ximian because they
didn't clue me in about a plug-in that is of no use to me anyway?  In a
word: NO!  They have to make money somehow and giving away software
*isn't* it.  If people find their making proprietary software
"distasteful" then they should ante up and buy either their standard or
professional edition of Ximian Gnome (I plan on doing it once 1.0 is on
the CD that I'm buying).  Why is the Linux community filled with folks
who find simple economics distasteful??  I myself have watched with
baited breath ... hoping Ximian wouldn't go the way of Eazel once its
product hit 1.0.  Ximian's been a software company whose primary
products were stuffed monkeys and t-shirts until recently.  How can we,
the community, leech the efforts that they're funding and then complain
when they attempt to support themselves?

They are a business, they must sell software to stay in business.  Their
proprietary plug-in is of use to those who already languish in a closed
source environment.  This has no bearing on those of us who use/support
open standards.  When it does, then I'll bitch!
</SOAPBOX>

B