From: Stanton McCandlish <anton@hydra.unm.edu>
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 93 17:41:00 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Software infrastructure
In-Reply-To: <35870.pfarrell@cs.gmu.edu>
Message-ID: <9306060040.AA07296@hydra.unm.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


I am NOT interested in arguing the merits or lack thereof of Kermit. 
Kermit IS used, but rarely on PCs, and VERY rarely in what appears to be
the target market.  Remember that we're talking about a general-user,
friendly application for the compuklutz.  After being spoiled by QModem,
there is no way in hell, heaven or otherwise that many of them will use
Kermit or something based on it, unless it offers all that QM does (incl.
Zmodem, external protocols, cute menuing interface, etc.)  I think
there's a confusion here, namely that Kermit is useful on some sorts of
machines, and for specific purposes, but this idea is getting mixed up
with what is the most useful DOS comm program(s), the one(s) most used. 
THATs where the market is.  Its not a matter of "is kermit cool, is
kermit good enough, is kermit free?", its a matter of "will the target
users actually use it, or anything based on it?"  I'd suggest again that
the answer is "no".  That's all.  Not meaning to insult anyone who's fave
term prog. is kermit.  Just trying to suggest a clarified view of the PC
telecom program market.  People make new comm programs all the time, many
with a LOT of features.  But they ain't the Big Three, so they get
ignored.  Perhaps sadly. 

-- 
        When marriage is outlawed only outlaws will be inlaws!
Stanton McCandlish,  SysOp:  Noise in the Void DataCenter Library BBS
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