From: "Beavis B. Thoopit" <beavis@bioanalytical.com>
Date: Sun, 3 Dec 95 20:21:38 PST
To: jsw@netscape.com (Jeff Weinstein)
Subject: Re: Do The Right Thing, Netscape GAK
In-Reply-To: <30C1660F.47EA@netscape.com>
Message-ID: <199512040420.XAA01277@bioanalytical.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


among other words Jeff W. wrote...
>   I don't think you will ever be in this position.  If we are forced implement
> GAK by the government, everyone else will too.

This comment is somewhat offensive to me.  I disagree.  In fact, it
is a pretty whiny sounding and spineless statement.  Jeff, you are not
making _me_ feel any better about Jim's comments!

Kudos to Hal for his clear rebuttal and adherence to facts.
Kudos to Tim for "Do The Right Thing".

I will add that my belief is that GAK will not be the profitable way
to go.  I share in Duncan Frissell's optimism that we are now too far
down the road.

Tim has claimed that browsers are a "no loyalty" product.  I will take
this a step further and go on record saying that a GAK'd browser will
be an economic loser.  It may sell a couple of contracts, but it will
never gain widespread acceptance.

Look at recent history on the net.  It is the net leaders who are
making the future happen.  Netscape is (was?) the epitomy of this
new phenomenon.  If I were running a business, I would attempt to
fulfill cypherpunk-like requirements rather than trying to build
a "government approved" product.  Let's watch sameer...

Doing the "right thing" will end up being the "profitable thing".

Maybe I'm blue sky, but it is nice to base decisions on principle...