From: Ian Grigg <iang@systemics.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 02:07:00 +0800
To: Adam Shostack <adam@homeport.org>
Subject: Re: cryptx spam - des-based program.
In-Reply-To: <199711191531.KAA07810@homeport.org>
Message-ID: <3473229E.6BC5E22A@systemics.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Adam Shostack wrote:
> 
> As the maintainer of the free crypto libraries page
> (www.homeport.org/~adam/crypto), I'm strongly tempted to refuse to add
> any new library whose name starts with crypt.

I'd be interested to hear your reasons for this.  Is it a comment on
crowding or on the use of the generic?  Looking at your page, I guess
it's the overcrowding:  Crypto++ CryptoLib CryptLib Cryptix.  Try
swapping the columns to intersperse the crypt-cartel.

Of course, successful names and generic roots soon get copied.  Back in
the good old days, there were so many companies with words like micro
and soft in them that it was confusing.

These days, branding has moved away from techno-terms, probably as the
industry becomes more mainstream.  Crypto is still not mainstream, but
if the USG silliness continues, it will become a more mature industry,
and there will be less need to convince the managers that a crypto
package is only good if it has the word crypto in.

As the industry matures, the original, successful brands will survive,
even though they might be inappropriate for a new entrant.  For e.g.,
Microsoft and General Motors.
-- 
iang                                      systemics.com

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