🚀 go-pugleaf

From: Robert Lenoil <lenoil@catalogic.com>
Organization: Catalogic, Mountain View, California [Voice:
    415-961-4649]
To: MacApp3Tech$@AppleLink.Apple.com
Cc: RSD@AppleLink.Apple.com (Dave Goldman)
 
Dave,
 
I like the idea of keeping MacApp alive for the scores who committed to it
as a platform. But I'm not optimistic that MADA could effectively take over
that maintenance role. Yes, just rolling in bug fixes that come in could be
a one-man job, but that doesn't include testing on all supported Macintosh
configurations, and it certainly doesn't include upgrading MacApp to
support QuickTime, AOCE, AppleScript, and QuickDraw GX. And let's not
forget the cross-platform thing. In short, it's one matter to maintain
MacApp on life support but quite another to keep it current, let alone
leading-edge. MADA could not undertake a project of that scope without a
significant increase in its operating budget, which would probably require
MacApp maintenance to be a fee-based service (members that have moved
beyond MacApp would not want their dues being used to fund a MacApp
lifeline).
 
What MADA is good at is publishing and distributing information and
software. If a coalition of individuals took on the task of integrating and
testing bug fixes and rolling in support for new technologies to MacApp, I
think MADA could play a role in coordinating that effort and making the
results widely available. There are successful instances of distributed
development projects like that (GNU and Linux come to mind), but those
projects have not been widely adopted by business users, who are
justifiedly unwilling to stake their businesses on systems that are
maintained by a loosely-coupled network of volunteers. My hunch is that the
bulk of MacApp developers fall into that business user category.
 
So how can MacApp live on? It probably can't as the commercial framework
that it is today. But it would be a shame to let the technology wither and
die. I would like to see Apple release the MacApp code into the public
domain, or to retain copyright but grant a no-fee license to use the code
and to create derivative works. This simple act would likely make MacApp
the overnight favorite framework among students and tiny developers. With
that new expanded base of users, enough interest could probably be
generated to keep the framework current via contributed modules and bug
fixes. MacApp would become a learning tool for aspiring object-oriented Mac
programmers that will create the amazing applications of tomorrow. That's
not a bad retirement home for a venerable old framework.
 
Robert Lenoil
MADA Vice President and Treasurer