Web-Lisp? Oh no!

[Christopher J. Vogt]

At 4:18 AM -0500 5/1/97, Richard Coleman wrote:
>> Alas. The tough question is how to we proceed? I think that's what
>> we've all been asking ourselves, here on this list. There are technical
>> issues, but the matter of the general direction we take is as much
>> a marketing issue as a purely technical one. Are we creating a LispOS
>> just for ourselves, or do we want a commercial product, one that will
>> perhaps convince the world that Lisp Means Business (and not just
>> for vertical markets, either).
>
>Let's do it just "Because We Can" and because it is an interesting
>project.  If we start thinking about markets and such, we run the
>risk of outguessing ourselves.
>
>If we can develop something that will be useful and productive (which
>many here believe possible) then the rest will follow.  Since if
>it is useful to us, it will be useful to others...

This is the "Build a better mousetrap, and they will come" (to mix
metaphors) philosophy, and unfortunately it isn't true (it's NIL?).  The
counter examples are too numerous to mention here (given this lists
subscribers, Symbolics is a prime counter example!).

IMHO, from a business/marketing standpoint, all we need to be able to do is
run on PCs and support the running of non-lisp programs.  As much as I want
a LispM, if I can't get my clients to use a product I develop on it, it is
of *VERY* limited use to me.  A toy I take out and play with occasionaly.

Christopher (Chris) J. Vogt
mailto:vogt@novia.net
Omaha, NE
http://www.novia.net/~vogt/