My 2 cents worth on the netscape source code publication:
1. Hopefully, somebody will totally performance profile and debug it, soon.
2. I can see 5000 specialized versions of the browser, all adhering to the same standards, more or less, set by Netscape. Every vendor with their own branded browser: Compaq, Dell... Why would they do otherwise. With Netscape free to cherry pick some of the best results and make deals for incorporation, which many will be willing to do, in the spirit of the thing.
Hey, I bet I could replace the splash screen with my dog's picture and the home page default with my own in a day... While I'm at it, maybe I'll have it break into bluegrass harmonica solos at random moments. Or...
3. Every one of these can play a little bit of the media game that MSFT, Yahoo, et al were trying to play: Where do you want to go today? Our place, of course! Our news source, our ads on our home page, our search engine. Every cable company can have it's own browser delivered with those cable modems. A thousand little Dai-Bans instead of one Shogun.
4. This means real competition in content, browser programming, interface design, with new players that haven't been involved before.
5. This means hundreds of small & large outfits all supporting the stuff Netscape has on their servers. Which will match those pervasive browsers (97%).
6. People are worried about viruses? If you get software from computer or software company, somebody wrote it. This is no different. As far as having the source goes, real crackers don't really need this. Hell, if you're on any developer programs and get the debug versions of the MSFT, NSCP or other DLLs, you can just read the source in the debugger much of the time. Very few viruses have been written with the aid of source code, if any.
Chaz
P.S. I think it's very game of Reggie to talk geek with us. Even if it sounds a bit like Peter Sellers speaking 'French' as Inspector Clouseau. ("Boef." "What did you say?" "I said Boef!") This is by far the most irritating way to teach someone computerese, but there is no question he has acquired a number of energetic teachers with excellent response time. (I'm having so much fun painting this fence, Huck...) |
