RE: ANNOUNCE

[Ramin Firoozye <ramin@wizen.com>]

I'm glad this came up. I am a long-time lurker on this list and personally
appreciate hearing about both commercial and open-source offerings. We are
about to announce our own XML-based commercial product any day now and I was
planning on posting a courtesy message on this list.

My understanding was that as long as the message was clearly marked (say
with 'ANN' or 'ANNOUNCE' in the subject line) it was OK. However, if this is
something people are violently opposed to, we'll be good netizens and won't
post anything.

I'm hoping there is a clear consensus (or even better, a directive from the
list managers) on this.

Any thoughts?

Regards,
Ramin Firoozye'
Wizen Software

>
> On Tue, 30 Jan 2001, Robert C. Lyons wrote:
> > Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I welcome
> > announcements of new software products (and
> > new freeware) that are related to XML
> > development.
>
> There is a big difference between announcing
> the availability of open source software which
> I can learn from, and announcing the release
> of a new/improved closed source program which
> I cannot freely use, adapt, and modify.
>
> If every XML related commercial product were
> announced here, the noise ratio would be
> extremely high... and to let one commercial
> vendor announce without chastisement is
> just plain unfair.
>
> Further, when ever open source products
> are announced here they are usually announced
> by regular participants -- on average commercial
> announcemnts are made by individuals who have
> shared very little with the serious content
> expressed on this list.
>
> Lastly, there is a captive audience of serious
> professionals here. A post costs us all a good
> deal of time ($$).  I'm here beacuse I expect to
> receive e-mail from my peers.  Commercial vendors
> are not paying for me to see their advertisements.
> Are they?  Why should they be privleged with
> advertising rights upon a medium which they have
> not built.
>
> I hope this helps explain how I and I think
> many other people on this list feel.
>
> Best,
>
> Clark
>