On Mon, 8 Apr 1996 15:56:47 -0400, Philo wrote:
>At 12:17 04/08/96 -0500, you wrote:
>>Note to Lotus: "Unfortunately, because CC Mail fails to comply with
>>standard (long standing, i.e., 1989 and earlier) Internet protocols, this
>>list, and perhaps most other Internet lists will no longer be available to
>>CC Mail users.
>
>Nice thought, however, most users are trapped in a corporate environment
>where they don't make those calls.
 
Maybe yes, maybe no.  First, decline subscriptions from cc Mail users with
a polite explanation about why.  If those users aren't supposed to be
reading lists on company time, then que sera sera, BUT if those users
complain to their IS staff, interesting things may happen...
 
>There's also an expense involved in switching mail readers.
 
True, a more likely result would be IS managers at major user sites would
put big time pressure on Lotus to fix the problem (update the software).
Organizations are not beyond making switches, just check the current issues
of trade papers on the subject of Notes vs Web servers (Notes has a
*serious* marketing problem in spite of a considerable installed base).
 
At many places users aren't beyond installing Eudora for themselves (if
that's what it takes).  Of course, all those Wintel boxes are so difficult
to deal with that perhaps we should only allow users of sensible systems
(Macs, OS/2, SunOS, WinNT ;-) to subscribe
 
>Your statement above is really an empty threat.
 
There's no way to be sure other than acting on the problem.  Frankly, I
don't propose to retain subscribers at hosts using mail systems that don't
comply with RFC 1123 (after all that's a 1989 standard that everyone has
had ample time to adapt to).
 
>The target to scare Lotus with is finding a way to convince NEW purchasers to
>avoid cc:Mail.
 
Lotus will pay attention to IS managers at large volume sites whether or
not the prospective sale is new or upgrade.  Soo... the problem is how to
get IS managers to care about Internet mail standards (more and more of
them are) rather than simply internal email.  If industry does adopt Web
servers over Notes, the enthusiasm for CC Mail may well vanish with Notes.
 
/s Murph Sewall                                 (860) 486-2489 voice
   Marketing Department                         (860) 456-7725 fax
   http://mktg.sba.uconn.edu/MKT/Faculty/Sewall.html