Although this list is not appropriate to this kind of discussion, we have to
correct several points that Jose-Maria Blasco brings, because they are quite
misleading, and in some case not true.
 
Please remember that the EARN Board accepted a plan proposed by EARNTECH
to have major EARN developments made under EARN responsibility, by people
paid by EARN.
 
The plan being adopted, the EARN Executive committee and the EARN office are
now working on its implementation.
 
For clarification: our objective, and I understand that EARNTECH objective was
the same when they developped the above mentionned proposal, is to have the
development, maintenance and documentation of all EARN tools, either existing
today or needed in the future, fully commited and under EARN's responsibility.
 
There are 3 possibilities to achive this:
 
-1- Through part time people paid by EARN (usually through their home
    institution)
-2- Through full time people paid by EARN
-3- Through agreement with institutions or individuals willing and commiting
    to do it without being paid for.
 
Up to now, on point 1, we have an agreement with Ulrich Giese and his
management, as he said in a previous mail, and we are working on other
possible agreements.
On point 2, we already have candidates. Decisions are not taken yet, but will
me made as soon as possible.
on point 3 we reached several agreements, in particular with Bethold Pasch
and IBM ENC management: it is agreed that Berthold continues, at least this
year, its support of EARN tools, including but not restricted to NETSERV.
 
For obvious reasons, it is not possible to publish the above mentioned
agreements, including those with full time people, before they are
concluded.
 
To conclude, when Jose Maria says:
>But  NOTHING   ELSE  has  been   DONE.
he is wrong, and he knows some of the actions we are taking.
 
Alain Auroux                         Michael Hebgen