An informal poll....

[Alain Farmer]

>> How many, who have purchased licenses, use MC/Rev
>> to build standalones, that will be distributed to 
>> others?

>> I don't create much for my own use. 99% of
>> everything I do, is for distribution, to
>> produce income. The rest of you?

> The same, there.

Me too. Sounds like there is still room for a genuine
HyperCard successor that is free, open-source, easier
to use, and without *any* artificial *limits*. I'm
alluding to *FreeCard*, of course, which currently
requires more work than there is help/labour to do it,
but if we are determined enough, we *CAN* pull this
off.

Here are some of the ways we could go about creating
the GUI portion of FreeCard :

* Evolve it as a clone of HyperCard, as we're doing
now, with MC (and with RR too if some adjustments are
made). Kevin has granted FreeGUI an exemption from
their clause prohibiting the development of a
competing RAD with RR.

* Now that the MC-GUI has been become open-source, an
alternative would be to work directly on the MC-GUI to
improve it --> evolve it into FreeCard's GUI.

* Once we get the XML stuff worked out (current work),
the FreeCard engine will be able to generate its own
GUI, as ultimately it will have to. But are xCard
folks willing to start with something very modest then
work our way up to the feature sets of MC/RR and then
beyond?

* I have been considering lately using PHP4 to create
a web-only version of FreeGUI. And now that I have
learned PHP, I realize joyfully that PHP is a
scriptingLanguage and its syntax is relatively close
to HyperTalk. Plus it is **hugely** popular, there are
tons of samples & docs, even complete [CMS] systems
which are open source and free, etc. And because it is
open source, it's source code can be modified to make
it more like MetaTalk (and more like HyperTalk too).

Which of these four alternatives is the most
attractive to those empowered among us who insist on
taking charge of their own destiny?  C'mon folks! 
Let's get off this merry-go-round once and for all!

Alain Farmer

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