The status of 6.5.1

[Richmond]

Recently several problems have come to light with LC 6.5.1;
in fact quite a long time after 6.5.1 was supposed to be a completed 
thing; and
one of those things (mouseColor) is "a step backwards".

Now the question that has to be asked about any release of Livecode in 
light of this is
all a bit embarrassing, especially for RunRev.

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Before I go any further I should like to point out that I really don't 
have any particular axe
to grind as I am currently developing with LC 4.5, which serves all my 
needs just now.

However, come the day when I fell that an upgrade is both highly 
desirable and/or unavoidable
(read the word "Unicode" in here somewhere) and I have the money to pay 
for it, my axe will
need grinding.

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How far should we ever trust what RunRev assures us is a "done deal" 
when it comes to a version release?

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In the past I have said, in one way or another, "too fast, too furious", 
and it seems pretty clear that that is
the case again.

So, instead of a mad scramble to get out a version 7, a period of 
retrenchment would seem called through, with a far longer
period of beta-testing, and a more rigorous one at that.

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Looking at RunRev's post fund-raiser history I see an attempt to belt 
out as many of the funding goals as quickly as possible;
and that, in one respect is admirable, especially with the feeling that 
there might be a lot of "I want what I funded RIGHT NOW" types
slavering at the door.

In another respect it is beginning to produce an uncomfortable feeling 
that ALL releases since 5.5.5 might be of beta quality.

Now as RunRev already have their mitts of the crowd-sourced money they 
don't really have to run hell for leather;
I wonder how I, for one, would go about telling RunRev that as they 
hadn't reached all their goals licketty-split they
had to reimburse my money: that is, quite obviously ridiculous; and as 
I, for all my acidulated comments, am a
"true believer" in Livecode and the capabilities of RunRev, I would far 
rather wait for the "killer IDE" than a succession
of slightly botched jobs.

I hope that the folk at RunRev realise this posting is NOT meant as a 
'rubbish job', but a bit of friendly advice, which I have
a feeling that quite a few others on this Use-List might be feeling, 
but, for various reasons, might not want to state quite so
baldly as I have.

Richmond Mathewson.