Where does survive the inventive user ?

[Bob Sneidar]

I think we overlook the novelty aspect of Hypercard when it was first released, combined with the fact that it was just "there". Tell all Mac users that their new OS allows them to make custom apps without having to buy anything or install anything, and those inclined are going to give it a go. It's fuel and matches delivered to the front door, indeed put next to the fireplace. It only needs someone to place the fuel where they want it, strike the match and toss it in. It worked in large part and for so long because Apple, the creators of Hypercard didn't "need" it to work. It was a real act of benevolence IMHO that any Mac user could take or leave and no one was any the worse for wear. 

Livecode is not in that boat. They live or die based upon the marketability of their product. They have to convince us to go down to the market and buy the fuel and matches, and then haul them home and actually light it. And not just ANY fuel and matches, (their are several brands) but THEIR fuel and matches, based upon the promise their their fuel lights a whole lot easier and faster, and provides pretty close to the same amount of heat as their competitors. 

Sure a couple competitors fuel burns in different colors, and one forms little dancing angels in the flames, but do we really need that? We just want to get the fire lit and go do other things. The trick to marketing Livecode is to find others just like us and convince them that Runrev has what they need. 

God I love analogies! 

Bob


On Aug 4, 2011, at 7:52 AM, Lynn Fredricks wrote:

> But I think the question is, if all the programmatic elements that created
> the HC phenonemon then were implemented in LC today, would the end result be
> similar to what it was in the HC days? I think there have been some pretty
> significant market based changes since then, and you can't have one without
> the other.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Lynn Fredricks
> President
> Paradigma Software
> http://www.paradigmasoft.com