Received: with ECARTIS (v1.0.0; list gopher); Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:35:25 -0600 (CST) Received: from floodgap.com ([66.159.214.137] ident=elvis) by glockenspiel.complete.org with esmtp (Exim 4.63) id 1JEwFX-00086P-4n for gopher@complete.org; Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:35:25 -0600 Received: (from spectre@localhost) by floodgap.com (6.6.6.666.1/2007.10.21) id m0G0ZKkr011202 for gopher@complete.org; Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:35:20 -0800 From: Cameron Kaiser <spectre@floodgap.com> Message-Id: <200801160035.m0G0ZKkr011202@floodgap.com> Subject: [gopher] Strategy: end of Gopher in Mozilla To: gopher@complete.org Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:35:20 -0800 (PST) X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4ME+ PL39 (25)] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Spam-Status: No (score 0.0): AWL=0.004 X-Virus-Scanned: by Exiscan on glockenspiel.complete.org at Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:35:25 -0600 X-archive-position: 1790 X-ecartis-version: Ecartis v1.0.0 Sender: gopher-bounce@complete.org Errors-to: gopher-bounce@complete.org X-original-sender: spectre@floodgap.com Precedence: bulk Reply-to: gopher@complete.org List-help: <mailto:ecartis@complete.org?Subject=help> List-unsubscribe: <mailto:gopher-request@complete.org?Subject=unsubscribe> List-software: Ecartis version 1.0.0 List-Id: Gopher <gopher.complete.org> X-List-ID: Gopher <gopher.complete.org> List-subscribe: <mailto:gopher-request@complete.org?Subject=subscribe> List-owner: <mailto:jgoerzen@complete.org> List-post: <mailto:gopher@complete.org> List-archive: <http://www.complete.org/mailinglists/archives/> X-list: gopher

Brandon Eich has spoken on 388195 and has stated that gopher will disappear in Mozilla 2, which means Firefox 3 will be the final version with gopher support. (And what a jerk he is. Wow. Did you read his comments on SOAP?) This is a crushing blow.

At this point strategy needs to be discussed to have a workable, deployable modern client in place for when FF 3 becomes EOLed in a couple years.

As I see it, we have two options:

- FF add-on. This has the advantages of integration, but we have to play in their sandbox, including dumbing down features that don't work well in a browser environment. However, a lot of work is done for us, and it is cross-platform. We would need someone/ a team with good knowledge of how to do this.

- Separate application. Either via Mozilla Prism or Adobe AIR, or even a cross-platform system like RealBASIC, as far as I'm concerned they'd still have to download something, but at least this way it's a product custom scoped for Gopher and can do things in a Gopher-like way. Downside is reinventing the UI wheel, but that may not be completely bad.

- Custom clients for various deployments. This means mastery on a particular platform, but may be limiting due to fractured development cycles.

As far as I'm concerned, with pulling Gopher out of core, there is no reason not to take our ball and play elsewhere, i.e., create a next-gen Gopher client and leave Firefox/Mozilla out of the equation. However, I can see advantages to either way, and neither option is exclusive.

-- ------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser@floodgap.com -- In the end, everything is alright. -- Sarah Goldfarb, "Requiem for a Dream"