In response to a query regarding Dynamic Connect 5.2 in October 2003 IBM replied that " Dynamic Connect (DC) was added to the U2 product suite to provide simple terminal emulation functionality equivalent to the UVTerm tool that had historically been available for UniVerse".
Well, one of the "simple" things supported by UVTERM was the AREV screen handler which is also built into Dynamic Connect via extensions. Many other terminal emulations and extensions eg for System Builder not supported by UVTERM have been supplied as a part of Dynamic Connect with the associated scripts supplied in source form ie not compiled into .wix files. As any user of Dynamic Connect will know, UVTERM is a poor comparison, and to date, Dynamic Connect has been a great replacement emulator giving users much needed additional functionality. Being able to customise the supplied emulations has been one of the really powerful features and customising the supplied scripts has been invaluable in providing needed functionality. For IBM to state that Dynamic Connect is a "simple terminal emulator" is to try to deflect the argument that once features have been made available - and documented - it's not OK for the vendor to remove them without notice or warning. Further to this IBM stated in their reply that scripting had been documented in the Dynamic Connect manuals "in error". Hard lines for those users and developers, like yourself Alan, who never received this little tidbit of information from IBM that you were at risk of not being able to fully utilise later versions of Dynamic Connect even though your documentation said you could. Oh yes, we were offered Wintegrate at a "reasonable price" because of this "error". This clearly indicated to me that IBM were manouvering a situation where users, who had exploited the documented feature of being able to script Dynamic Connect, would at a later date be pressured to move to Wintegrate. The other bit of arrogance was that as Dynamic Connect was "freely distibuted" IBM could take away features as they saw fit. The expression "The lord gives and the lord takes away" comes to mind There are situations where UVTERM functionality can only be practiaclly supported through some form of scripting. For example, the only practical way to support the UVTERM "pop-up" menus, which users came to rely on in UVTERM, is to write an extension to detect mouse events and load up a menu, supporting an image viewer is only practically supported via scripting, turning off CTRL-E you need to modify vt100.wis, turning off the BEL etc. etc. I do not recall though ever seeing a statement to the general U2 community that removing features and "locking down" Dynamic Connect to the extent that you have experienced was going to be IBM's stance. Rather than being an ommission, IBM have actually seen fit to deliberately spend time and money to remove a feature previously provided, even if not supported, and have done so in a really clandestine and disruptive manner with little thought as to the impact on the user base who provide IBM with a regular and profitable revenue stream. This move could/should boost interest in AccuTerm and, if I can get AccuTerm to run on Linux that will be were my efforts will go Regards Ian Stuart Definitive Software Pty Ltd wrote: >I was therefore unimpressed to find that, without any advanced notification, >the latest revision 6.0.1 has been completely locked down via the use of >checksums to prevent users making ANY modifications to the distributed >terminal emulation and associated scripting files. > > >As always, any product supplier that decides to remove previously available >functionality in later revisions, risks alienating existing users to move >away from their product. For IBM to make the effort to do this to a free >product only makes sense if they believe that such a move will 'encourage' >existing DC users to move to and purchase an expensive copy of Wintegrate, >when a more probable effect is to feel insulted by their actions and move to >other much cheaper products such as Accuterm. To me, to do so without even >notifying us of their intentions (there are not even any details on the >6.0.1 distribution disk warning about the changes) indicates that either >some product manager within IBM did it without fully informing their own >management, or IBM themselves are looking to roll it out under the radar to >avoid a backlash of user pressure to take out the changes. > >In either case, the way they have instituted the lockdown is so harsh as to >impact many users over even the most 'trivial' of changes they may have >made. > >------- >u2-users mailing list >u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org >To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/ > > >_______________________ DISCLAIMER _______________________________________ > > >This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the >individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not >disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. >Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this >e-mail by mistake and delete this e-mail from your system. E-mail transmission >cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be >intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain >viruses. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or >omissions in the contents of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail >transmission. If verification is required please request a hard-copy version. > > > _______________________ DISCLAIMER _______________________________________ This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail by mistake and delete this e-mail from your system. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. If verification is required please request a hard-copy version. ------- u2-users mailing list u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/
