[Info-vax] OT: Elephants Can't Dance

[Richard B. Gilbert]

Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> Phillip Helbig---remove CLOTHES to reply wrote:
>> In article <00003bb0$0$2148$c3e8da3 at news.astraweb.com>, JF Mezei
>> <jfmezei.spamnot at vaxination.ca> writes:
>>> Phillip Helbig---remove CLOTHES to reply wrote:
>>>> The typical Rdb customer on VMS neither wants nor needs 
>>>> bells-and-whistles features which might exist in some other 
>>>> product---he wants something which will do the job.
>>> It also depends on how many customers are actively developping NEW
>>> applications on VMS. If the vast majority are just maintaining existing
>>> apps, then the need for new Rdb features is much less.
>>
>> You make it sound like "either developing new apps needing the latest, 
>> greatest bells-and-whistles stuff" or "maintaining existing apps, more 
>> or less life support until the current staff retires".  There is a 
>> huge middle ground, namely continuing to actively develop 
>> applications, requesting and using new database features where 
>> appropriate, but not jumping on the flavour-of-the-month bandwagon.
> 
> Even with that middleground, then no new apps mean steadily shrinking
> market share.
> 
> Arne

I don't know any developers of software-for-sale but if I did that sort 
of thing, I would develop for the largest market available.  That's 
clearly not VMS whether you measure market size in revenue or number of 
customers.