[Adium-devl] We have competition, hurray!

[Chris Forsythe]

On Oct 7, 2007, at 7:17 PM, bgannin wrote:

>
>
> On Oct 7, 2007, at 5:02 PM, Chris Forsythe wrote:
>
>>
>> On Oct 7, 2007, at 6:30 PM, Andreas Monitzer wrote:
>>
>>> On Oct 08, 2007, at 01:25, Chris Forsythe wrote:
>>>
>>>> but the point is that we don't have competition right now.
>>>
>>> except iChat...
>>
>> We don't compete with iChat. That's silly.
>
> How don't we?

We'd compete if we were in the same market. iChat solves different  
problems, so it's in a different market.

> They are a multi-protocol instant messaging application, same as  
> Adium. Adium supports more protocols and more functionality, to be  
> sure, but certainly they compete within the same functional  
> application space.

These 2 sentences contradict each other. They aren't the same, so  
obviously iChat isn't "same as Adium".

> Ignoring them is silly

This is actually not what I said. I said we don't compete with them,  
I didn't say ignore them. If all of the sudden they start doing what  
we're doing, then ya, but considering them competition when they  
don't do the same thing is quite silly in my opinion. Do Cray and  
Dell compete? They both make computers after all. If you boil the  
argument you are making down, you have to realize that we're  
different than iChat, else why would we be making Adium? We're  
obviously different than Proteus, else why would users fight amongst  
each other about nitty gritty stuff that technically is the same?

> , since it is where new users will start and is the baseline for  
> the platform.


Since when is iChat the baseline? How many times do users in irc or  
on feedback@ say that the first thing that they install, the very  
first app, is Adium? That has to count for something.

Simply put, if you continue to think that iChat is the competition,  
then we'll never catch up, and never win. However, if you consider  
that our market is different, in that we're putting out a product  
that solves a different need in a different way, then we don't  
compete with iChat, we just happen to share some of the same  
technology. If this is not the case, let me know, because I've been  
operating under this very principal for a very long time, that we  
don't compete with iChat, and that they solve 2 very different sets  
of problems.

If in fact you folks want to compete with iChat, I'm fine with a  
change in direction, but I think I'd hate the app.

Chris

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