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Future.txt         -- Access! (C) 1987/88 By Keith Young --

Other text files in this archive:
	Access!me		The origional 'doc' file describing most of Access!'s
					features.

	Script.doc		Documentation describing Acc!'s new scripting language.

	Update.doc		Documentation describing additions/changes to the current
					release of Access! (please read)

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   Time: -23:-
   Date: 8/14/88
Subject: Plans for the future of Access! and other ramblings


		Well, it's been a few months but I'm back at it again... There have
	been many new additions/changes to this version of Access! with many
	more on the drawing board.

		I'm a little uneasy about releasing this version as-is... there was
	a lot more 'interfacing' I had hoped to get done prior to posting it but
	I thought I'd go ahead and let you people play with some of the new
	features (and a bug fix or two) while I smoothed things in a bit better.

		A couple of cases in point... you can now load seporate fonts for the
	Transmit and Recieve windows, the plan is to have these fonts listed on
	the DEFINE window and be loaded/saved as part of the .def file. This may
	have caused a new format of the .def file and I wanted to wait to see 
	what else I might add to it before causing any incompatibility problems.
	There are also more features I plan to add to the new scripting. 

		This Scripting is one area that will probably be exanded each new 
	incremental release. And while I'm on that subject... I think I've finally
	decided on a "revision numbering scheme". Incremental releases (those that
	add more features) will be numbered like so... 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, etc... Any
	'bug fix' version (or other small changes) will use a smaller increment in
	between the release version numbers like so... 1.41, 1.42, etc.

		There a few important additions/changes that are currently under
	devolpement. The major one(s) being the addition Xmodem 1K, Ymodem and
	Zmodem (!). I have these working now but have a lot of interfacing left
	to do with them before they go in (they are planned for V 1.5).

		Also, completely re-written documentation is under way. The mess
	in "Access!me" has IMHO gotten out of hand (doc writing is not one of
	my strong points 8). I will be posting this seporately as soon as it's
	finished. 

		That brings me to the last topic... To date, I have posted a fully
	functional (barring any bugs) program with no features 'ghosted' in the
	menus (other than by design). Beleive me, I am not so naive (sp) to think
	everyone who is using Access! is honest enough to pay for it and support
	my efforts in developing it. I also have no intent or expectations of
	getting rich off the thing.

		I do (and have) however, spend a _lot_ of time working on it, have 
	bills to pay and was hoping (dreaming?) that more than some 2-10% of the
	people using it would help support it.

		I have asked for what I consider a reasonable fee ($25) for the time
	and effort I've put into the program and from the response that I _have_
	recieved, I must not have been far off (many people have sent more than I
	asked with one person sending $80 and another registering 4 copies of it
	because he (his company) was using 4 copies).

		Many people have said they would register when "xxxx" was added and
	many people who have registered have asked for "xxxx" (some of which being
	loadable-fonts, scripting, morerows support, Y/Zmodem, etc..). Well, this
	version has many (to some extent) of the most requested features and a few
	that I dreamed up all by myself <grin>, with Y/Zmodem well on it's way in.

		Ok, here's what all this b*tchin' boils down to... If I feel I have
	to post 'crippled' versions and then mail out fully 'working' versions to
	registered users then I will start doing that. If so, I will have to ask 
	for	disk/postage/handling money to do so (maybe $5 per upgrade?). Along
	with that, the registration fee will go up.

		I understand many ShareWare authors take this approach and are very
	successful doing so. I prefer not to do it this way as I would then be
	spending more time copying/labeling/mailing disks and less time improving
	the program. My guess is that new revisions would not be posted as often
	either.

		Here's the deal... if you are using the program and would like to
	support my efforts and continue to be able to d'load frequent, fully
	working versions (without having to wait on me to mail it to you) then
	now's the time to register. The fee is 'expected' to go up for 1.5.
	I'll leave it up to you... I'll make my decision based on the response
	I get between now and _before_ posting version 1.5 (there may be one or
	so between now and then for cosmetic changes or if any <shudder> bugs
	crop up).

		Just so's I dont end this on a sour note, I'd like to thank all the
	people who have registered and suggested features they wanted to see.
	I'll continue to add new features and improve on old ones with maybe a 
	few suprises along the way. Rest assured that your support has been put
	to good use (food, mortgage, phone bills, etc.) and is _much_ appreciated.

		I'd also like to thank the many people who have supplied example code
	or otherwise helped me with some particular programming question and/or
	volunteered their time to supply Icons, Documentation or Beta testing.

		Enough of this... hope you like the new version, if you need to get
	ahold of me, your best bet is on Compuserve in the AmigaTech forum
	conference most nights after 11 pm EST. Or on GEnie in the "Random Access!
	for registered users CAT #21" (sorry, I don't currently have an account
	on PLINK).

					Enjoy,
							Keith

U.S. Snail Mail:

	Keith Young
	Rt. 2 Box 261
	Goodview, Va.
				24095