[thechat] Spectra

Chris Spruck cspruck at mindspring.com
Mon May 7 00:38:16 CDT 2001


At 12:53 AM 5/7/01 -0400, you wrote:
>Heard a rumor that Allaire was discontinuing development on Spectra -- does
>anyone know if it's true?

I got the following through my local CF user group. The basic gist is that 
"version 1.5 will be Spectra's last feature additive release".
I found these FAQs on Macromedia's site:

http://www.macromedia.com/special/allaire/faq/ - pertains to products and 
strategy
http://www.macromedia.com/special/allaire/close_faq/ - more about the 
merger, support issues, and so forth

Chris

------
         Hi everyone. We really appreciate everyone's patience over the last
few weeks. There has been a lot of discussion and concern over the future of
Spectra, and I think that the time is right to shed some light on what we
are thinking.

         As you know, Spectra provides developers with a broad set of
functionality and technology. Enough so, sometimes its breadth proves
daunting. Fundamental to the entire product, however, is its foundation -
the content object API. In 1996, when I first started working on Allaire's
website, the foundational change that I went through was around thinking
about the site as composed of 'content objects.' Over the last 5 years, this
core concept has been revised, revolutionized, improved, and expanded.
Spectra has been the product that carried this concept forward. This
concept, and the content object API, have been the most compelling pieces of
Spectra since its inception.

         Macromedia's goal is to make dynamic content technology like the
content object API pervasive, approachable, and cost effective for our
developers. To help us better achieve this, we plan to incorporate key
components of Spectra technology - a Java-based version of the COAPI
architecture and other services directly related to dynamic content - into
the application server, as well as delivering next generation dynamic
content technologies such as end-user content contribution and team
production through a series of new product initiatives. This means that
version 1.5 will be Spectra's last feature additive release - we'll invest
our resources in making the core technology that we move into our
application server and visual tools faster, easier, and better.

         Macromedia will continue to support Spectra via a community source
model, on-going technical support, training, and consulting, as well as
having a team of engineers working on bug fixes and quality assurance for
community source submissions. Spectra will continue to be offered for sale,
using our partners as the primary sales channel. We also will do our best to
give you early access to technology previews, alphas, and betas of the new
technologies already under development.

         In the world we live and work in, technology changes constantly,
we've all thrived because of our ability to adapt to change. This is no
different - a change for the Spectra Product Group, and for every developer,
customer and partner out there who has invested their valuable time and mind
share into Spectra. While I understand the challenge that a change like this
can pose, I am extremely optimistic. The core vision of the Spectra
technology is compelling - the opportunity to make this technology available
to more developers, cheaper, and better, is a chance that I relish. I hope
you share my optimism through this time of change.

         You can direct questions and comments to a couple of places:

         1) Via Phone at:

         866-236-1146 (North America Toll Free)

         800-25524731, (International Toll Free)

         617-219-3010 (Direct Dial Long Distance)

         2) Via Email:

         spectrainquiry at macromedia.com

         I can speak for the Spectra Product Group and Macromedia when I say
how much we value the community of developers that use our products. Spectra
is no exception. We have an incredible community, and one that we want to
continue.

         -------------------------------------------

         Charles Teague

         Director, Engineering

         cteague at macromedia.com

-------------------------------------------





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