From: moz.champion@sympatico.ca   
      
   CuJoe wrote:   
   > OK, I've been reading about people asking and commenting about 8.x not   
   > including email capabilities and being only a "browser" only. So, NS   
   > email users are now forced to either keep an older version of NS around   
   > for email or use a different email app altogether.   
   > Dunno why people are being so bloody nice... I won't...   
   >   
   > What the bloody hell is going on here!!?? Why isn't there an email   
   > capability in 8.x?! Why is this feature going/gone away and, in general,   
   > why is it so goddang difficult dealing with email changes each time NS   
   > is upgraded?   
   >   
   > What, dare I ask, are the NS developers thinking?   
   > Thanks, and all that, for working on the frigging thing, but if you're   
   > going to develop this thing, why not do it right and update/maintain the   
   > email and newsgroup stuff??   
   >   
   > Sincerely yours,   
   > CuJoe   
   >   
      
      
   Netscape hasnt been 'Netscape' for a long time, its been owned by AOL.   
      
   The last full 'Netscape' was Netscape Communicator 4.8   
         To compete with new versions of IE, Netscape realized that a   
   totally new version was warranted, but the problem there is that how can   
   you invest millions of dollars in development, when you have to GIVE the   
   product away in the end?   
         So Netscape went the 'open source' route. It 'gave' its source   
   code out to anyone so that contributors could build a better program.   
   This is the start of Mozilla.org. After a false start based on the   
   extant Communicator code, Mozilla started on what was to become the   
   Mozilla suite.   
         AOL bought Netscape out. And then pushed Netscape 6 out the door   
   based on a BETA version of Mozilla. It was a dismal failure.   
         AOL then brought out Netscape 7 based on release version of   
   Mozilla. But then, for reason only known to AOL, they fired all the   
   staff and dropped it like a hot potato.   
         Mozilla went on and focused development on Firefox and   
   Thunderbird, standalone browser and email components. Development of the   
   Mozilla suite (all in one) has stopped at 1.7.13  (comparison Netscape   
   7.2 (last version was based on 1.7.2)   
         AOL once again decided to give it a try with Netscape 8, this time   
   basing it on Firefox.  They didnt make it cross system, and they didnt   
   make it appealling to non AOL users, and they stopped supportting it as   
   well!   
      
   Mozilla produces Firefox (browser), Thunderbird (email/news) and the now   
   discontinued Mozilla suite (all in one).   
   A private group decided they liked the suite (all in one) model so much   
   they have continued the suite model, its called SeaMonkey.   
   A private groop has also produced Camino a mac only browser base on the   
   same engine.   
      
   So where is the email component for Netscape?   
   It lives in SeaMonkey (all in one) or in Thunderbird (standalone)   
      
   AOL did its best to kill Netscape and has to a large extent succeeded   
   The name Netscape lives on, but only as a name. What it once stood for   
   has largely been disappated and disappeared. AOL will keep the name and   
   use if for whatever it thinks will make money, after all they did pay 4   
   billion dollars for it.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)