Dear developers,

there is a problem. Let me describe my personal dissapointment with Gnutella: I collected
voices from different developers and have spoken it out (I prefer to speak out problems
to solve them). Now I wonder, many have been complaining about Vinnie, Bearshare and
Limewire... but many stay silent. Well, I don't have a own client and it's not my problem
anymore. But it's very inefficient and insincerely IMHO to complain behind the lines and
officialy speak 180° different. Of course, it's not easy to stand against the commercial
pressure and the so called "GDF big players". Also it's human to keep good friends with
everyone and complain behind closed doors not to annoy anyone you might need later, but
is this a tactic to solve real problems?

Perhaps you didn't like how I have spoken up, too much "thunder and lightning"? Do you
still think Bearshare-Limewire-aliance will change anything if you ask them with chocolate
and cream on top? We allready did this for months. The gnutella civil war (mainly
originated from Vinnie's bearshare.net IMHO) is about one year old. It's an old problem,
with Limewire following in Vinnie's steps it's not geting smaller, it's only getting worse.
You know me as a pro Gnutella speaker for months. I have put so much energy and time
here in Gnutellaforums and other places, building up something to help new developers,
answering emails, writing articles, reviewing source code, developing new ideas or
promoting free clients like Xolox and PEERanha.... I was nice and friendly for months,
but I can't look anymore on Gnutella and watch silent while it suffers. I see the problems
inside Gnutella for about a year now and it's slowing Gnutella down. There is time for
diplomacy and there is time for honesty.

BS/LW feel comfortable in their current position and clustering, they have a kind of
control, a small good market share, make some bucks, giving each other justification
and compliments for their work and have some developers in their "Gnutella Developer
Forum". They making some steps forward. No, "Ultrapeers" is not the big glory alone,
more or different concepts to increase availability and usabilty are needed IMHO,
without an eat-this-or-die behaviour to other clients. Other clients
also don't cluster/block e.g. Bearshare away because it allows freeloading with a
click of a button (which is much more "unhealthy" IMHO).
Didn't some of you say "there is something that has to be changed to make Gnutella
more attractive and increase technology"? I doubt, without asking for changes there
would be any changes in the next months.
Meanwhile current situation is causing increasing dislikes among developers. Development
is slow, less support for new developers and a existing kind of GDF high society and
lobbying is not making Gnutella more attractive. Nothing is regulated, what is not
fairly regulated.

Don't forget the unfriendly voices of fans from different clients, badmouthing one of
your fellow combatant and religious trolls in forums doesn't cause a friendly tendency
or more cooperation. No, it's anyoing for users and devlopers which spend a big amount
of their spare time for free!

I don't think LW is the big selfish evil, but even LW is not a saint, especially with
the increasing Bearwire business alliance. Afisk, I do appreciate you wrote an email
to Xolox now after 7 months, maybe you should have searched conversation with other
developers in the past? You know I tried with several PMs to talk with you, but with
a lack of communication I have seen LW drifting away into Vinnies model of spyware and
clustering. In my honorable opinion Bearshare and Limewire have to change (especially
the closed doored GDF lobbying) or Gnutella development has to be splitted! It's allready
happening, many developers outside the GDF and godXBlue (PEERanha) left Gnutella,
who's next?

Okay, I'm doing a strong "rebellion course" against Bearshare and Limewire. Because I
really believe, Bearshare and Limewire have to change to a more open and democratic
politics - or accept an outsider handling when they come with spyware, clustering or prorietary
extensions. Of course this is not the only problem with Gnutella, but only once the
dislikes are eliminated a more constructive cooperation can begin.
There is one important thing I care a lot: Don't waste your time with fighting, better
ignore the GDF and loud PR now and break free, impove your code and make Gnutella
or a different P2P system a better place, support new devlopers. Build or use a good
free client! I believe a constructive bundling of creative minds is better and brings
more than selfish ideas or anger. It's a wild guess, but giFT or the next Xolox will
leave the slow GDF back in dust again. Just by using a free client you're fighting back!

Let me explain my idea of a Gnutella or different P2P network again: it's fair, friendly,
efficient and in peacefull cooperation, where the benefit of a better network will be
for every client and for all users.

Happy sharing and bye, Moak