Talk:Geoff Goodfellow
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I don't know about the 1982 reference but I read the New York Times article (don't know why the link here is broken). I don't know whether Geoff was first but he was certainly before NTP and he was before RIM. RadioMail was one of the first commercially available wireless email products and may have been the first available on the RAM Mobile Data mobitex network. This early work in wireless email may or may not qualify Geoff for Wikipedia. I don't think it was notable primarily because there is no proof of him being first (no patents and certainly the judgement NTP won against RIM points against his claim). However, I believe Geoff was a signifigant contributor to wireless email and is a wireless pioneer. Having said that, if this article remains it does need to be cleaned up and references cited properly.
[edit] RIM, NTP, and RadioMail
This article seems to give the impression that Geoff's meeting with NTP held to somehow keep the secret of RadioMail from RIM. RadioMail was no secret to RIM. In fact, you see that picture. That is a RIM Allpoints Card in that HP100LX. That card was created by RIM for use by RadioMail (and others but RadioMail was a big reason for creating the card). RIM knew Geoff Goodfellow well. RIM knew RadioMail well. I don't know this for certain but I would bet that Mike Lazaridis was a RadioMail user. I don't think anyone knew who NTP was until they started asking for licensing money and filing lawsuits. ZipIt 07:49, 5 May 2006 (UTC)
Ya, and obviously NTP didn’t know who Geoff was so they interviewed him to see what 80’s stuff RIM may have uncovered. However, a few 80’s emails doesn’t challenge a gateway and router. What’s wrong with the NYT these days??!! Anyway, who said he’s a “self proclaimed” inventor. I think he would agree to being one of the first in the ARPANET community to express the idea but he knows very well that you can’t patent ideas – only methods which make them happen. RadioMail was a method and it was after NTP. So what about those 70’s amateur radio guys who were sending emails all over North America on their store and forward wireless packet radio nets? PDAgeek 02:45, 6 May 2006 (UTC)
Heck, I have been around since 1985 in wireless and I never heard of NTP till they went after RIM. No one even mentions GDT in Vancouver and they were right there making a Windows RAMail version for Wireless Email in the early 90's. And they were doing wireless stuff long before that when they were MDT. That goes back to 1982. The patent thing is out of hand. I agree with Basille's article on Patent Reform. I would take it even further. I would not allow someone to keep a patent unless they are ACTIVELY pursuing building and marketing the invention. If we don't reform Patent Law in this country soon and do something about Patent Trolls then we are going to kill what patents were created to protect: Innovation! Innovation in this country is now rewarded by someone somewhere coming after you as soon as you have a little success and trying to take it away from you. It is totally unfair and makes you have to budget in legal fee as an equal component to marketing and development. All that money could be better spent inventing new products to make all our lives easier! Rdjordan 18:47, 6 May 2006 (UTC)
I agree. Patent trolls are not adding anything to society and just pray on those that are making a success out of their creations. But as for Geoff. I agree he was a "visionary". I also believe he had some true inventions but since he chose at the time not to document the inventions by filing for a patent then I guess the world will never know. Maybe though, he has an idea there about not patenting things. You don't have to have a patent to protect yourself. You can just make your invention public and then no one can ever file a patent for that invention (See prior art)). Perhaps a Open Source type web site somewhere for people to document their ideas. Don't complain later if someone makes a profit off that idea. ZipIt 20:19, 6 May 2006 (UTC)
