[cheapRoc]

37signals are such stuck up, elitist, preppy twats... They should eat their own words and compete.

http://tinyurl.com/65my4q

This was just a demo app for a framework in a completely different language. I don't think it was a huge threat, I mean come on, they didn't invent online chatrooms. They just invented a doll house, my Mom can play with, that looks like a watered down IRC (for $$$).

The main reason they sell Campfire is for the integration with their other apps... something I doubt the Google App Engine Team managed to add to their clone.

[subwindow]

I don't recall the 37signals people ever complaining. There are oodles of Basecamp competitors out there, and I honestly don't think they mind the competition/copycats.

They are really very humble about competition, in general.

[jraines]

Here's the complaining and their basically solid rationalization for it.

http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/575-but-theres-only-so-ma...

Although I'd still come back and say there's only so many ways to do chat . . .

[subwindow]

That's not complaining about competition, that's complaining about theft of design.

I really don't think they care if someone copies the functionality of one of their products, but I think they care when someone copies their words and design (CSS and images, in this case). Two completely different things.

[ajkirwin]

I looked at the differences between the two and.. it's a layout and styling that I see everywhere.