After the Save Netscape online petition reached two thousand signatures, I sent my original article and petition URL to a few AOL execs, the kind of folks that "should care" - and people who I now think should remain nameless for protection from any possible Volish dirty tricks. Frankly, I didn't expect much.

Finally, last week, I almost fell off my chair when I received an official reply:

"I am writing you in response to your e-mail to [exec name here]. The next (Netscape Browser) version will be a "point" release based on the latest Mozilla code."

The message continued saying that this version "will be made available in the very early summer timeframe". For the record: this came straight from AOL's Corporate Communications department.

Now Netscape 7.1 users can rejoice in anticipation. And this is proof for those once skeptic readers who told me "why bother?" that there's some truth in a local [Ed: doesn't it exist up there??] saying which goes "don't complain (now), if you never complain". It's a rare event in this galaxy, and it doesn't happen too often... but sometimes, just sometimes, corporations do listen.

I now have my fingers crossed, hoping that AOL delivers Netscape 7.2 - or whatever they want to call it - as promised.

The new release, which could come as early as next month, will likely be called 7.2 and will be based on version 1.7 of Mozilla, an upcoming release of the Mozilla Internet application suite, a source familiar with the product plans says.

我試用了 Netscape Desktop Navigator beta, 然後立刻移除了...
一個蠻好玩的小軟體，用了類似 Flash 般動態的介面
不過資訊都是外國的，所以我們沒用

喔 還有，這也不是新的 Netscape...

不過Netscape Desktop Navigator beta這東西之前一直沒找到鏈結

In an attempt to revitalize its mostly gutted Netscape division, America Online is seeking to hire product management and business development professionals.

Sounds like it's still anticipated for early summer (North America), but will probably just be a rebadged Mozilla 1.7.