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Date:         Tue, 8 Dec 92 08:01:13 EST
From: "CSD David F. Fordyce" <fordyce@BRL.MIL>
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Subject:      Re: LaTeX 3 and bibliographic software
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	G'day,

		This is in reply to David Rhead's note of 7 Dec 92 about
	using BibTeX and other packages such as ProCite, Reference Manager,
	etc.

		While I am sure BibTeX is a fine product, I personally use
	Tib. IMNSHO, Tib has it all over BibTeX. Tib is much easier to use,
	and is more flexible. Tib is already tailored for TeX and LaTeX,
	and is free, like BibTeX. Tib requires no accomodation for including
	citation references in things like figure captions (like \protect).
	And if you're smart about how you choose your keywords, Tib can act
	like a database sorter.

		Having fought the Word Imperfect vs. LaTeX wars here, I can
	attest as to how hard it is to change someone's mind once they are
	used to a "name" for a word processor, etc. I believe that this will
	be the case also with people who are used to using the commercial
	packages Mr. Rhead cites. The LaTeX community needs to give people
	sound reasons for switching from a purchased product with a "name"
	to publically supported typesetting.

		So the upshot for attracting new LaTeX users is to either
	make LaTeX easier to use than its competition, or to give numerous
	features that other packages do not have. Making a bibliography
	package easier to use with LaTeX can only enhance its competitiveness.

		One other thought. I have noticed a number of journals
	now accepting TeX and LaTeX for publication purposes. Contacting
	them could be an avenue for influencing the commercial vendors of
	bibliographic software to develop products that are TeX/LaTeX
	friendly. If there is a market for it, SW vendors will usually try to
	address the need.

			Just my $0.02 worth,

					df