Classic signs you have a nasty case of swamp fever include blurred vision, shock, and severe mental changes.

Feeling the heat from Microsoft Exchange, temperatures are rising among some in Lotusland…

  • Some Notes/Domino advocates have decertified the Radicati Group as legitimate researchers because the firm is obviously biased toward Microsoft. (And by the way, an anonymous blog writer has stimulated a connect-the-dotz theory that the contributor is the good Dr. Radicati!)
  • In a similar vein, Forbes is considered evil because the magazine… or at least Forbes writer Daniel Lyons… hates Lotus. Why, the bum had the temerity to remind readers that Lotus 1-2-3 was top dog in spreadsheets before Microsoft Excel came along, and writes, “Exchange, first released in 1996, now outsells Notes/Domino and has a larger installed base and more momentum.” And if that Lyons guy isn’t lying, Radicati is in good company. IDC, Ferris Research, Meta Group and/or Info-Tech Research Group were bullish on Microsoft, too. (More enemies?)

If you didn’t know better, you’d almost think the paranoia is being fed by Lotus boosters in fairly high places. Beheading the messenger makes for great sport, but it doesn’t change the message, or solve the problem of shrinking market share.

Meanwhile, some on the Nixon Lotus Enemies List are simply thinking like IBM employee Sim’ Hampel at IBMeye:

If I was [IBM Marketing], we wouldn’t be having this problem because I would have been spending the GDP of many small countries in an effort to out market Microsoft, something I think IBM still doesn’t do well enough yet.

If Sim’ gets his wish, two great armies will join the (99.9999% marketing) battle, winner take what the Goog doesn’t want.

C’mon Lotus. Drain the swamp.