Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!apple.com!chewy
From: chewy@apple.com (Paul Snively)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Ad hominem attacks (was: Tail patches)
Message-ID: <5533@internal.Apple.COM>
Date: 30 Nov 89 23:40:56 GMT
Sender: usenet@Apple.COM
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc.
Lines: 37
References:<5352@internal.Apple.COM> <309@dbase.UUCP>

In article <309@dbase.UUCP> awd@dbase.UUCP (Alastair Dallas) writes:
> Paul--Take the hint.  Tim is completely right that your job is public
> relations whenever you're on this net.  Apple promulgates standards; the
> developer community makes them happen because we believe in standards and
> we agree that the particular ones Apple pushes are acceptable.  A lot of
> "standard" practices came from people like Tim, not Apple.  The charge
> is that you believe that a harsh drill sergeant approach can force
> standards upon unwilling developers--say it ain't so, Paul.  If you
> explain the standards, you have a chance of selling them to us--yelling
> doesn't work.  I'm sorry about the frustration, but I think it goes with
> the territory.

Ok, Alastair: it ain't so. :-)  Seriously, the point that I was trying to 
make (albeit the wrong way) was that I felt that the technical rationale 
behind the discussion HAD been made clear several times, both in Tech 
Notes and in this forum, by a number of people--myself and Larry 
Rosenstein, primarily.

It seems at this point that a lot of people either hadn't seen or hadn't 
understood that rationale, so it's been worth outlining it again, which I 
have done in recent posts.  I hope it's been clear enough to be helpful.

In particular, I've been very gratified lately to have heard (via mail) 
from some folks who had been tail patching who are VERY interested in 
alternative approaches, and in at least one case we've been able to find a 
workaround that doesn't require trap patching at all.  That's the good 
part of what I do--when I'm able to help someone do something in a better 
way than it might have been done otherwise.

Thanks for the comments!

__________________________________________________________________________
Just because I work for Apple Computer, Inc. doesn't mean that they 
believe what I believe or vice-versa.
__________________________________________________________________________
C++ -- The language in which only friends can access your private members.
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