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From: ForthNet@willett.pgh.pa.us (ForthNet articles from GEnie)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: X3J14 Holding Pattern Here
Message-ID: <2824.UUL1.3#5129@willett.pgh.pa.us>
Date: 27 May 91 18:55:42 GMT
Organization: (n.) to be organized.  But that's not important right now.
Lines: 54

Category 10,  Topic 12
Message 79        Sat May 25, 1991
B.RODRIGUEZ2 [Brad]          at 13:24 EDT
 
To Nick Janow:

My understanding is that there is a four-month "window" for comments.  Then,
no further comments are accepted unless the dpANS is sent back to the TC for
revision.  And this is not a sure thing; the TC is obligated to _respond_ to
all comments, but only ANSI decides -- who knows how? -- if the document has
to be sent back for changes.

In short, we can't count on having more than four months to review the dpANS.

BTW, one of my gripes is that there is no way to establish a "superior"
argument.  I've heard the same arguments rejected by the TC one minute, and
then used by TC members themselves the next.  By their own definition, a
"superior" argument is one which appeals to the whims of a majority of the TC -
- and nothing else.

To Mitch Bradley:

Sorry, Mitch, I thought this was the GEnie topic "Forth Standards / Silly
Overstated Analogies."  :-)

But in fact, you've illustrated my point better than I did.  If 3 people say
they need something, and 1000 people voice no such need, then the 3 people
carry the day.  This is a sure-fire formula for domination by special
interests.  (Perhaps ANSI stands for Appease Numerous Special Interests.) 
This is the argument you voice when you say

> The new optional features in ANS Forth add considerable value for
 > the people that need such features, and detract hardly at all from
 > those who do not need them.

One of the hard lessons I learned in product development is that you never
hear from the satisfied customers.  Those who are vocal are those with an axe
to grind.  Unfortunately, our marketing group treated _any_ input as
"representative," with the inevitable result that the product became bogged
down with all kinds of special, limited-interest features.  (We used to call
this "weathervane management" -- point in the direction of the latest breeze.)

I don't want to see this happen to Forth.

- Brad
 Brad Rodriguez        | brad%candice@maccs.uucp      (God willing)
 B.RODRIGUEZ2 on GEnie | brad%candice@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca
 "Shoes for industry!" | bradford@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca  (archaic)

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