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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!floyd!whuxlb!eric
From: eric@whuxlb.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.cog-eng
Subject: Re: Re: thousands of input flags in one - (nf)
Message-ID: <1306@whuxlb.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 30-Aug-83 20:12:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: whuxlb.1306
Posted: Tue Aug 30 20:12:16 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 31-Aug-83 22:51:26 EDT
Sender: eric@whuxlb.UUCP
Organization: Bell Labs, Whippany
Lines: 27

#R:sdcsvax:-370800:whuxlb:33800002:000:1035
whuxlb!eric    Aug 30 20:12:00 1983


            adding input flags to allow the user to get more
        verbose output is NOT a valid solution to the
        interactive problem of UNIX...because the more flags
        there are, the more intimidating it is for the novice
        (and indeed the expert) user. . . . . .  Perhaps if
        the routines defaulted to a interactive "help"
        interface, then the flags could turn it off to a
        varying degree...

    PLEASE.... NO.... NO HELP FILES.... I like Unix to be terse. I
LIKE having to ask for verboseness. EVERY (general user) type program
I write usually has flags for verboseness. Like it or not, Unix was
written BY and FOR programmers. If you must, write your own little
commands to be verbose, but when I type ls in an empty directory, by
golly I DON'T WANT IT TO SAY ***ANYTHING***. Terseness is a virtue,
especially on slow (i'm talking 300 baud) terminals..

               Cogito ergo computo, et ergo sum.

               Eric Holtman  (harpo!whuxlb!eric)
               WH 1c-352d, x4890