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From: preece@uicsl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.lang
Subject: Re: Superstition in Programmers - (nf)
Message-ID: <4930@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Jan-84 22:53:20 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.4930
Posted: Mon Jan 16 22:53:20 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 18-Jan-84 06:34:40 EST
Lines: 12

#R:abnjh:-34800:uicsl:6200006:000:430
uicsl!preece    Jan 16 08:10:00 1984

I don't think counting down to zero is any more or less clearer, in
most cases, than counting up to some number.  When I'm performing an
iterative task manually, I often count the number of iterations
remaining rather than the number I've done.  People seem to do
this fairly naturally ("Only five more days until vacation," "the
Dodgers are only three outs away from the pennant," etc.).

scott preece
ihnp4!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece