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From: hull@hao.UUCP (Howard Hull)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Pournelle as a writer
Message-ID: <1275@hao.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 25-Nov-84 13:33:25 EST
Article-I.D.: hao.1275
Posted: Sun Nov 25 13:33:25 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 28-Nov-84 01:41:43 EST
References: <utcs.192> <585@amd.UUCP> <457@cyb-eng.UUCP> <576@amdahl.UUCP> <1891@nsc.UUCP>
Organization: High Altitude Obs./NCAR, Boulder CO
Lines: 36

> > > However, he writes better SF than computer tech.
> > 
> > This is a truly cruel and bitter condemnation.
> 
> He also writes better computer tech. than SF.  :-)
> 
> I for one, killed my BYTE subscription when Pournelle's pages grew and the
> Byte-rumors section was dropped.  I told BYTE why I did this.  Then I wrote
> to the him at his MIT mailbox and told him the same thing.  Later I had
> planned to tell him the same thing to his face, but he was a no-show at a
> conn.  Anyway I just wanted the JP fans out there to know that there are
> people who are up front about their JP comments.
> 
> chongo <what about mod.micro.pournelle? :-)> /\oo/\
> -- 
>     "Don't blame me, I voted for Mondale!"
> 				John Alton 85'

Ok. Perhaps it's time to banish this discussion from net.micro so that we may
please get back to talking about micro[*].  Think of it this way:  Pournelle
has already established his reputation as a science fiction writer by virtue
of the many many readers who have purchased his works.  He has also shown that
he is capable of viable collaborative work by virtue of books co-authored with
Niven.  His entry into the computer world has been a help to those who enjoy
the content and style of his writing.  It is unresolvable whether Byte magazine
is sucessful to any degree (+ or -) due to his contributions there, or whether
the magazine sells primarily for the content of the advertisements within.
Likely it is the latter more than the former.  When you buy an issue of Byte,
that stands as a vote for both Jerry and the advertisers.  It's as inseparable
as Mondale and Ferraro, and probably just as discomforting.

Sidnote:  Hmmmn.  /\**/\ seems to have been transformed to /\oo/\.  Do I
detect a sex change operation, and does that mean there will never be any
new ^..^ ^..^ ^..^ 's?
								Howard Hull
        {ucbvax!hplabs | allegra!nbires | harpo!seismo } !hao!hull