Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site utcs.uucp
Path: utzoo!utcsri!utcs!wagner
From: wagner@utcs.uucp
Newsgroups: net.sources.bugs
Subject: Re: Using identifiers with more than 7 chars. #$%@
Message-ID: <1154@utcs.uucp>
Date: Mon, 10-Mar-86 08:39:29 EST
Article-I.D.: utcs.1154
Posted: Mon Mar 10 08:39:29 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 10-Mar-86 08:49:16 EST
References: <526@dsi1.UUCP> <2214@teddy.UUCP> <46@gilbbs.UUCP>
Reply-To: wagner@utcs.UUCP (Michael Wagner)
Distribution: net
Organization: University of Toronto Computing Services, general purpose UNIX
Lines: 65
Summary: 

In article <46@gilbbs.UUCP> mc68020@gilbbs.UUCP writes:
>     *****GRRRRRRRRRRR*****
>
>     In other words, John, you would have us believe that portability of code
>is the responsibility *NOT* of the author(s), but the users?
>
>
>     Yes, I would like very much to see your program, so that I can try to make
>use of software written by inconsiderate louts who don't want to bother with
>portability constraints.
>
>
>(for the record, there is *NO* other C compiler available for my system)
>
>-- 
>
>====================================
>
>Disclaimer:  I hereby disclaim any and all responsibility for disclaimers.
>
>tom keller
>{ihnp4, dual}!ptsfa!gilbbs!mc68020
>
>(* we may not be big, but we're small! *)


Before this becomes another *stupid* flaming session, lets remember a few
things here.

Posting to Net.sources is a voluntary activity.  There may be some
pressure to contribute if you have gotten a lot of benefit out of it,
but some poor shnooks like me don't write very much or very well in C
(and there isn't much interest in SAS or PL/I in the unix community :-) )
so we don't contribute much.

As a voluntary activity, posters are probably willing to accept constructive
peer criticism BUT NOTICE THE WORD CONSTRUCTIVE.  Look it up in the
dictionary if you don't have a good handle on what it means.  

I have just returned to the network after a haitus of about two years.
The ratio of constructive to destructive criticism has changed dramatically.
Most of the old-timers (not so old, perhaps) who helped start and chart the
course of this network have given  up in disgust.  It used to be a network
where people HELPED each other out.

Now, I must admit that it would be of more help if people would post
portable programs.  However, I don't know how to write portable programs
in C...I barely know how to get my own programs to work at all.  As such,
if I ever write a program that actually does something useful and innovative,
I may post it.  I would appreciate suggestions that result in a more 
portable program, but I, like most other people, will dig in my heals and
resist (and probably say 'screw you, charlie') if criticised destructively.

Remember, people are giving, freely, the fruits of their labours here.
Now, admittedly, sometimes the quality of programs here in net.sources
is such that you get what you pay for.  But sometimes you get a lot more.
If you didn't think you were getting value for the time spent here, you
would have unsubscribed to this group a while ago.  Right?  So pipe down
(sorry about that!) and allow (even, shudder, help?) people to learn from
their mistakes.

Michael Wagner (wagner@utcs)

(incidentally, all minor flames on spelling, grammer, etc to /dev/null .
Comments of consequence on the content of this article always welcome)