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From: adamm@encore.UUCP (Adam S. Moskowitz)
Newsgroups: comp.arch,comp.unix.wizards,comp.os.misc
Subject: Re: Free Software Foundation (was: Re: Mach, the new standard?)
Message-ID: <1883@encore.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 31-Aug-87 18:08:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: encore.1883
Posted: Mon Aug 31 18:08:36 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 4-Sep-87 07:30:36 EDT
References: <8520@utzoo.UUCP>
Organization: Encore Computer Corp., Marlboro, MA
Lines: 25
Xref: mnetor comp.arch:2035 comp.unix.wizards:4016 comp.os.misc:128

In article <8520@utzoo.UUCP>, henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) says:
>> ... Additionally, Stallman prefers using machines
>> with larger address spaces because they're easier to program. This
>> is understandable, since it allows him to concentrate his time on
>> things other than trying to reduce the size of things to fit in 640K.
> 
> A less charitable view of this is that Stallman couldn't write a small
> program to save his life.  Unfortunately, this is a common maladay nowadays.

It's not only less charitable, it's dumb.  Having met Richard and dealt with
him technically (although not a lot), I'd bet he *could* write a small
program.  I know I can.  [insert "war story" about growing up on an 8K
machine here]  The point being this: trying to squeeze complex programs into
small spaces is a waste of effort.  It often results in programs that either
a) have some (often unusable) limits (file name sizes, # of files, &c.), or
b) are hard to read/maintain, because too much thought had to go into trying
to fit the damn thing into a small space, and not enough effort was left to
making the program functional/maintainable.  I'm not saying you can't write
a program that does everything including wash the dishes, has no limits, is
easy to maintain, and fits in 640K (or whatever), but why add the size limit?
Why kill yourself to deal with what many people feel is a bad hardware design?
-- 
Adam S. Moskowitz	...!{decvax,ihnp4,linus,necntc,talcott}!encore!adamm

     "Gonna die with a smile if it kills me!"  --  Jon Gailerfut