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Path: utzoo!mnetor!yetti!geac!daveb
From: daveb@geac.UUCP (Brown)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Evolution, revolution & rebirth (was Re: *\\"LDA\\" ok?)
Message-ID: <1291@geac.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 31-Aug-87 09:13:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: geac.1291
Posted: Mon Aug 31 09:13:57 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 1-Sep-87 00:54:33 EDT
References: <9042@brl-adm.ARPA>
Reply-To: daveb@geac.UUCP (Dave Collier-Brown)
Organization: The little blue rock next to that twinkly star.
Lines: 23
Summary: We forgot how to evolve.

In article <9042@brl-adm.ARPA> dsill@NSWC-OAS.arpa (Dave Sill) writes:
>Maybe if software had a mechanism for dying when it was past its prime
>we wouldn't have this problem.  Unfortunately, though, most people are
>too short sighted to see the benefits of periodic regeneration and try
>to maintain their software long after it should have been retired.

  I would suggest that the mechanism for *living* is little-known, rather
than the mechanism for dying.  My experience is that old programs (ie,
ones which depend on peculiar patterns of punches in their control cards)
are being hidden under forms interfaces and then disappearing from 
production as they are rewritten in 4GLs.
  In effect, they don't evolve, they're *reborn*.

  Now, if the ARPAnet/Multics mechanisms for evolution had been invented
"here" (where here::= everywhere), we might well see programs evolving
in at least limited ways...

 --dave
-- 
 David Collier-Brown.                 {mnetor|yetti|utgpu}!geac!daveb
 Geac Computers International Inc.,   |  Computer Science loses its
 350 Steelcase Road,Markham, Ontario, |  memory (if not its mind)
 CANADA, L3R 1B3 (416) 475-0525 x3279 |  every 6 months.