Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!oberon!cit-vax!ucla-cs!zen!ucbvax!unisoft!gethen!farren From: farren@gethen.UUCP (Michael J. Farren) Newsgroups: comp.sources.bugs Subject: Re: conquest newsletter #2 Message-ID: <353@gethen.UUCP> Date: Mon, 16-Nov-87 02:34:21 EST Article-I.D.: gethen.353 Posted: Mon Nov 16 02:34:21 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 18-Nov-87 02:16:01 EST References: <4518@mhuxd.UUCP> <5080001@hpsrlc.HP.COM> Reply-To: farren@gethen.UUCP (Michael J. Farren) Organization: Sci-Fido - Unix in Oakland Lines: 29 darrylo@hpsrlc.HP.COM (Darryl Okahata) writes: >In comp.sources.bugs, pokey@well.UUCP (Jef Poskanzer) writes: >> >> Just how much time did you spend on this game, anyway? Craig and I >> worked for *two years* before we released the first version of Conquest. > > Jeez. Give the guy a break. It's his first real C program. Postings >like this will only discourage him and others. > I don't want to discourage postings like conquest, or the person that posted it. Anyone who puts a lot of work into something and wishes to see others benefit from that work is to be admired. But... There is never an excuse for posting source for a program which crashes and burns during normal operation, as conquest does. Never. The fact that this was his first real C program exacerbates the situation, it does not excuse it; anyone new to a language or programming environment should make damn sure he's doing things right before letting his creations loose on an unsuspecting outside world. Posting a program that hasn't been tested to death just tends to make things that much more frustrating and unpleasant for us all. The fact that this has happened many times before, and will undoubtedly happen many times more, doesn't excuse it. -- ---------------- Michael J. Farren "... if the church put in half the time on covetousness unisoft!gethen!farren that it does on lust, this would be a better world ..." gethen!farren@lll-winken.arpa Garrison Keillor, "Lake Wobegon Days"