Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!think!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!hplabs!hplabsz!taylor
From: tysko@pdp.cs.ohiou.edu (John Tysko)
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Re: The Aesthetics of Computers
Message-ID: <1468@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM>
Date: 23 Jan 88 01:20:13 GMT
Sender: taylor@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM
Organization: Ohio University CS Dept., Athens
Lines: 36
Approved: taylor@hplabs

I have noticed that I have a preference for either terminals or listings, 
depending upon what I am doing.  When making significant changes in a 
document, I also prefer working from a printed copy.  This is because I 
like to see more than 24 lines at a time.  Since I don't usually burst 
my listings, I will often work with 3 pages spread out on a desk at once. 
This give me an 'information window' of 150 lines or so.  This allows me 
to move paragraphs (or sections or even chapters) around and see the 
changes in relation to the remainder of the document.

When working an a particular paragraph, I do prefer the terminal since
its much easier to rewrite a sentence several times and see the results
in the paragraph at once. But then I do try to avoid paragraphs longer
than 24 lines :-).

As for programs, I still prefer a listing for examining a new program
(or one I haven't worked on in a while), especially if they are long.
Using my finger as a place holder to flip to a specific place in the 
listing is much faster (for me) than using a find in an editor.  Likewise,
being able to view a block of 60 or 120 lines at a time, while having
a listing of [functions, procedures, subroutines,...] next to the
code I am examining is a big help.

Once again, when working on a particular procedure, I prefer a terminal 
for immediate feedback it provides. 

By the way, I initially learned to program FORTRAN with punch cards. My 
programs would typically contain loops of 200+ statements.  Easily read if 
you spread out 3-4 pages on a desk top.  At that time, articles about 
proper programming style that suggested limiting the size of procedures 
and routines seemed to me to be absurd.  Then I started using a terminal 
and learned how hard it is to view a 200 line loop at 300 BAUD :-), and 
how to wish very hard for 1200 BAUD modems.  Now I have matured.  I use 
a 9600 baud terminal, write small procedures (because I can't find the 
top of my desk), and wish for a 19.2kb terminal :-).

John Tysko