Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpda!hpisod1!hpcllla!hpclisp!hpclcdb!cdb
From: cdb@hpclcdb.HP.COM (Carl Burch)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran
Subject: Re: Update on 8x and IBM
Message-ID: <6690010@hpclcdb.HP.COM>
Date: 28 Jan 88 23:46:15 GMT
References: <68000006@convex>
Organization: HP ITG/ISO Computer Language Lab
Lines: 25


Like Pres Smith, I'd like to promote the writing of as many public review
letters as possible from the Fortran community.  Actually more, as I'd
like to see all concerned Fortran programmers reviewing the draft Standard
and writing their thoughts - not particularly restricted to the negative 
comments he solicits.  Actually, with IBM, UNISYS and DEC opposing the draft,
I recommend that you not assume that features you want that are in the current 
draft are safe and assured - they are not.

The part I am responding to is the following :

> There is no requirement that you purchase the proposed standard or even 
> have seen or read it in order to write.  A sample letter might be:

Form letters written on the basis of someone else's opinion such as those 
suggested in the base note are hardly a professional response to a request 
for comments on a proposed ANSI standard.  If you are going to sign
comments on anything more complicated than a box of detergent, they
should be your own.  The address to get the draft Standard has been
posted several times in this notes group - use it and then send in YOUR
comments, not mine or Pres's or anyone else's.

To paraphrase Ollie North, we want all your comments - the good, the bad,
and the ugly!  
						Carl Burch
						HP Fortran