Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!brl-adm!brl-smoke!gwyn
From: gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn )
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Why I won't use ANSI C
Message-ID: <7290@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Date: 19 Feb 88 11:25:39 GMT
References: <7563@elsie.UUCP> <7022@brl-smoke.ARPA> <7564@elsie.UUCP> <7053@brl-smoke.ARPA> <5212@utah-cs.UUCP> <7170@brl-smoke.ARPA> <7183@brl-smoke.ARPA> <5222@utah-cs.UUCP> <907@micomvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>)
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab (BRL), APG, MD.
Lines: 37

In article <907@micomvax.UUCP> ray@micomvax.UUCP (Ray Dunn) writes:
>>Berkeley Unix any more than Doug represents the ANSI C committee.)
>Doug has set *himself* up as the "spokesman" of the ANSII committee ...

This is simply not so.  I have posted NUMEROUS disclaimers, especially
when it appears that I might be misunderstood as representing an official
X3J11 position.  For the most part, I simply provide information and some
degree of tutoring.  For example, the "noalias" issue was discussed here
because of information I provided.  I figured the newsgroup subscribers
should hear about it at the earliest possible opportunity.

Consider this another disclaimer.  In the unlikely case that I were to
post an official X3J11 position, I will identify it clearly as such.

>... Doug's views are often very controversial, a facet that, as
>'old-net-hands' will recognize, is extremely unusual in a net 'guru'.

My views normally agree with Guy Harris, Chris Torek, Henry Spencer, and
other established C/UNIX "gurus".  The main "controversy" is that Chris
and Donn Seeley seem fundamentally opposed to the idea of C standardization
by committee whereas I support what X3J11 is doing for the most part.

>... a much more useful role that he could be playing is the opposite one,
>i.e. representing the views expressed on the net *to* the committee.

You obviously do not know WHAT role I play on the X3J11 committee.

I of course do not waste committee time by proposing what are in my
judgement poorly thought out or otherwise ill-advised ideas that are
frequently put forth on this newsgroup.  But I certainly do offer
proposals that I feel I can support, often based on conversations
with more thoughtful members of the C user community, and some of
these proposals have in fact been adopted by the committee.

I'm doing my job; I suggest you do yours.  (Actually, I do more than
my job -- I'm not required to keep you all posted on new ANSI C
developments, answer questions, give tutorials, correct errors, etc.)