Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!eos!aurora!labrea!decwrl!pyramid!uccba!hal!ncoast!allbery
From: allbery@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Help us defend against VMS!
Message-ID: <7515@ncoast.UUCP>
Date: 16 Mar 88 22:07:37 GMT
References: <1636@tulum.UUCP> <68@musky2.MUSKINGUM.EDU> <5586@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> <1179@uop.edu> <3347@briar.Philips.Com>
Reply-To: allbery@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery)
Followup-To: comp.unix.wizards
Organization: Cleveland Public Access UN*X, Cleveland, Oh
Lines: 22

As quoted from <3347@briar.Philips.Com> by rob@philabs.Philips.Com (Rob Robertson):
+---------------
| are also alot of DEC internal formats that ain't documented.  Changing
| the "BUGS" section to "RESTRICTIONS" is something that really irks me.
| Why not call a spade a spade?   And the removal of the "AUTHORS"
+---------------

Uh, that's why it was changed -- so they *would* call a spade a spade.  Unless
BSD programs are all broken relative to System V (unlikely), the so-called
"bugs" section usually points out restrictions of a program's implementation,
NOT fixable bugs.  "Fixing" them would require a totally different algorithm
for the program, and in many cases there aren't any candidates for a better
one.  If you don't believe me, go write a "fixed" version of one of them.

The Unix manuals are at least honest in pointing out the shortcomings of the
programs.  Do VMS manuals tell you about pathological cases?  (I haven't seen
any VMS manuals, but I know that the TOPS-20 manuals I saw didn't mention
them; nor do manuals for IBM's VM/SP or for other operating systems I've had
the chance to look over.)
-- 
	      Brandon S. Allbery, moderator of comp.sources.misc
       {well!hoptoad,uunet!hnsurg3,cbosgd,sun!mandrill}!ncoast!allbery