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From: peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: IBM-PC specific messages in comp.lang.c
Message-ID: <3032@ficc.uu.net>
Date: 7 Feb 89 14:59:39 GMT
References: <2989@ficc.uu.net> <673@sactoh0.UUCP>
Organization: Xenix Support
Lines: 37

In article <673@sactoh0.UUCP>, bfbreedl@sactoh0.UUCP (Bob F. Breedlove) writes:
> In article <2989@ficc.uu.net>, peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes:
> > 	Q: I have a problem with some IBM-PC 'C' compiler.
> > 	A: Ask it on comp.sys.ibm.pc.

> I thought one of the major strengths of "C" was its PORTABILITY
> between operating systems! I've looked at the bottom of the screen
> and it says "comp.lang.c" NOT "comp.lang.c.UNIX". Perhaps you
> should post your answers in "comp.lain".

This is almost funny. Considering that this software is written in 'C'
and runs on UNIX, one would expect that the biggest offenders would be
people asking UNIX-specific questions. Because UNIX-specific questions
are as inappropriate as MS-DOS ones.

As it turns out, though, there are hardly any UNIX-specific questions
here. Lots of questions about how to write interrupt handlers in Turbo-C,
or how to read a directory on MS-DOS, or how to cope with memory models
(again, UNIX people who have problems with memory models tend to post
to comp.unix.xenix or comp.unix.microport).

Macintosh, Amiga, and Atari people keep to their own groups, too. When was
the last time someone asked why you had to set A0 to _custom when returning
from a VBLANK handler in comp.lang.c?

To sum up: just because your program is in 'C' doesn't mean that comp.lang.c
is the place to ask OS-specific questions. The right place to ask is the
group for your O/S. The vast majority of people who violate this reasonable
requirement seem to be MS-DOS programmers.

I will vote 'yes' on comp.sys.ibm.pc.{tech,programmer,whatever} when it comes
around. In the meantime, try comp.sys.ibm.pc first. Pretty please?
-- 
Peter da Silva, Xenix Support, Ferranti International Controls Corporation.
Work: uunet.uu.net!ficc!peter, peter@ficc.uu.net, +1 713 274 5180.   `-_-'
Home: bigtex!texbell!sugar!peter, peter@sugar.uu.net.                 'U`
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