Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tekcrl!tekgvs!toma
From: toma@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM (Tom Almy)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: Why don't people use Forth (was Re: FIG Membership cost)
Message-ID: <6640@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM>
Date: 10 Jan 90 16:26:31 GMT
References: <756@noe.UUCP> <95.UUL1.3#5129@willett.UUCP> <3084@plains.UUCP> <232.UUL1.3#5129@willett.UUCP>
Reply-To: toma@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM (Tom Almy)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton,  OR.
Lines: 32


Well it's time I throw some more fat into the fire.

Using or not using Forth has nothing to do with FIG membership costs!

I joined FIG back in volume 2. I joined the local FIG chapter about the
same time. I dropped FIG membership two or three years ago, and the local
FIG chapter is defunct.

But I still use Forth, and so do all the former FIGers I still know.

Its all a matter of perceived value.

When F83 came out, Forth Dimensions virtually became an F83 journal. Articles
were labeled "83 Standard" even when they containd F83isms. Forth Dimensions
lost most of its value for me. Then I had subscription problems -- at one
point in time their subscriber database overflowed and their earlier
subscribers got bounced out of the database. I also had a $10 off certificate
that expired before the resubscription time rolled around (very clever on
FIG's part). So I just gave up.

I've always used JFAR to show off the Forth language, never Forth Dimensions.

I felt the local FIG group died because members had nothing to gain by  
attending. When I joined, there was virtually no information available
on Forth. The FIG group was the only way to find out anything. Now Forth
implementations are far better documented, and a number of instructional
books are readily available. 

Tom Almy
toma@telgvs.labs.tek.com
Standard Disclaimers Apply