Xref: utzoo comp.lang.c:26576 comp.software-eng:3064
Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!robohack!druid!darcy
From: darcy@druid.uucp (D'Arcy J.M. Cain)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c,comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Currency Quotes
Message-ID: <1990Mar5.130105.6896@druid.uucp>
Date: 5 Mar 90 13:01:05 GMT
References: <803@xyzzy.UUCP> <8229@hubcap.clemson.edu>
Reply-To: darcy@druid.UUCP (D'Arcy J.M. Cain)
Organization: D'Arcy Cain Consulting, West Hill, Ontario
Lines: 35

In article <8229@hubcap.clemson.edu> billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu writes:
>From goudreau@larrybud.rtp.dg.com (Bob Goudreau):
>> I was talking about your original criticism of units(1) for the way
>> its manpage admitted that the program had no way of automatically
>> updating its exchange-rate information in real-time.  You came to
>> the embarassingly stupid conclusion that this limitation was somehow
>> a fault of the C programming language.  But go ahead and defend that
>> conclusion if you must....
>
>   No, it was an example of the C community's cavalier attitude
>   toward software reliability.  The comment "Don't base your
>   financial plans on the output", or words to that effect, were
>   a) inappropriate, since the static nature of the rates is part
>   of the specification and should not be listed in the defects
>   section, and b) irresponsible, since it indicates a flippant
>   approach to the reliability of the output.
>
>
>   Bill Wolfe, wtwolfe@hubcap.clemson.edu
> 

Where do you work?  In a monastary?  Lighten up will ya.  Just because
someone is aware of the limitations of their program doesn't mean they
have to hold a funeral over it.  Besides the comment "Don't base your
financial plans on the output" doesn't sound all that flippant.  I would
take that admonition to heart if I was making multi-currency decisions.

Sheesh!  Someone give the guy a black armband while the rest of us get
back to the party.

-- 
D'Arcy J.M. Cain (darcy@druid)     |   Thank goodness we don't get all 
D'Arcy Cain Consulting             |   the government we pay for.
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