open software, cont. (61)

Willard McCarty (MCCARTY@VM.EPAS.UTORONTO.CA)
Fri, 10 Feb 89 22:46:57 EST


Humanist Mailing List, Vol. 2, No. 589. Friday, 10 Feb 1989.


(1) Date: Fri, 10 Feb 89 02:27:50 CST (35 lines)
From: Richard Goerwitz <goer@sophist.uchicago.edu>
Subject: frustration; open software

(2) Date: Fri, 10 Feb 89 12:12:25 GMT (7 lines)
From: Brian Molyneaux 0703-551358 <AYI004@IBM.SOUTHAMPTON.AC.UK>

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 89 02:27:50 CST
From: Richard Goerwitz <goer@sophist.uchicago.edu>
Subject: frustration; open software

I was both sad and glad to find Darrell Raymond's response to
my recent posting. I was glad that I had apparently misunder-
stood his intent at the SBL meetings. I was sorry that I was
indeed not one of those that spoke with him afterwards.

>From the defensive tone of his posting, I gather that I have
offended him. My indelicacy was a by-product of feelings that
have festered since the conference. It seemed to me, sitting
there, listening, that at the precise moment when the questions
got interesting, the answers got rather slim. There were several
inquiries about whether straight sequential searches were ever
necessary. The answer was more or less "no," and this intrigued
several of us. When the question was asked about how this was
accomplished, the information given was not terribly helpful. One
member speculated that bitmaps of some sort were being used, but
no direct response was made. I walked away from the conference
with unsettled feelings.

It appears that, had I stayed around, I would have had the oppor-
tunity to discuss these things with you in greater depth. Perhaps
we can still do this some time. Until then, please accept my apolo-
gies for what must have seemed a slight. I was merely playing back
the impressions (frustrations?) I had, as a listener at your presen-
tation. Nothing personal was intended, though I fear that apologies
are still in order.

-Richard L. Goerwitz
goer@sophist.uchicago.edu
rutgers!oddjob!gide!sophist!goer


(2) --------------------------------------------------------------11----
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 89 12:12:25 GMT
From: Brian Molyneaux 0703-551358 <AYI004@IBM.SOUTHAMPTON.AC.UK>

By the time we are flocking to see Rocky XX, innovation will likely
be difficult to detect in the basic useful software. Familiarity
will breed and breed; feathers will no longer ruffle about the bounds of
proprietary property.