Re: Cygwin: Interoperability Is Important (was Cygwin: Open or Closed System, etc)

["Fred T. Hamster" <fred at gruntose dot com>]

   funny post (see attachment).
   i started different topics, since the topic had obviously morphed. i 
wasn't doing it just to be different.  i'm already too different 
apparently.
   as to whether the backslash issue's treatment being modified 
increases or decreases order, i guess one would have to consider both 
the users of the system and the real possibilities for harm that could 
be caused.  regarding users, is it really being advocated that cygwin is 
unix, burrowed into win32, but not supporting any of those still stuck 
in the windows world at all?  all users must sprechen diesen 
wunderslashes from unix?  it may be unbelievable, but i do prefer to use 
only forward slashes as often as possible.  it is not always possible. 
 the world, unfortunately, does not revolve around cygwin.  and yes, i 
know it doesn't revolve around me either.
   as to the potential harm that could result, i really think it's being 
overstated.  in most cases, the path's wildcard resolution will lead to 
a very clear set of results.  in a few cases, some interpretation may be 
required before coming to the final list of files. i do not believe that 
the suggested change would signficantly detract from the ability of the 
unix user to specify files accurately, but i do believe that it will 
help those win32-afflicted people out who might otherwise never bother 
with cygwin.  is it being said that these people should just go away and 
never touch cygwin?  such a viewpoint really would seem a bit odd for a 
project to take unless the project was explicitly inimical to those 
potential users.  and i don't believe that's the case.
   one issue that hasn't been stated: i do not wish to try to change the 
way everyone uses their slashes at the place where i work.  that is an 
uninteresting exercise in OS theology which i will not engage in anytime 
soon.  perhaps it was a mistake to think that the cygwin environment was 
really the right choice for getting work done with these officemates, 
since many of them have a microsoft tool-user history.  but i persist in 
thinking the issues are not so devastating that a modified 
implementation would not succeed in supporting them as well.
   indeed, thanks to the cygwinners for making a very powerful and 
flexible system.  nipping at minor points that seem less than optimal is 
not intended to harm; it is kind of like, well, a bug report.  i think 
the controversy has arisen mainly because "the bug" has been deemed "not 
a bug". i would fight just as diligently against a bug report being 
rejected at work as "as designed" if i sincerely believed that either it 
really was a bug or that the design needed improvement.  it is no slight 
to suggest that a piece of software has bugs or room for improvement.  
all significantly complex software does.
thanks,
fred.

-- 
_____ chosen by the Nechung Oracle Program [ http://www.gruntose.com/ ] _____

My girlfriend and I went on a picnic.  I don't know how she did it, but she
got poison ivy on the brain.  When it itched, the only way she could scratch
it was to think about sandpaper.
  -- Steven Wright

_____________ not necessarily my opinions, not necessarily not. _____________



Ronald W. Cook wrote:

    Dear Mr. Hamster,

    I, for one, do not wish to preserve or further the use of the
    backslash as you intend -  by extending or enhancing its use in
    cygwin even, if it means going out of one's way to prevent it.

    I for one do not wish to preserve of further the use of the English
    system.
    We will have to go out of our way to correct this - laissez faire
    costs too much.

    I for one do not wish to preserve the use of MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY
    which some don't understand when the obvious logical choice should be
    YYYY/MM/DD, which EVERYONE understands.
    We will have to go out of our way to correct this - laissez faire
    costs too much.

    I for one do not wish to count my money backwards in starting a new
    "just to be different" thread.

    I for one do not wish to start saying time  MM:SS:HH in starting a new
    thread.  No one would understand.

    There is a reason to seek order - it improves communication and can
    prevent
    $300,000,000 mistakes (and lives?) as was not too latey demonstrated.
    We will have to go out of our way to correct this - laissez faire
    costs too much.

    Chaos or order?  Some will gravitate toward one.

    Thanks to the Cygwinners.

    Ron Cook
    www.cowaro.com <http://www.cowaro.com>



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