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Date: 18 Aug 93 18:16:29 GMT
From: cis.ohio-state.edu!news.sei.cmu.edu!ajpo.sei.cmu.edu!progers@ucbvax.Berke
ley.EDU  (Pat Rogers)
Subject: Re: Ada and C++: A request for comparison/contrast/relative benefits
Message-ID: <1993Aug18.141629.28219@sei.cmu.edu>
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

In article <1385@fedfil.UUCP> news@fedfil.UUCP (news) writes:
>In article <1993Aug16.113000.2845@sei.cmu.edu>, progers@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu (Pat 
Rogers) writes:
>*In article <1374@fedfil.UUCP> news@fedfil.UUCP (news) writes:
>*>
>
> [deletia]
>
>*Mr Holden continues to amaze.  Having been shown on numerous occasions that
>*Hoare changed his mind and publicly approved of Ada, Mr. Holden still uses th
e
>*out of date Turing award speech.  
>
>One of the supposed beauties of Ada is that it cannot ever change.  The Ada 
>which Hoare claimed was unfit for any use with serious consequences is the
>same Ada which is out there now, to the best of my understanding.
>
>I suppose I'm supposed to believe that Hoare became more intelligent after
>the original paper was presented.  I assume he was of middle age in 1980;  
>people don't generally get more intelligent after about 40.
>
>Basically, the kind of statement made in that original paper, once made,
>cannot well be unmade.
>
>
>*Further, Mr. Holden accused Hoare of
>*"selling out" to the DoD for doing so!  
>
>That's not the way I recall it.  I have no real idea how they <got to> him.
>Considering the theoretically infinite supply of money behind Ada, bribery
>is a possibility.  Torture is another possibility...  I assume the man
>has family members who could have been kidnapped...  Brainwashing.....
>
>
>-- 
>Ted Holden      Evolutionism is to science
>HTE             As rapp is to music


The point here, sir, is that you can't have it both ways. Either you can
claim that he didn't change his mind, in which case you can use him as
ammunition, or you have to be honest and not do so.  By ignoring what you
had proven to you in the past, you make yourself out to be disreputable.  I
have to agree, however, that his change of mind did not receive nearly the
visibility of the Turing Award speech (natural under the circumstances).

Personally I wouldn't make comments about somebody with Hoare's stature unless
I had quite a bit more experience and credibility.

Pat Rogers
progers@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu

I have nothing to do with any organization named in my email address.