From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,ac39a12d5faf5b14 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-04-20 12:50:45 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news.tele.dk!small.news.tele.dk!207.115.63.138!newscon04.news.prodigy.com!newsmst01.news.prodigy.com!prodigy.com!postmaster.news.prodigy.com!newssvr21.news.prodigy.com.POSTED!not-for-mail From: tmoran@acm.org Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Development process in the Ada community References: <5ee5b646.0204200830.2bd258d2@posting.google.com> X-Newsreader: Tom's custom newsreader Message-ID: <7wjw8.6355$Bl5.3716799705@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: 67.115.105.248 X-Complaints-To: abuse@prodigy.net X-Trace: newssvr21.news.prodigy.com 1019331715 ST000 67.115.105.248 (Sat, 20 Apr 2002 15:41:55 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2002 15:41:55 EDT Organization: Prodigy Internet http://www.prodigy.com X-UserInfo1: [[PA@SVGXZUWSVPXN[O@_WH@YR_B@EXLLBWLOOAFMASJETAANVW[AKWZE\]^XQWIGNE_[EBL@^_\^JOCQ^RSNVLGTFTKHTXHHP[NB\_C@\SD@EP_[KCXX__AGDDEKGFNB\ZOKLRNCY_CGG[RHT_UN@C_BSY\G__IJIX_PLSA[CCFAULEY\FL\VLGANTQQ]FN Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2002 19:41:55 GMT Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:22832 Date: 2002-04-20T19:41:55+00:00 List-Id: > > I certianly know the feeling of moral obligation when someone asks > > for help with a problem in *your* code. > > ... > > Its always painful when I have to tell > > someone I can't help them any further. > > And it is *less* painful not to give them anything in the first > place??? > Sort of like meeting a beggar on the street and deciding to give > nothing, > because otherwise you will feel a moral obligation to provide food, > clothing, > and housing :-) Perhaps giving them software, then not helping when they get stuck, is more like finding a beggar, showing him the beer and chips in your car, driving him out to the beautiful countryside, set him down to munch the salty chips, then, when he asks for a beer, you announce the beer, and the ride back to town, are expensive. I suppose there are those who would claim the moral high ground "but I fed the beggar".