Two suggestions for Greg Aharonian

Two suggestions for Greg Aharonian

[SAHARBAUGH]

In Info Ada digest # 437 Greg suggests actions by the DoD that I
believe are inappropriate.  I suggest the following:
1. Don't ask the DoD to push Ada outside of the DoD.  The military
is under the direction of the civilian Government.  If you want 
them to do something then the appropriate path is to get the
executive branch and/or the legislative branch to direct them
to do it. (Getting the Judicial branch in on Ada would be going
too far).  BTW: I don't advocate doing that.  The DoD is the
finest in the world at what they do.  Let them continue to do it
and don't defocus them.
2. Do create a demand for Ada outside of the DoD.  Don't bother
telling your neighbors to demand software products written in Ada.
Do tell them to demand software that works.  Become a Ralph Nader
of software.  For factual ammunition read Software Engineering Notes.
It lists many instances of ripoffs, damages and death due to software.
When consumers demand software that works then Ada demand will follow
I believe.  When the demand apears then the transfer of technology
from the DoD to civilian market will occur.
[I use every opportunity to tell the public that computers 
weren't meant to be as they are.  I do this at the grocery store,
the bank, the building materials store etc.  The grocery store
could not check out my purchases for 15 minutes because "you can't
check out while the computer is updating the inventory".  My reply
was something like "Oh yes you can.  All it takes is proper programming
and the computer can do two things at once"  Ada tasks to the rescue.
I won't bore you with other instances, you get the idea.]
OK Greg, let me know when you will be on the Geraldo show and
I'll set my VCR to capture it.
sam harbaugh
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