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=-0.4 required=5.0 tests=AC_FROM_MANY_DOTS,BAYES_00 autolearn=no 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: 2002-04-22 19:17:48 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!colt.net!newspeer.clara.net!news.clara.net!btnet-peer!btnet-peer0!btnet!psiuk-p2!psiuk-p3!uknet!psiuk-n!news.pace.co.uk!nh.pace.co.uk!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Development process in the Ada community Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 11:41:31 -0400 Organization: Posted on a server owned by Pace Micro Technology plc Message-ID: References: <3CB94312.5040802@snafu.de> <4519e058.0204150645.62003096@posting.google.com> <3CBCEB15.E104D1F5@adaworks.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: dhcp-200-133.miami.pace.co.uk X-Trace: nh.pace.co.uk 1019490094 27345 136.170.200.133 (22 Apr 2002 15:41:34 GMT) X-Complaints-To: newsmaster@news.cam.pace.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Date: 22 Apr 2002 15:41:34 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:22949 Date: 2002-04-22T15:41:34+00:00 List-Id: The year is 2099. Programming is now done by plugging an Ethernet wire into the side of someone's head. (They're called "wireheads" now - not programmers. But normal people still find them impossible to communicate with and they have a hard time getting dates. Strangely, pocket protectors are still worn, but nobody uses pens or pencils anymore.) They "think" the code into the machine. The main computer at "Alpha Complex" still "remembers" the GNAT compiler and can regurgitate its source and translate it into any instruction set the Historians would like for their studies. But sadly, nobody has inquired about it in quite a while. ACT made a huge fortune back in the big Ada Fad of 2010 - enough so the organization had a permanent endowment, but they never built anything new. Now Ada Core Technologies consists of a single secretary sitting in front of a Fiber Op waiting for someone to call asking for a support contract and once the check clears for the Eleventy-Gagillion Dollars (inflation! :-) annual support fee, she will push the button that will thaw out the brains of all the techies that were frozen back in 2030 so they can get to work on the problems. But the jars holding the brains have been collecting dust for some time now and the secretary spends most of her time polishing her nails and talking to her boyfriend on the phone. Its nice work, if you can get it. A bit extreme, maybe, but I think it illustrates my point about how *all* products have a life-span and ACT, I'm sure, are smart enough to know that & will evolve new products & services to accommodate that. MDC -- Marin David Condic Senior Software Engineer Pace Micro Technology Americas www.pacemicro.com Enabling the digital revolution e-Mail: marin.condic@pacemicro.com "Simon Wright" wrote in message news:x7vr8lci7mf.fsf@smaug.pushface.org... > "Marin David Condic" writes: > > > Sooner or later, the GNAT compiler will reach a point where nobody > > will want to buy suport for it. > > There's still a market for support in how to _use_ a product.