[comp.lang.c] C vrs ADA

bobr@zeus.TEK.COM (Robert Reed) (08/26/87)

In article <713@elmgate.UUCP> ram@elmgate.UUCP (Randy Martens) writes:

    The right to hold and express an opinion is VITAL to our basic freedom,
    both as engineers/programmers/users, and as citizens.  Mr. Unekis's
    posting gave the world a chance to hear what he thought, which is the
    whole purpose of this net - the free and open exchange of opinions,
    ideas, answers, questions, facts, rumours, gibberish, and just plain
    information.  I DO NOT think that John's posting was "virulent", and I
    think that he did indeed provide a service to the community, by
    providing topic for discussion.  This makes people think, and thinking
    is a good thing.

The right to express one's opinions are not in question--it's the proporting
them as fact which is being called into question here.  There is a spectrum
of experience in the readership of this newsgroup.  Many of us are able to
discern fact from opinion, but not all of us.  Expressing misconceptions and
heresay as fact, without any disclaimers on its accuracy, is a disservice to
this community.

-- 
Robert Reed, Tektronix CAE Systems Division, bobr@zeus.TEK

ram@elmgate.UUCP (Randy Martens) (09/01/87)

In article <2293@zeus.TEK.COM> bobr@zeus.UUCP (Robert Reed) writes:
>In article <713@elmgate.UUCP> ram@elmgate.UUCP (Randy Martens) writes:
>
>    The right to hold and express an opinion is VITAL to our basic freedom,
>    both as engineers/programmers/users, and as citizens.  Mr. Unekis's
>    posting gave the world a chance to hear what he thought, which is the
>    whole purpose of this net - the free and open exchange of opinions,
>    ideas, answers, questions, facts, rumours, gibberish, and just plain
>    information.  I DO NOT think that John's posting was "virulent", and I
>    think that he did indeed provide a service to the community, by
>    providing topic for discussion.  This makes people think, and thinking
>    is a good thing.
>
>The right to express one's opinions are not in question--it's the proporting
>them as fact which is being called into question here.  There is a spectrum
>of experience in the readership of this newsgroup.  Many of us are able to
>discern fact from opinion, but not all of us.  Expressing misconceptions and
>heresay as fact, without any disclaimers on its accuracy, is a disservice to
>this community.
>
>-- 
>Robert Reed, Tektronix CAE Systems Division, bobr@zeus.TEK
----
Robert :
Let's not get into a philosophical discussion here (at least not in this
news group), but the point of my posting was that ESPECIALLY when it comes
to matters of computer or language performance, there are very few facts.
I don't object to someone correcting an error in my or anyone's posting,
as long as it IS a FACTUAL error.  What I objected to was the criticism of
Mr. Unekis's opinions, and the form which that criticism took.  If someone
wishes to post a counter opinion, and offer their arguments, all well and
good.  After all, that is the purpose of this newgroup.  Vehement criticism
accomplishes nothing.

Furthermore, I would feel that any reader of this newgroup ought to know enough
to take anything posted here with a grain of salt.  Unless you have a moderated
group, where every posting is checked for factual accuracy, you are always
going to have postings that contain "errors", and most of the time they will
represent honest mistakes or misconceptions.

Nuff said.

(by the way, Robert, I have seen some of your division's products at a recent
tech show. Nifty ! Can I have one ??)

Randy Martens
"Reality - What a Concept !" - R.Williams
OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER : Dis claimer is my claimer, dis claimer is your claimer ..