psmith@convex.UUCP (03/30/88)
For you information, the following is a summary of the comments received from the public review period on the FORTRAN 8x. The Position column is what I could glean by looking at them. If anyone has any corrections, my fingers are fat...so send them to me. I'm sure there are mistakes... Of the 396 total comments: 60% are negative 22% are positive 14% are comments with no real position 4% expressed concern as opposed to a strong positive or negative position Submitter Company Position 1. Patte Pyle Amway Corp Negative 2. William Kafig Harry Diamond Labs Negative 3. Robert Hall Science Appl International Positive 4. R.J. Hanson ADI Corp Positive 5. Joe Knipperburg Federal Communications Comm Negative 6. Rick Anderson Center for Lithospheric Studies Negative 7. John Babcock Professional Engineer Negative 8. Lila Chase Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab Comments 9. John Rahn School of Music, Univ of Wash. Negative 10. Tony Linthicum CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 11. Bonnie Hill CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 12. Ron Lieberman CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 13. Susan Linthicum Philadelphia Life Ins Negative 14. Randall Mercer CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 15. John Torkelson CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 16. Jan Boerhout CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 17. Gary Ramsey LTV Aerospace Negative 18. Jonathan Becher Duke University Negative 19. John P. Cole Self Negative 20. Nolan Davis University of Texas Negative 21. Cyrus D. Cantrell Univeristy of Texas Negative 22. Danny Chu University of Texas Negative 23. Chris Jahn Software Lexcography Negative 24. Mick Banter Syntech Negative 25. Patrick Christoffersen Wisconsin Public Service Negative 26. Earl Damewood INCO Alloys International Negative 27. Edgar Soulie Laboratorie de Reactivite... Comments 28. Jesse Black Self Negative 29. Burton Strauss Catalyst Group Negative 30. J.L. Schoenfelder University of Liverpool Negative 31. Renee Kellow CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 32. J.D. McDonald University of Illinois Negative 33. David Bailey Ames Research Center Positive 34. Phil Hooper Kennedy Space Center Comments 35. John Lynn Marshall Space Flight Center Positive 36. Fred Krogh, etc. (2) Jet Propulsion Laboratory Comments 37. James Matheny Self Positive 38. Neil Rickert Northern Illinois Univ Negative 39. George MeMechan University of Texas Negative 40. Bob Zoller TRW Valve Division Negative 41. Presley Smith CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 42. Ray Seyfarth Self Negative 43. John Swanson Swanson Analysis Systems Negative 44. E.T. Ford, etc. (4) Independent Broadcasing Auth. Negative 45. Stewart A Levin Mobil Research Positive 46. Edward Smith Self Negative 47. Mary Hovik Lehigh County Community Col. Negative 48. Michael G. Miller University of Georgia Negative 49. Brian Gray General Tire Positive 50. Jack Peterson Los Alamos, Comp Physics Negative 51. Loren Meissner University of San Francisco Positive 52. J. Wayne Gray Honeywell O.E.D. Negative 53. Suze Hym Southwestern Bell Negative 54. David Anderson Lawrence Livermore Lab Negative 55. Wayne Finke RF Monolithics, Inc. Negative 56. Carl Malec Boeing Advanced Systems Negative 57. James Beers Fluor Daniel Negative 58. Jim Armstrong CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 59. David Hill Northern Telecom Negative 60. Tisha Motley King Computer Search Negative 61. Sally King King Computer Search Negative 62. Sandy Davis King Computer Search Negative 63. Alan Wallcraft JAYCOR Positive 64. Dr. S. Morgan University of Liverpool Positive 65. James Rodgers International Power Machines Negative 66. David Atkinson King Computer Search Negative 67. L. Hatton Programming Research Ltd. Negative 68. William Leonard Harris Corp. Negative 69. Jeanne Martin Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab Comments 70. Debbie Vela Mobil Exploration Negative 71. David Wilson Self Comments 72. Loren Meissner (51 also) University of San Francisco Positive 73. Steven O. Siegfried Self Negative 74. M.D. Sisson LTV Missles and Electronics Negative 75. Bob Allison Microsoft Negative 76. Stuart Renes AT&T Technology Negative 77. Bob Malchie Los Alamos Natl Lab Positive 78. David Jones Jones Computer Consulting Negative 79. Michael Clover Los Alamos Negative 80. Jay Elewitz Self Negative 81. Joseph R. Zuiden LTV Aircraft Products Group Negative 82. Linda Yohe Texas Exchange Carrier Assoc Negative 83. Allen Wadle LTV Missle and Electronics Negative 84. (Signature Illegible) Southwestern Bell Negative 85. Scott Matthews Idaho National Engr Lab Positive 86. David Burrows Pennsylvania State Univ Negative 87. Sharon Clay TECA Negative 88. Robert Hench GE Information Services Negative 89. Charles Light Cincinnati Gas and Electric Comments 90. Jeanine McDermott Electrospace Systems Negative 91. Joe Nation University of Texas Negative 92. Lennart Begtsson European Centre for Weather... Positive 93. George Weekly Dept of Air Force Positive 94. Gary Bills Boeing Company Negative 95. Mark Hall Boeing Aerospace Negative 96. David Nokes Self Negative 97. David Plumley Boeing Company Negative 98. Steven Haertel CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 99. Steven Joachims Self Negative 100. Thomas Nishikawa CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 101. Mark D. Hall Boeing Aerospace Company Negative 102. Russell Swim John Deere Parts Dist. Center Negative 103. Dwight Rousu Self Negative 104. Matthew F. Smith Boeing Computer Services Negative 105. Guy Wormser, etc. (14) Stanford University Negative 106. Stewart Anderson Boeing Computer Services Negative 107. Michael Behrens Deutsches Elektronen Positive 108. David Wilson Self Comments 109. Bruce Walker Andante Software Negative 110. Stephen McGrogan ELXSI Negative 111. Thomas Grandine Boeing Computer Services Negative 112. Anthony Cummins Telex Computer Products Negative 113. David Dorfman CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 114. Mark Nicklaus Institute of Applied Physics Positve 115. Brian J. Christianson Self Negative 116. Joseph Hearst Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab Comments 117. Ken Starr Self Negative 118. Robert Johnson Penn State College of Bus. Adm. Negative 119. David Vallance, etc. (4) University of Salford Negative 120. Stephen Miyawaki System Software Services Negative 121. Seymour J. Metz Self Concern 122. Fred Krogh Jet Propulsion Lab Comments 123. John Rice Purdue University Positive 124. Jonathan Thornburg University of British Columbia Comments 125. Robert Greeves Department of Energy Negative 126. A.N. Richmond University of Liverpool Comments 127. Alan Hunt Voice Control Systems Negative 128. Richard Hicks Martin Marietta Energy Syst. Positive 129. Jack Perrine Self Comments 130. Howard Page CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 131. William Rinehuls General Services Administration Positive 132. M.C. Monson Deere & Company Negative 133. W. Van Snyder Jet Propulsion Lab Negative 134. William Hiteshew University of Maryland Negative 135. Adrian Melott University of Kansas Negative 136. N. Arunasalem SC SCICON Negative 137. John Moses Self Negative 138. Donald L. Lucas International Power Machines Negative 139. H.R. Child Oak Ridge Natl Lab Comments 140. Stephen Miyawaki McDonald Douglass Aerospace Positive 141. Michael Berry Think Machines Positive 142. A.L. Lopez, etc. (4) Amoco Corporation Systems Dev Negative 143. David Ford Exxon Central Services Negative 144. Gordon Hughes University of Edinburgh Positive 145. Richard Owen Lawrence Livermore Labs Concern 146. Jack Saba Science Applications Research Negative 147. John Miano Self Negative 148. Roger Ove University of Illinois Negative 149. Merle VanDyke Boeing Computer Services Negative 150. James Tocher Boeing Computer Services Negative 151. James Townsend NASA Langley Research Center Concern 152. Christopher Tanner Atomic Energy of Canada Limited Positive 153. John Ingebretsen Self Negative 154. Michael Young Sandia National Lab Comments 155. Fred Clare Natl Center for Atmospheric Res. Negative 156. Richard Albright University of Delaware Negative 157. W. Don Rolph Texas Instruments, MC Group Negative 158. Jonathan Coxhead Feg Limited Positive 159. Richard Harris Self Negative 160. Karl-Heinz Rotthauser GMD (Germany) Comments 161. Lee Busby, etc. (5) Lawrence Livermore Lab Positive 162. David Muxworthy Edinburgh University Positive 163. Ted Hansen Self Negative 164. Kolette Krauss Boeing Computing Services Negative 165. James Baltes General Research Corp Negative 166. Brian Ford, etc. (3) Numerical Algorithms Group Positive 167. Paul Sinclair Austec Negative 168. W.E. Hooper Boeing Vertol Negative 169. Kent Paul Dolan Tree House Computer Consulting Positive 170. Don Stevens New York University Negative 171. Louis Khazoyan Self Negative 172. Peter Matthews Charles Stark Draper Lab Negative 173. Charles Wirtz Self Negative 174. Russell Swim John Deere Parts Distribution Negative 175. Joseph Damico Ohio State University Negative 176. Richard Owen Lawrence Berkeley Labs Concern 177. Thomas Wittaker University of Wisconsin Negative 178. Bo Einarsson University of Linkoping Positive 179. K.H. Eagle Boeing Helicopter Negative 180. Carl Malec Boeing Advanced Systems Negative 181. Denise George Los Alamos Natl Lab Negative 182. J. Gillies British Aerospace Comments 183. Irene Cummings Edinburgh University Positive 184. G.W. Foster Royal Aircraft Positive 185. Paul White Meterological Office Positive 186. K.C. Moore Atomic Weapons Positive 187. P. Basnett Teh Electricity Council Positive 188. M. R. O'Donohoe Computer Lab Negative 189. P. T. Wallace Rutherford Appleton Lab Positive 190. David Tilley University of London Positive 191. Paul Sandy Exeter University Positive 192. Ken Peach University of Edinburgh Positive 193. Tony J. Ibbs Laser-Scan Labs Positive 194. M. G. Richardson Symbolic and Information Syst. Comments 195. Peter Jewell Bradford University Positive 196. Clive Page University of Leicester Positive 197. Tony Lynas-Gray University College London Positive 198. Stephen Hart Imperial College Positive 199. Michael Denby University of Leicester Positive 200. Clive Hall Edinburgh University Comments 201. G.N. Lance University of Bristol Positive 202. Paul Lamb University College London Positive 203. R. Wells Clarendon Lab Comments 204. J. B. Young Seismic Data Centre Negative 205. Andrew Harris Z & S Consultants Limited Negative 206. R. Wells Claredon Lab Positive 207. Thomas Dyott, etc. (8) Analytical & Computer Apl. Negative 208. Norman Turrill Boeing Computer Services Comments 209. Vaughn Gaither Boeing Airplane Co. Negative 210. Barry Schlesinger ST Systems Corp Negative 211. Rober Mercer Aerospace Corp Comments 212. Michael Kassay Sidney Barbanel Consl. Engr. Negative 213. Rochelle Lauer Yale University Negative 214. D. S. Wahl Boeing Computer Services Negative 215. Malcom Gray Self Negative 216. I. J. Clifton Daresbury Lab Positive 217. Brian Ford, etc. (3) Numerical Algorithms Group Positive 218. James P. Sharkey Self Negative 219. Donald Brown Self Negative 220. William Walster Lockheed MSC Comments 221. Ronald Bushyager General Electric Negative 222. Kristi Keith, etc. (2) GA Technologies, Inc. Negative 223. David Garfinkel University of Pennsylvania Negative 224. James Bishop University of Notre Dame Negative 225. Authur Ragosta Dept. of the Army Negative 226. I. Nakata Information Technology Standards Comments 227. Tony Warnock Cray Research Negative 228. Louis B Khazoyan Self Negative 229. Hugh O'Neil Posten Design Systems Negative 230. Multiple Lawrence Livermore Labs Negative 231. P. G. Saffman California Institute of Tech. Negative 232. Harold Naparst Self Negative 233. Lynn Marple Merit Technology, Inc. Comments 234. D. T. Muxworthy Edinburgh University Positive 235. J. R. Hass, etc. (5) M. W. Kellogg Co. Negative 236. James Balster General Research Corp Negative 237. William Goffe University of Texas Positive 238. John E. George Self Negative 239. Carole Sweeney Rheem Mfg Co. Negative 240. Edward Cragg George Mason University Positive 241. Frank W. Guy Los Alamos Negative 242. Arthur Salwin Self Negative 243. Walter Aiello University of Alberta Positive 244. Eric Holcomb Boeing Aerospace Negative 245. Guy Steele Thinking Machines Comments 246. Jaylee Mead NASA Space and Earth Sci... Negative 247. Frank Marshall CONVEX Computer Corp Negative 248. Paul White Meteorological Office Positive 249. Arthur Hu Mosaic Software Negative 250. David Williams Self Positive 251. Multiple National Nuclear Negative 252. Robert Stein Michigan State University Negative 253. Mark Israel University of Alberta Positive 254. J.P. Johnson, Tom Butler Texaco Comments 255. David Taylor Honeywell Negative 256. Richard Curnow Self Negative 257. Anne Gooding Air Products Limited Positive 258. J. J. Thresher Eur. Org. for Nuclear Res. Positive 259. T.M.R. Ellis Computing Teaching Centre Negative 260. Brian Ford, etc. (3) Numerical Algorithms Group Positive 261. Steven Rowan Self Negative 262. William Reeder, etc. (2) University of Texas Negative 263. Ferenc Brodey Computing Teaching Centre Comments 264. Swarn Kumar Boeing Computer Services Negative 265. Alfred Garcia Dept. of the Air Force Positive 266. R. W. Plaseski Enviroment Canada Comments 267. Mark Riordan Self Negative 268. Bob Harbort Southern College of Technology Positive 269. Ted Holmes Self Negative 270. Dennis DeMattia Self Negative 271. Robert Berkowitz Self Negative 272. Daniel Feenberg National Bureau of Economic Res. Negative 273. Carl Summersett Self Comments 274. Richard Chaplin Self Negative 275. Ron Brashear Mobil Exploration Negative 276. William Leonard Harris Corp Negative 277. Edmund Howard Project One Negative 278. Thomas Aird, etc. (6) IMSL Negative 279. Richard O'Shea Self Negative 280. Richard Ragan Control Data Comments 281. Anthony Wexler Dept. of ME, Caltech Positive 282. Paul Corbett ELXSI Negative 283. William DiCecca Self Comments 284. Thomas Tosch Self Negative 285. Michael Weinreich Self Positive 286. Paul White Meteorological Office Positive 287. Maurice LeBrun University of Texas Comments 288. John Burnett Self Negative 289. Jack Pizante Geophysical Service Inc Negative 290. J.C. Mitchell Self Negative 291. Ralph McMillan Arco Oil and Gas Negative 292. John Polson Self Negative 293. Gregory Fulton Self Negative 294. G. Manning Active Memory Technology Negative 295. John Demel, etc. (6) Ohio State Negative 296. Bob Allison (2nd let) Microsoft Negative 297. Nelson Bye Self Negative 298. Jack Balakirsky NASA, Goddard Negative 299. William Gula Los Alamos Comments 300. Michael Wolfe Kuck and Associates Negative 301. Alex Marusak, etc (40) Los Alamos Negative 302. Patricia Swift Computer Assistance Comments 303. Fred Fritsch Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab Comments 304. F.W. Nagle Department of Commerce Comments 305. James Felty Prime Computer Negative 306. Thomas Lahey Lahey Computer Systems Negative 307. John Romero Los Alamos Negative 308. Frederick Klein Boeing Computer Services Negative 309. William Smith US Dept of Commerce Comments 310. James Balster General Research Corp Negative 311. Robert Mercer Aerospace Corporation Comments 312. James Bishop University of Notre Dame Negative 313. Eric Holcomb Boeing Aerospace Negative 314. Vaughn Gaither Flight Systems Lab Negative 315. ============= Don't have +============ 316. R.M. Rangayyan University of Calgary Concern 317. Ivor Philips Boeing Computer Services Negative 318. John Johnson Boeing Computer Services Negative 319. David Mattoon Association of American Railroads Comments 320. Edward Reid Self Positive 321. Scott Lamson General Electric Positive 322. Wolfgang Walter, etc. (2) Universitat Karlsruhe Comments 323. John Duncanson University of Texas Concern 324. Walter Brainerd Unicomp Positive 325. A.J. Lyons Winfrith Atomic Energy Comments 326. Sharon J. Howard Boeing Computer Services Negative 327. Alan Miller CSIRO Div of Math and Statistics Positive 328. James Giles Los Alamos Concern 329. Andrew Johnson Prime Positive 330. Mary Anne Gray IBM Negative 331. Dean L. Irwin TASC-McLean Negative 332. J.D. Wilson British Computer Society Positive 333. Robert Bernstein Southern Illinois Univ Positive 334. Eric Zellin Self Concern 335. Gerald Sommer Self Positive 336. Jonathan Gispan, etc (4) GE, Federal and Elec Syst Div Comments 337. Michael Frazier Self Negative 338. Jerry Berkman Self Negative 339. Robert Knighten Self Concerns 340. D.W. Bonnell NBS-IMSE Negative 341. Philip Sweetenham Hartwell Lab Positive 342. John Reid IFIP wg 2.5 Positive 343. John Reid Harwell Comments 344. Peter Kirby, etc. (7) UK Atomic Energy Authority Concern 345. Theodore Sweetser JPL Concern 346. Anthony Campassano Self Negative 347. Tommaso Russo Self Concern 348. Graham Warren Canadian Standards Assoc Comments 349. Ken Kennedy Rice Negative 350. Steward Wilder The Wyatt Company Positive 351. Joel Clinkenbeard (2) Digital Equipment Corp. Negative 352. Jay G. Scott Self Negative 353. Andrew Tait Amdahl Comments 354. Therese Barts Los Alamos Positive 355. Leonard Moss Stanford University Negative 356. William Long University of Wisconsin Positive 357. Steven Rogers Whole Systems Support Negative 358. David Hamaker The Wollongong Group Positive 359. Tom McDavid Boeing Negative 360. David Kanter TWA Concern 361. Steven Berman Northrop Corp Negative 362. Stuart Nelan Self Negative 363. Alan MacArthur Self Negative 364. Bruce Martin Self Comments 365. Joel Gilliland Self Positive 366. Glenn Yoshioka Self Negative 367. Tony Johnson Stanford University Positive 368. Henry Todd Brigham Young University Comments 369. Ala Lester Self Negative 370. James Almond University of Texas Positive 371. Richard Hendrickson Self Positive 372. Bill DeForeest Self Negative 373. Leon Hill Boeing Negative 374. John McCalpin Control Data Corp Negative 375. Mark Kiefer (3) Sandia National Labs Negative 376. Ehud Reiter Harvard University Negative 377. Alex Marusak Los Alamos Concern 378. Mark Blubaugh Boeing Negative 379. Daniele Pelessone GA Technologies Comments 380. A.D. Kennedy Supercomputer Comp Res Inst. Concern 381. James Carr Supercomputer Comp Res Inst. Concern 382. John Brown, etc. (13) Amdahl Comments 383. Daniel Davison Self Negative 384. Christopher Collins Self Negative 385. M.S. Benson, etc. (3) Air Products Positive 386. Jerold Wagener AMOCO Positive 387. E. Jones Chevron Oil Field Res. Co. Negative 388. David Hough Self Comments 389. Julius Archibald Plattsburgh State Univ Positive 390. Geoff Croes National Research Council Comments 391. Nils Sjolund AB Foretagssimulering Negative 392. Edouard Lagache Self Negative 393. Declan Rieb Sandia Comments 394. Stuart Nelan Self Negative 395. Tommaso Russo Self Comments 396. Charles Hodge Boyle Engineering Corp Positive
jlg@a.UUCP (Jim Giles) (03/31/88)
Gee, the list correctly identifies my comments as 'concern'. At least they're getting some things right. J. Giles Los Alamos
bobal@microsoft.UUCP (Bob Allison) (03/31/88)
In article <551@a.UUCP> jlg@a.UUCP (Jim Giles) writes: > >Gee, the list correctly identifies my comments as 'concern'. >At least they're getting some things right. > >J. Giles >Los Alamos Except that Mr. Smith is not on the committee (was once, though, I believe). A very succinct and informative list. I've copied it and am going to take it to the next meeting if that is okay. I only hope the committee views the letters in approximately the same light. "<click><click> There's no place like home...There's no place like home..." (If only I could wake up back in Kansas right now) Bob Allison
hirchert@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu (04/01/88)
A few preliminary comments on the summary of the Fortran 8x public comment: 1. How did you get this info so fast? I'm a member of X3J3, and I've only received about 3/4 of them. 2. How many of those negative letters were form letters? In the letters received before the last X3J3 meeting (about 90), more than half of the negative comments (about 35) were form letters. 3. Some of the letters characterized as negative are from people I know to be generally in favor of 8x (although they have specific concerns about the current draft). 4. What did CBEMA do with my 42 page comment? I wonder how many others are unaccounted for? Kurt W. Hirchert National Center for Supercomputing Applications
bobal@microsoft.UUCP (Bob Allison) (04/12/88)
In article <50500042@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> hirchert@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu writes: > >A few preliminary comments on the summary of the Fortran 8x public comment: >1. How did you get this info so fast? I'm a member of X3J3, and I've only > received about 3/4 of them. X3 members got them before we did: I assume he got his from them. >2. How many of those negative letters were form letters? In the letters > received before the last X3J3 meeting (about 90), more than half of the > negative comments (about 35) were form letters. Well, we're going to have this debate in the committee, but I'm willing to debate it in public too. First off, I challenge you to produce the form letters. If you include the ones which apparently were organized by Convex, I doubt you would include #115, by Brian J. Christianson, which has as a quote "Are these folks really in the ball game here or have they spent too much time programming in COBOL?" (In other words, while a lot of letters have the same general form, but many of them have very individual comments) And besides, I do not believe many of the other letters which were signed by more than one person (and therefore a "form letter") were illegitimate in any way. We can argue whether the people who signed the letters were given slanted presentations of the standard, but that is a whole new ball game. >3. Some of the letters characterized as negative are from people I know to be > generally in favor of 8x (although they have specific concerns about the > current draft). I agree. I'm trying to compile a list of specific examples, which I will send to Presley Smith along with a request to re-publish. How about you? In the mean time, let's avoid generalizations. >4. What did CBEMA do with my 42 page comment? I wonder how many others are > unaccounted for? > From what I've heard it is a real mess. There are 396 which made it before the deadline, but Jeanne Adams (the chairperson of X3J3) has about a hundred more which we should consider as well. Potentially, yours could be one of those hundred. >Kurt W. Hirchert National Center for Supercomputing Applications (who, by the way, is hosting the next meeting. It will be at the University of Illinois, from May 9 to May 13, somewhere on campus. I'm sure observers are welcome as long as they don't flood the place). Bob Allison
psmith@convex.UUCP (04/14/88)
Here is a correction that I have received: I am sorry to impose on you again, but two of the UK entries (183 and 200) are incorrectly ascribed to Edinburgh University. The correct entries are below. I don't know how official the list is, but there are several inadequacies of identification in the batch I forwarded from BSI (principally 182-206) and corrected versions are shown below in case they are of use. Note the balance of positive and negative in this lot! David 182. J. Gillies British Aerospace Comments 183. Irene Cummings Royal Aircraft Est, Farnborough Positive 184. G.W. Foster Royal Aircraft Est, Bedford Positive 185. Paul White Meterological Office Positive 186. K.C. Moore Atomic Weapons Est, Aldermaston Positive 187. P. Basnett The Electricity Council Positive 188. M. R. O'Donohoe Computer Lab, Cambridge Univ Negative 189. P. T. Wallace Rutherford Appleton Lab Positive 190. David Tilley University of London Positive 191. Paul Sandy Exeter University Positive 192. Ken Peach University of Edinburgh Positive 193. Tony J. Ibbs Laser-Scan Labs Positive 194. M. G. Richardson NAG Ltd. Comments 195. Peter Jewell Bradford University Positive 196. Clive Page University of Leicester Positive 197. Tony Lynas-Gray University College London Positive 198. Stephen Hart Imperial College Positive 199. Michael Denby University of Leicester Positive 200. Clive Hall National Physical Laboratory Comments 201. G.N. Lance University of Bristol Positive 202. Paul Lamb University College London Positive 203. R. Wells Clarendon Lab, Oxford University Positive 204. J. B. Young Seismic Data Centre Negative 205. Andrew Harris Z & S Consultants Limited Negative 206. R. Wells Clarendon Lab, Oxford University Positive ++++ In fact the ANSI transmittal form is wrong from #183 and my fingers got messed up on #200. Please send any other corrections you may have. This list is certainly NOT perfect...
psmith@convex.UUCP (04/14/88)
Since this debate is going on the net, I will add my 2 cents worth. In article <50500042@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> hirchert@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu writes: > >A few preliminary comments on the summary of the Fortran 8x public comment: >1. How did you get this info so fast? I'm a member of X3J3, and I've only > received about 3/4 of them. I do in fact receive my input from the X3 organization. As Bob Allison states, they tend to get the information before the X3J3 organization does. >2. How many of those negative letters were form letters? In the letters > received before the last X3J3 meeting (about 90), more than half of the > negative comments (about 35) were form letters. I'm afraid that ANSI rules don't distinguish between "form" letters and any other letter. Each comment received must be treated as an individual comment. IBM certainly only has one vote on X3J3 just as a person on the committee who represents only himself and his interests has one vote. In a similar way, a letter from a group with many signatures only counts as ONE comment. Each comment is given a transmittal number by the X3 Secretariat and the committee must write exactly one response to each transmittal. Just as IBM gets one vote, each letter, no matter how many signers, must get equal treatment as one comment by the committee. There are no procedures in the ANSI process for petitions, letters, etc. signed by many people. Several groups held seminars on the subject. Boeing, CONVEX, CERN, etc. In our seminar, we point out positive aspects of the proposed standard and the negative aspects. We also summarize the comments from IBM and others. At the end, we encourage people to write to the committee but we didn't control their comments. We did in fact provide a summary of things that we believed to be positive and things that we believed to be negative. Some of the "form" letters you see is a result of people using those lists to write their individual letter. Each individual wrote their own letter. (I was disappointed that more individuals who said they would write didn't!) Over two thousand letters were received from the COBOL 8x public review in 1981. There was in fact a FORM letter and many of the responses were exactly this form letter. May people just copied the form letter on the copier and typed in their name and company name...they didn't even bother to retype it on their own letterhead or remove the top line which was "MODEL..." shown below. Here's what that letter said: MODEL LETTER FOR GENERAL OBJECTIONS Chairman X3J4 etc. "We are opposed to the subject dpANS, primarily because it is not upward compatible with x3.23-1974 COBOL. Programs that have been written in the current American National Standard should not have to be rewritten simply to comply with a new COBOL Standard. We reserve the right to comment at a later date on other techinical matters regarding dpANS x3.23-198X COBOL" Very truly yours _________________________ Now, that's a form letter... The English wasn't even good in it... The committee had to answer all of them anyway... >3. Some of the letters characterized as negative are from people I know to be > generally in favor of 8x (although they have specific concerns about the > current draft). In my original note, I stated that I would take corrections. I have just issued corrections received from one person. Please have the individual that wrote the comment send me the correction. I don't want it second hand because then someone else's opinion gets added and might be wrong just as my opinion might be wrong. Again, I WILL RE-PUBLISH ANY LEGITIMATE CORRECTIONS... >4. What did CBEMA do with my 42 page comment? I wonder how many others are > unaccounted for? > Officially, the committee does NOT have to look at any comment that came in after the cutoff date. Bob is right, that could be a real mess. After the cutoff, letters can be considered as any other letter that comes directly to the committee. But, the committee is certainly not bound in that case to follow the public review comment reply rules... I'm sure this will be debated...