tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET (Tom Neff) (05/06/90)
Kee-rist. Why is it that when people post things of the form "Programmers shouldn't do X Y or Z because it is rude or lame as follows," i.e., a perfectly reasonable argument of opinion that's quite appropriate to a sources discussion group, we always have to get some lamebrained response of the form "You don't have the RIGHT to DETERMINE what other authors do." Talk about a non-argument! In rhetorical terms (apparently a lost art) it's the equivalent of answering a critical analysis of one's debating position by threatening to call one's Mommy and have her take away the jacks and dollies. Posting recommendations here does not constitute DETERMINING anything, so the putative "right" to do so, or lack thereof, is moot. If the only defense someone has left is to resort to nonexistent authority (or lack thereof) and say "I have the right to do whatever I want," then the argument is won by default. Programmers do indeed have the right to do whatever dumb thing they want. Users have the right to identify that dumbness, and BRAVE programmers will defend their practices by speaking to the issue. Lesser souls will remind us of their right to post. :-)