Text File

Aharpo.423 fa.unix-wizards utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!mhtsa!harpo!ber Thu Aug 13 23:31:58 1981 YAUF Gee whiz. Bitch bitch bitch. There is better documentation than manual pages provided with your unix system. The manual page is a brief description of a command, routine or concept. It's a starting point, and frequently enough. If you want to know more, look at the source.

I think the page for lorder is terrific. I never use lorder for anything other than ordering libraries, and to have an example right there is great.

All this crap about UNIX being unfriendly and UNIX lacking documentation and so on is just that. UNIX is an operating system. It's clean, concise, and clear (at least traditionally). The beauty of the environment that generally surrounds a unix is that it is easilly growable by the people that use it. If some turkey writes a poor manual page, then unix is blamed. Look at all the crap you have to deal with at IH because they won't permit a public directory for NON-STANDARD this and that. Well I guess they want to make sure nobody polutes their system. That stinks. But that's the only way your going to censor it. At least you can point your finger directly at the computer center staff.

If you don't like a command or documentation your free to avoid it. Or better yet, improve it! Unix provides an excellent program development environment. If you can't figure out what a syntax error is, ask someone. You'll find dozens of experts in every hallway. Why? Because it's relatively easy to comprehend.

Please don't start restricting creativity with naming standards and style standards and how many lines are permitted in a subroutine ... That's almost tolerable for a project, but unix isn't a number 7 electronic sump pump. Just because management feels that 'C' and UNIX are the do-all to end-all doesn't make it so. And the attempts to fit that misconception are ruining a perfectly good environment.

Why don't you send your comments to the MINI-SYSTEM newsletter in the form of a modification request? I'ld like to see an OFFICIAL response.

(deep breath)

Now I feel better. Let's face it, unix is not geared to the naive user. So what? It's great for the knowledgable user. Why bring the level of excellence down to least common denominator? For a profit! Yeh well that's another story. But let's try to raise the level of the users.

----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen <jgoerzen@complete.org> of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/

This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided:

1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles.

2. The following notice remains appended to each copy:

The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.