Closed-source considered harmful

[John W. Baxter]

In article <3dsn9f1857.fsf_-_ at mozart.mems-exchange.org>, Andrew
Kuchling <akuchlin at mems-exchange.org> wrote:

> "Karl M. Syring" <syring at email.com> writes:
> > Many people are not interested. A friend of mine once commented on such a
> > proposal "I have no interest to fill my head with lots of trivial stuff".
> 
> Which reminds me of a Stan Kelly-Bootle definition:
> 
> Computer science: the boring art of coping with a large number of
> trivialities.

Which reminds me of a between-innings conversation I had in 1969 with
the bullpen catcher in a Florida State League (Class A baseball) game.*

Catcher:  Hey Ump!  What do you do in the off season?
Me:  Oh, I'm a computer programmer.
Catcher:  Really?  How do you like it?
Me:  I don't know...you have to be right all the time. 


* (I was the first person NCR Hawthorne's departure interviewer had
talked to who was leaving a software job to go into professional
umpiring).

  --John