Reply-To: Lorin DOT Lund AT LDDSNet DOT Com
Date: Tue, 06 Jun 95 16:34:20 CST
From: lorin lund <Lorin DOT Lund AT LDDSNet DOT Com>
To: djgpp AT sun DOT soe DOT clarkson DOT edu
Subject: Re: VOTE: CODE STANDARDS

     This thread is long and iteresting in the feelings it stirs.
     
     Regarding comments in code:
     
     My experience leads to similar conclusions as mentioned by Bjarne 
     Stroustrup in "The C++ Programming Language" section 3.4
     
     "Most programs contain comments that are incomprehensible, ambiguous, 
     and just plain wrong.  Bad comments can be worse than no comments"
     
     My experience is that those of my colleagues that write good comments 
     write such organized code that the comments are hardly necessary.  
     Those who write code that functions correctly but is harder to read, 
     usually have their minds so much into the program that anything they 
     write wouldn't make much sense to the un-initiated anyway.
     
     
     
     Regarding making demands of a programmer that I am not paying money 
     to:
          I think people who voluntarily share the fruits of their great    
        effort should be treated with a great deal of respect and 
     grattitude.  The farthest thing I can think of from this is to make 
     demands upon them.
     
     If DJ is somehow gaining any income from this endeavor: more power to 
     him.  (But I don't think anybody is getting rich at all in the FSF 
     copyleft world)
     
     Most importantly, for those of us who benefit without paying anything,
     making demands on our benefactors is the height of ingrattitude.
     
     Even the work of other volunteers adds to the work of the person who 
     has to co-ordinate it.  (I am not speaking here against volunteerism 
     just aknowledging that there is not rest for heroes.)