The direction of "future" standards (was: Ada compiler)

[Tom Reingold]

In article <138442 at pyramid.pyramid.com> csg at pyramid.pyramid.com (Carl
S. Gutekunst) writes:

$ [...]
$ OBLIGATORY SNIDE REMARK: I recall 10 years ago a highly esteemed colleague
$ telling me that, "ten years from now, if you don't know Ada, you won't be able
$ to find a job." I read a lot of trade press saying the same thing. Now people
$ with equal education and experience are telling me that the OSI end-to-end
$ services will inevitably replace TCP/IP, and for essentially all the same kind
$ of reasons.  ("It is a standard. The Government will require it." etc.)
$ 
$ Any bets? :-)

Although egos probably prevented them from admitting it, the reason
people said this was more likely due to the expectation of Ada becoming
a standard that to its technical merits.  And Ada's problems are why it
has not become a standard.

I won't predict what will happen to OSI protocols, but if we choose to
use them, the conversion to them would probably be easier than the
conversion to Ada would have been.  And again, the merits will probably
win out over decrees such as "The Government requires it."
--
        Tom Reingold
        tr at samadams.princeton.edu  OR  ...!princeton!samadams!tr
        "Warning: Do not drive with Auto-Shade in place.  Remove
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