YAUF

[utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!mhtsa!harpo!ber]

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.