ULTRIX futures?

[Paul Killey]

In article <763 at brl-smoke.ARPA> David C. Stewart) writes:
>
><Groan>.  Here they go again, folks.  The Shein/Gwyn Unix debates
>round 10.  This seems to come up about once every 6 months or so.
>
>There is so much value-judgement and emotional weighting that you can't
>really see the forest for the trees.
>

I disagree with the sentiment, expressed here by Dave Stewart and
others, about the exchange of views.  I think it's important to hear
what can be presented in a non-confrontational manner.  We have all
heard propaganda wars, complete with droll wit and saucy caprice,
various polemics and so on, but not in this instance (yet).

For people that have to make decisions about gear, OS selection, and so
on that will dictate the computing environment for thousands of people
(like here, at UoM), and spend some large N of taxpayers' dollars,
there had better be a way to make some informed decisions.  The
local computing infrastructure cannot say something like "oh well,
it's religion anyway, let's flip a coin" and claim to be providing
its consituency a worthwhile service.

There is a large element of religiosity, but there are also more
pragmatic considerations.  I can see this "these are worthless
emotional arguments" point of view from Stewart here as a company's
point of view writ small.  Tektronix has not been the shrewdest player
in the Unix game, has it?  Hmmmmm.  Wonder why not?

And, if you do want a religious questions ...

"how many Tek Unix wizards can dance on the head of a pin?"

--paul