• "Kris" <someidiot earthlink.net> Feb 25 2004
• "Ben Hinkle" <bhinkle4 juno.com> Feb 25 2004
• Hostility Inc. <Hostility_member pathlink.com> Feb 25 2004
• C <dont respond.com> Feb 25 2004

"Kris" <someidiot earthlink.net> writes:

Check out the attachment (15K, view with winzip-internal-viewer). It's an
anecdotal recall of the Algol-68 design process (by a committee). Draw
whatever parallels you care to, but it's an interesting and jolly read once
you get past the half way point; e.g.:

"Even though a large part of the meeting had been very constructive, it
ended on a sour note. The behavior of the great scientists present showed me
that the progress of science is not just a matter of objective truths but
also strongly influenced by human emotions. I concluded, still naively, that
only a very good language defined in a very clear report could convince the
members of WG2.1."

<snip> <snip>

"The meeting started off badly. Since only 15 of the Working group members
(out of 34) had been present at Tirrenia, there had been no quorum. The
validity of the Resolutions taken, and therefore even the legality of the
present meeting, was in doubt. After much debate they were re-voted, and
accepted. I wondered whether an illegal meeting could legalize itself by
re-voting history.

Now and then, all parties took time off to blame the Chairman, Willem Louis
van der Poel, for procedural errors or well-meaning remarks that managed to
throw oil on the troubled flames. In fact, shouting at the Chairman seemed
to be the only activity in which the WG2.1 members found themselves united"

"Ben Hinkle" <bhinkle4 juno.com> writes:

"Barry Mailloux and I shared a small room on the top floor of the Mathematical
Centre, overlooking the Amstel Brewery."

No wonder the meetings were chaotic ;-)

Hostility Inc. <Hostility_member pathlink.com> writes:

In article <c1jncf$19on$1 digitaldaemon.com>, Ben Hinkle says...
"Barry Mailloux and I shared a small room on the top floor of the Mathematical
Centre, overlooking the Amstel Brewery."

No wonder the meetings were chaotic ;-)


Would have produced a watered-down product.

C <dont respond.com> writes:

lol

On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 03:17:00 +0000 (UTC), Hostility Inc. 
<Hostility_member pathlink.com> wrote:

 In article <c1jncf$19on$1 digitaldaemon.com>, Ben Hinkle says...
 "Barry Mailloux and I shared a small room on the top floor of the 
 Mathematical
 Centre, overlooking the Amstel Brewery."

 No wonder the meetings were chaotic ;-)


 Would have produced a watered-down product.




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