From: jsvrc@rc.rit.edu (J A Stephen Viggiano)
Subject: FLAME: scientists as programmers (was: Small Language Wanted)
Followup-To: alt.flame
Summary: Of course you could see this coming long ago!
Keywords: punks, who, can't, get, a, life
Organization: RIT Research Corp
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 15:37:24 GMT

[NOTE: The following post is not recommended for those with weak digestive
systems. You are encouraged to hit 'n' now!]

In article <l9lrciINNb7b@almaak.usc.edu> ajayshah@almaak.usc.edu (Ajay Shah) 
provides an invitation for a flame-fest, writing words of wisdom (NOT!)
as only Ajay can:

>I agree with the original poster -- in general good scientists are
>focussed on their application areas and simply don't invest in knowing
>about computers.  Long experience often makes them good coders, but
>rarely good programmers.  Look at the accent on fortran, for example:
>how could a good programmer possibly use fortran?  It has to be the
>case of a person who wants to get a job done and doesn't take interest
>in the means.

Okay, Ajay, you really *asked* ^H^H^H^H^H^H^H *begged* for this one . . . .
I've made a little present for you . . . . hope you like it!

                                      /\
                                      | \
                        /\  |\       /   \ 
                       /  \/  \     |     |  /\
                       |      |     \      \/  |
                       \      /      \        /
                        \    /        |      /
                         \  /         \     /
               _---------------------------------------\
             /  \        ___                  ___       \
             |  |     =--   --__==__       =--   --__=  |
             |  |     ___               ___             |
              \ /  =--   --__==__    =--   --__==__     /
               -_______________________________________/

Just for Ajay Shah!!!

Once again, Ajay, you've got it wrong. You *always* get it wrong, don't you?
One could imagine that nobody takes you seriously, so you have to come on
the net, and put down a WHOLE CLASS OF PROFESSIONALS with your moronic (not
to say completely incorrect) statements like "how could a good programmer
possibly use fortran?" [sic] and that scientists are "rarely good
programmers". Let us know when you actually meet a scientist, will you?

What I am wondering about is why, if you think FORTRAN (that's "FORTRAN",
Ajay, not "fortran") is so lousy, WHY IN HEAVEN'S NAME TO YOU FOLLOW THIS
GROUP IN THE FIRST PLACE??? (Apologies to other members of the net for
shouting.) Seems to me that you only are interested in saying how much FORTRAN
stinks.

=============================================================
          Insert tongue in cheek (in case you wonder)
=============================================================

RFD: comp.lang.ajay.thinks.fortran.stinks

This group will serve as a soapbox for but a single member of the network,
Ajay Shah. It will be unmoderated, and distribution will be worldwide, the
better for the whole world, civilized or not, to hear what that renown expert,
Ajay Shah, thinks about how awful the FORTRAN programming language is.

One of the first threads planned for the group is "Pants Against FORTRAN"
Day. Everybody who thinks FORTRAN is stupid is to wear pants, trousers, a
skirt, a dress, or some other "covering" for the lower portion of their
torso, on a to-be-determined day. In this way, the entire world will be able
to discern how many people think that FORTRAN is stupid by simply counting
the people who are not walking around with the lower portion of their
torsos uncovered.

Of course, nobody should be expected to actually subscribe to this group (save
Ajay's mom), so the group will be created on but a single "yes" vote.

=============================================================
                Remove tongue from cheek
=============================================================


>No .edu bias that I can see in this phenomenon.
>-- 
>Ajay Shah, (213)749-8133, ajayshah@usc.edu
                                    ^^^^^^^
Gosh, folks, sure looks like a .edu bias here. . . . Oh sorry, I guess Ajay is
above the rest of the folks in the ivory towers over at USC -- Ajay and Ajay
alone is able to transcend the transcendental transcendations of academia.
Sounds more like what Prof. Irwin Cory calls "Cacademia" to me.