Re: Query about monitor (passive) task optimization

[cis.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!darwin.sura.net!seas.gwu.edu!mfeld man@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Michael Feldman)]

In article <244lfv$6o@schonberg.cs.nyu.edu> dewar@cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar) wri
tes:
>Mike certainly seems to be in ranting an raving mode again ("Beltway
>bandit mentality") etc.

Thanks for the compliment.
>
[stuff deleted, mostly good]

>Certainly one might criticize the Ada vendors and second guess how they
>had spent their money (Mike you might want to talk to one of the many
>investors who lost their money and tell them that you are irritated that
>Ada compiler companies have never invested money up front to try to make
>money!) However, it is clear to me that if Mike directed the spending of
>such money he would manage to blow it much faster.

If you are offering to introduce me to some of these nameless, faceless
investors, I'm ready when you are. 

I'd like to hear their side of the story, especially whether any of them,
or the recipients of their money, focused on Ada early-on as dual-use.
I _do_ hear a lot of vendors _now_ saying "y'know, we never really focused
on marketing; we never thought Ada would be interesting beyond defense."
Come now, Robert, you've seen this myopia too. Yes, I've called it -
for effect - the "Beltway Bandit" mentality. Firy language, sure. But
actually it's true. They shot straight for the government market and
mostly ignored others till quite recently. Is this not true?
>
>You want to know where I would spend money: bindings, bindings, and then
>if any was left over, bindings.
>
Well, OK, I can't quarrel with that. Where are all these bindings?
(Well, _you_ don't have the money...I guess nobody else thought of it.)

Mike