Another point of view

Another point of view

[SAHARBAUGH]

Dave Cook writes, in part:

As a service to the entire computing community, we will be offering
a free 2-week hands-on Ada course here at the Air Force Academy this
summer.  Other than your transportation and lodging, there is no
charge.  We have offered this summer class for the last 9 years, and
the students have always had great words to say about it.

--
Let me paraphrase this fromthe point of view of an owner
of a small business whose revenue is, in part, from Ada training.

As a dis-service to the business community we will be taking
some of the income tax paid by companies and using to give away
for free the product that the companies have developed and are
selling.

Think about it!

sam harbaugh SAHARBAUGH@ROO.FIT.EDU

Re: Another point of view

[enterpoop.mit.edu!linus!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!wupost!darwin.sura.n]

In article <9304061945.AA17403@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu> SAHARBAUGH@ROO.FIT.EDU writes:
>Dave Cook writes, in part:
>
>As a service to the entire computing community, we will be offering
>a free 2-week hands-on Ada course here at the Air Force Academy this
>summer.  Other than your transportation and lodging, there is no
>charge.  We have offered this summer class for the last 9 years, and
>the students have always had great words to say about it.
>
>--
>Let me paraphrase this from the point of view of an owner
>of a small business whose revenue is, in part, from Ada training.
>
>As a dis-service to the business community we will be taking
>some of the income tax paid by companies and using to give away
>for free the product that the companies have developed and are
>selling.
>
>Think about it!

What a whine bag. I see it more as:

We, the acolytes of Ada at the Temple of Booch, will provide to
interested potential cenobites the opportunity to study at no cost
the language of the Mandated Ones and take the imparted wisdom
back to their respective villages to further promulgate the power
of this language and increase its useage among the non-Mandated 
populace. (Our fees have been taken from your already-onerous tithes,
and would otherwise be spent watching newly-hatched and freshly-
head-shaved Basic Cadets spring and prance across the Temple's
marble strips and terrazo squares.)

Really, Sam, I don't believe that Captain Cook is going to take
bread out of anyone's mouth but may very well bring new users to
YOUR door for more info, maybe even more business.

-------------------------------------------
| Mark Shanks                             | 
| Principal Engineer                      |
| 777 Displays                            |
| shanks@saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com      |
| "We have such sights to show you..."    |      
-------------------------------------------

Re: Another point of view

[Gregory Aharonian]

>>Let me paraphrase this from the point of view of an owner
>>of a small business whose revenue is, in part, from Ada training.
>>
>>As a dis-service to the business community we will be taking
>>some of the income tax paid by companies and using to give away
>>for free the product that the companies have developed and are
>>selling.
>>
>>Think about it!

>What a whine bag. I see it more as:
>Really, Sam, I don't believe that Captain Cook is going to take
>bread out of anyone's mouth but may very well bring new users to
>YOUR door for more info, maybe even more business.

   I'm sorry Mark, but I side with Sam.  There are too many examples of
what Sam is complaining about.  For example, I am trying to run a software
reuse consulting business.  My main competitors are ASSET, DSRO, and VCOE
inside the DoD, and NTTC out of the Commerce Department.  All tax-funded
efforts who don't have to charge and can advertise, while I have to charge
and can't afford to advertise.  Admittedly Dave's course will have little
to no impact on the fostering of Ada, but considering the DoD's pathetic
success rate in fostering Ada outside of the Mandated world, I would give
my vote to Sam.

    Now if Dave were to give a course to Ada compiler vendors and Ada DoD
contractors on how to promote Ada outside of the Mandated world, now that
I would support.  Lesson 1: How to avoid Hypocrisy...........

Greg Aharonian
Source Translation & Optimization
-- 
**************************************************************************
Greg Aharonian
Source Translation & Optimiztion
P.O. Box 404, Belmont, MA 02178