Subject: Re: help! absolute beginner
From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.no>
Date: 1998/12/21
Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp
Message-ID: <3123226396167055@naggum.no>

* sshenoy@gol.com (Sudhir Shenoy)
| The fallacy in your argument is that I have to choose one *particular*
| commercial system (I presume you are referring to ACL). I use Macintosh
| Common Lisp (the only commercial system on the Macintosh) and sometimes
| CMUCL (on Solaris).

  you really need to look up "fallacy" in a dictionary.  you appear to
  disagree (it is unclear precisely with what, though), but there is
  nothing inherently contradictory in the argument even if you don't feel
  like agreeing to it.

  the fallacy in your argument is that you have decided to assign blame
  before you know what harm was actually been done.  (yes, this _is_ an
  inherent flaw in your argument -- it's called "begging the question".)

| There is no option ...

  and why did you rule out "complain to vendor about missing functionality"?

  things just don't get better if you don't let the people who make them
  know what you would like them to be like.

| Choosing one commercial Lisp over another just to get my hands on a
| regexp (or any other) package surely isn't what you are recommending.

  where do you draw the line?  when _would_ you choose another commercial
  Common Lisp implementation?  I'd say you have a serious attitude problem
  in that you accept without protest that some product is the way it is.
  it's that attitude that let Bill Gates defraud the entire globe.  with
  just a little less complacent customers and just a little more awareness
  of actual customer needs, his scam would never have been possible.  not
  that I blame you personally for their criminal and immoral activities,
  but it's worth noting that by not getting your money's worth, _you_ are
  at fault for not upholding your end of the deal.

  sell me shitty software once, shame on you.
  sell me shitty software twice, shame on me.

#:Erik
-- 
  Nie wieder KrF!  Nie wieder KrF!  Nie wieder KrF!  Nie wieder KrF!