Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 16:21:32 -0700 (MST) From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org> To: nate@mt.sri.com (Nate Williams) Cc: terry@lambert.org, nate@mt.sri.com, dennis@etinc.com, freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Price of FreeBSD (was On Holy Wars...) Message-ID: <199704182321.QAA03341@phaeton.artisoft.com> In-Reply-To: <199704182237.QAA25288@rocky.mt.sri.com> from "Nate Williams" at Apr 18, 97 04:37:00 pm
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> If you have something as simple as a light-socket, and as well > understand as all the necessary requirements that a light socket might > be used for. But, do you notice that are *millions* of different types > of 'lamps' that fit into millions of different kinds of sockets, because > 'one socket fits all' doesn't work. How many of these are in your home? I chose light-sockets because they *weren't* standard to start with; they evolved. You can make counter points based on evolution (the car example you cite is still in the process of evolving), but they are hard to support because if you want a tennis partner and you start with a lemur, you're going to be waiting a hell of a long time for it to evolve. > Someon had to break backwards compatability to put light-bulbs in my > car, because the 100 Watt bulb I use on my front porch isn't appropriate > for dash lights. Both the bulb and the socket changed on that one. The bulb didn't change *because* the socket changed (or vice versa). There was an agreement between the manufacturing engineers of the bulbs and those of the sockets. Now sockets are relatively stable between model years within a given make of vehicle, and we're back to being standard between minor revisions. How much has the dome light socket form factor changed in the Honda Civic since it was originally implemented over a decade ago? The bulb has been revised many times, and the manufacture of the socket, but the original agreement remains intact. > For every silly example you come up with, I can come up with *hundreds* > of counter-examples that are equally valid. Or silly, as the case may be. The validity of the example as a counter does not devalue the idea of interchangability of parts, or of the up front agreement between the people who make the bulbs and those who make the sockets. Between FreeBSD and vendors like Dennis. Regards, Terry Lambert terry@lambert.org --- Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present or previous employers.
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