RE: [boost] Re: FC++ -- Formal Review Result

From: David Bergman (davidb_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-04-06 16:11:13

Steven wrote: 

> David Abrahams <dave_at_[hidden]> writes:
> 
> > > Whether anyone has the guts to employ you I have no idea, 
> but I wish 
> > > you all the best for the future.
> >
> > Condescension and insult.  The implied message is "you will have a 
> > hard time finding a job because you are incapable of doing 
> anything of 
> > practical value".
> 
> Just to express a different interpretation, I read it -- 
> after pausing the first time -- as a compliment. I took it to 
> mean that Brian is so capable that a typical employer would 
> be afraid of him, afraid of not being able to manage and 
> understand his work product. It's a slap to industry and 
> mediocrity at large.
> 
> I admit, though, that I read it that way because I couldn't 
> believe that a sane author could intend for it to be taken at 
> face value.

Exactly my interpretation. It was a bit tricky to maintain that
interpretation in face of the context in which it was presented, but I
managed - see no evil, do no evil :-)

What is peculiar is that Andy, if he indeed purported Brian to be Above
Employable in some positive sense, missed the fact that, without even
knowing Brian, the FC++ library definitely exposes a highly pragmatic side
and mastery of this quite industrial language C++.

In the aftermath, I am no longer sure whether Andy knew what he was saying
and/or thinking about the subject, or w.r.t. Brian's skillset; the only
certain opinion I can now extract from Andy's postings is that FP might be
rather different from Applesoft Basic.

/David