Commentary
Since...
Since MWM006, I received two requests for transmission of the entire MWM archives. One sender asked whether it was possible to send as a zip file archives from MWM001 to MWM004 "because reading them online takes a lot of time and is very slow". Its good to know that the archives are being read and that new people are dropping by MWM. Some of the servers that hosted MWM web pages were slow at times. From this issue almost all issues have been moved to Geocities and I hope that this resolves problem of slowness.
M Syndrome?
I spend a substantial amount of my day dealing with M. MWM now generates quite a lot of mail, press releases and snail mail (please do not send press releases using this medium). I am under the impression that there is a revival in M. Is this because I am so involved in the language or is this a fact?
My commentaries have not always been the most positive with respect to the M world. I've written my fair share of criticism and there have been times when I felt that nothing of interest was happening on the M front. Today, when MWM007 is a few hundred checks away from conclusion, I really think that things are gaining momentum. If this is so, just let me know so that I could switch to pushing even harder to further this rush of activity.
A few days ago, I was donated a few old M magazines (circa. 1991-1995). Skimming through the available 1991 MUG Quarterlies, I fished out a few paragraphs from the numerous articles within these publications. Remember, this is 1991—the PC is ten years old, Windows 3 is a reality, 80286 CPUs are still in widespread use, OOP is making inroads, and MUMPS User’s Group Gold Corporate Members are Digital Equipment Corporation and IBM Corporation:-
"Is it premature to bind to any windows technology? The balance of graphical user interfaces was upset last year by Window 3.0 What will happen next year? Why should we rush into this [X Windows] technology, adding bindings which will most likely be future excess baggage?"
Munneche, Thomas "Wither Windows", MUG Quarterly, Vol. XXI, No 2. Pp 13 -14, April 1991
"The MUMPS community needs to recognize that GUI type programming is becoming increasingly important in the computing world and that the MUMPS application developer will need a GUI mechanism to compete with other non-MUMPS vendors"
Brown, David B. "A Graphical User Interface for MUMPS", MUG Quarterly, Vol. XXI, No 2. Pp 15 - 17, April 1991
"Two decades later, MUMPS is struggling to maintain a hold at the trailing edge of software technology. Opportunities for evolving the software technology throughout the 1980’s were not taken."
Heffernan, Henry G. "Object Oriented MUMPS: Opportunity for the 1990s", MUG Quarterly, Vol. XXI, No 2. Pp 41- 43, April 1991
"As chairman of the MUMPS Directions task group of the MDC, however, I disagree with one point raised by Mr. Heffernan. This is his statement that "MUMPS object-orientation is necessary, but not sufficient condition for the survival of MUMPS." In the draft paper presented before the MDC, the task group states "forget about object-orientation and other magics." This does not mean that we do not feel the same way as Mr. Heffernan does about the object-oriented paradigm. We argue that this is a major breakthrough in software engineering, but MUMPS was, is and will be a general purpose procedural language which lends itself to every paradigm. It will never become a one-paradigm-only language, nor a declarative one.
MUMPS must not become an Eierlegende Wollmilchsau, the right language for all purposes. Nor should it become an optimized single purpose-only Regenwurm (earthworm) language.
Paradigms come and go. The next paradigm is to be expected after the object-oriented one (if I understand the production rules of science correctly). MUMPS, I am convinced, will survive forthcoming paradigms as it survived the structured programming and the object-oriented (relational database) ones."
Giere, Wolfgang "Opinions", MUG Quarterly, Vol. XXI, No 4. Pp 41- 43, September 1991
"We would like to suggest to Mr. Heffernan, and to others, that instead of criticizing that MUMPS is not evolving fast enough, or in the right direction, you should be contributing time and ideas to the MDC. Changes in the language will happen faster with constructive criticism as opposed to these accusations and innuendoes."
Bradfield, Gretchen "Re: Harvest Time or New Sprint?", MUG Quarterly, Vol. XXI, No 4. Pp 44 - 47, April 1991
"Computer languages are no more than instruments for the expression of ideas. One is free to choose whatever tool best expresses the idea of application at hand. Perhaps a universal computer language will someday emerge. No contemporary language is candidate for this role. In view of this fact, MUMPS must build upon its strengths and correct its weaknesses while preserving its unique character. Other strategies are pointless."
Milligan, W.L. "Summertime", MUG Quarterly, Vol. XXI, No 4. Pp 49 - 50, April 1991
How true are the statements listed above? What if a different consensus had been reached? Can we learn from the above? How do we want to mould M? How should we approach it this time round?
Is this type of debate existent today? If there is a revival, then I expect to see comments such as the above take place. Do we want to "burden" M with new "gizmos" or will it survive as it stands? What should these "gizmos" be?
MFreeZone
This section started life as an extension to MWM. The general interest section of MWM. This section is growing and without any effort on my part the pages section builds up. I have also received a number of requests suggesting that MFreeZone not be "hidden" within MWM. As from this issue MFreeZone will carry it's own index: http://geocities.datacellar.net/SiliconValley/7041/MFreeZone.html.
Visit
I would have liked to be there at some of the conferences, but financial problems and others do not permit me to make the trip this time round. If anyone can act as a reporter on behalf of MWM and maybe provide me with a few words on what happened, they will appear in the September issue of MWM.
I will be in Germany and the US (Florida and Washington DC) between the 20th June and the 4th August. If there are any MTA's "within the vicinity", just drop me a note. I'd really like to meet some fellow mumpsters.
Till next time.
