Software Obesity (was Re: Jargon file v2.1.5)

[Paul Hardy]

In article <3276 at unisoft.UUCP> greywolf at unisoft.UUCP (The Grey Wolf) writes:

   >
   >				 What I mean by *within its problem area* is
   >to study text editors, for example, only in terms of their functionality
   >as text editors - rather than as LISP interpreters or news readers. :)

   Agreed!  (EMACS is *way* too klunky to justify its existence, even on
   a fast machine.)

and then writes

   >
   >mjr.
   >-- 
   >	If your windowing system is placing undue demands on your hardware
   >and operating system, don't ask yourself what can be done to improve the
   >operating system or hardware - ask yourself why you are using that windowing
   >system.		[from the programming notebooks of a heretic, 1990]

   Because all the ones that run faster don't provide a suitably flexible
   interface for my tastes.

That would be exactly my argument for emacs, with its interfaces for text,
programming language sensitivity, help menus, spreadsheet, mail, news, etc.,
etc.!  Not to mention a "windowing system" that existed before bitmapped
screens became commonplace.

Followups to alt.religion.computers, please!

                                    --Paul