CompuServe Messages

Just a great little story from a listserv ….. I thought some of the forum regulars might enjoy it ……. La Boite Bleu translated from the memoirs of Jean Turing-VonNeuman a minor 19th century post-impressionist programer I will never forget that Spring, day. Paris had an air of revolution. The week before an exhibition of Seurat's listings had caused a sensation. In his unrelenting quest for simplicity he had reduced all of programming to three machine instructions. The resulting 6,000 line bubble sort had shocked the critics. My own recent efforts had been received poorly. I had cut and slashed through my programs, juxtaposing blocks of code in a way that exposed the underlying intensity of the algorithm without regard to convention or syntax. "But it doesn't compile.", they complained. As if programming was about adhering to their primitive language definitions. As if it was my duty to live within the limits of their antiquated and ordinary compilers. So it was that I came that day to La Boite Bleu, seeking solace and companionship. La Boite Bleu was where we gathered in those days. The wine there was cheap, the tables were large and they kept a complete set of language manuals behind the bar. As I entered I heard Henri's measured accents above the din. "…that complexity is not the salient characteristic of exemplary style." Toulouse-Lautrec was seated at a table spread with greenbar. Manet, redfaced, loomed over him. "Damm your recursion, Henri. Iteration, however complex, is always more efficient. "Manet stormed away from the table in the direction of the bar. He always seemed [>> Continued in next msg]