Peter Crowther <Peter.Crowther at melandra.com> is widely believed to have written:

> > From: Tim Rowledge [mailto:tim at sumeru.stanford.edu]
> > Time to redo it all... separate the name from the stream, add some more
> > capable prims, clean it up.
> 
> I think the key here is the more capable primitives.  Most modern OSs can
> tell you whether a file exists.
Exactly - and can usually copy a file or tree, test it to status, set
the status etc. Time to connect to those abilities when they're there.
Even file locking might be useful.


> > System going down at 1:45 for disk crashing.
> 
> (Chuckle).  Next time you see Ian Piumarta, ask him about the number of
> disks mushroom went through at the University --- and what happens when you
> do a 23-hour coding stint and lose the disk!
Oh, I know that one myself. The inconvenience is terrible, but the
blackmail for the sysadmin that you persuade to 'fix' your files and who
sees what you have there is the real killer....

-- 
Tim Rowledge, tim at sumeru.stanford.edu, http://sumeru.stanford.edu/tim
You don't have to know how the computer works, just how to work the computer.