Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #04398



To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Bob Shannon bshannon@tiac.net
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 12:28:08 -0400
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Why we have 2 lists, WAS Another "Tilden & crew" in-the-press link..



Dave Hrynkiw wrote:

> At 05:12 PM 6/11/1999 , Bob Shannon wrote:
> >> Umm....why? Flame-bait or not, it's a valid topic for this list too.
> >>
> >> -Dave
>
> >To aviod loosing the focus of the discussion due to flames about heretical
> >views rather
> >than the core technical issues (IMHO).
>
> Not sure what you mean. If Zoz has a "heretical" view about, he can post it
> here. Since my original post started here, let it stay here. Let's not get
> into thread piracy! 8->

Point taken, (thread piracy) your quite correct Dave.

> >Its a very different list environment, and I think it fills a real need.
>
> I read what was on the Zozlist website. Seems like a productive
> conversation, but I don't see why there's a private list. Everything there
> could've been discussed on this list.

I strongly disagree.

Personally I find that the ability to discuss, even question some of the basic
ideas behind BEAM, and ways to extend it into new (heretical) areas without
being acused of censorship, or flamed for suggesting that we think about using
a CPU in a bottom-up design, very refreshing.

So far, the 'Spinal' list is free of these (so-called) 'biases' and hero
worship.

If I see a thread on the new list, I can be pretty sure its not a 'debug my SE'
question.

I think that the two lists are very different, but equally important. I intend
to participate
in both. Each has its own distinct value.

Now the 'beginners and educational' list wont go through the near-flame
discussions
that we've been through recently. Short of this new list, I was about ready to
pitch the
whole BEAM thing in a basket and go back to my microcontrollers, just due to the
list politics
alone.

It should be clear that a number of people are uncomfortable discussing specific
topics
on this list because of this. Now there is a venue for those discussions. I
hope that we can
preserve the very distinct flavors of both lists.

Just look at the results, Terry Netwon's simulations started me on coding a
BiCore (like) head
that wastes no on-target power, and it fits into a single 8 pin chip. But that
chip is quite
unwelcome here, its off topic according to the majority opinion.

This is BEAM evolution at work, new ideas will find an expression. If they are
rejected
by the larger community, they will form a new community.

There used to be discussions of having 2 lists, and the idea was shot down time
after time.
Now its actually happened without being discussed here first, and with good
results I think.


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