I enjoyed writing this ALOT!

[Grant M.]

Palit, Nilanjan wrote:
> I like Unix, emacs and vi, so don't get me wrong. But I also don't 
> believe in a 1-D, monochromatic world. Specifically, the human senses
> & particularly the eyes, can take in information simultaneously
> across multiple wavelengths, both literally and figuratively. So
> why restrict it to a b&w text only?

You shouldn't, really. But were it that simple - I _could_ provide for
the underline tag. Or perhaps I **could** bold some text. I could
>>even<< make text blink, but those features would assume that the folks
I'm sending that to were using something that supported those features,
and in the way that I had originally intended. It's where the technology
breaks down that will give us ulcers.

Mind you, I'm a realist - 1200CC isn't going to stop using Microsoft
anytime soon, and yet I'll continue to tell him what the full path is to
his CGI scripts on his hosted Linux website so that he can get them to
actually work. I'm just going to do it in text-based emails.

> I agree, but there's a lot of F/OSS software that can let you think 
> more "colorfully" in the *NIX universe. Use it and enjoy it!

Just my point, actually. If we were talking about FOSS, we'd still need
to take into consideration our audience. For example, I wouldn't think
of sending someone an .abw, .sxw, or even a .odt formatted file unless I
knew that it was a format they could manage, but yet folks think nothing
of sending me a .doc or .xls file. I understand their reasoning, and
actually have a legal Office copy running under Wine (Sorry, there are
still some things that OO doesn't format correctly), so it doesn't
bother me, really. But the fact of the matter is that whatever they are
sending me is likely just as useful in some less embellished format as
it is in their proprietary format. And I can grep for the content! ;-)

> Before you respond, just think: 

Too late, you should have put that at the beginning. Too late for
thinking this late in the email.

> would you revert to monochromatic monitors and have all your 
> xterms/consoles the same color? Right.

Well, not really the same argument. I can't send an xterm to a Windows
box that doesn't already have an X-client installed (and my first
assumption would be that it didn't have X). However, if it does have an
X-client, chances are that xterm is going to look nearly identical on
that Windows box as it does on my OpenSuse, OSX, or Solaris box.
Behaviors generally should be the same, as would colors and formatting.
It's a standard, it's been around for an insanely long time, and I can't
think of anyone trying to 'extend' that particular standard. Also, if I
did chose to be in a monochromatic world, I could, and that Xterm (or
monitor) would respect that, without my being locked out entirely.

It's a great discussion, though. Perhaps my new sig should be "Go
Grayscale!"
Grant M.
-- 
Grant Mongardi
Senior Systems Engineer
NAPC

gmongardi-cGmSLFmkI3Y at public.gmane.org
http://www.napc.com/
blog.napc.com
781.894.3114 phone
781.894.3997 fax

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