[3258] in testers
Re: Feedback on 8.1
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Mike Barker)
Thu Jun 19 09:40:17 1997
To: Greg Hudson <ghudson@MIT.EDU>, testers@MIT.EDU, rar@MIT.EDU, sao@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Wed, 18 Jun 1997 20:49:37 EDT."
<9706190049.AA18665@snorklewacker.MIT.EDU>
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 09:40:06 EDT
From: Mike Barker <mbarker@MIT.EDU>
Roger, Carla, Andy, thank you for pointing out the failure of the
Athena Release Team to properly publicize this change. I think it is
a good thing that we have gotten "caught" at this point, so that we
can decide the best way to proceed (I think Carla is correct, the best
resolution is probably just to document and alert everyone of this
change, but we should come to agreement on this).
I believe the history of "f" as an alias for "finger" goes back much
farther than we are mentioning. I will admit that it has always been
unevenly maintained, so that I learned to depend on typing out finger,
but I remember this argument on unix systems before there were sun
workstations. I also remember system admins who aliased single letter
commands to what they preferred, without thinking about the users (one
idiot made "f" forward mail--which really caused heartburn).
From someone's remarks, here at MIT it goes back to vaxen and RT days.
I think the real question isn't where the history starts, how
widespread usage is, or even whether it is tied to specific platforms
or not, but how we prepare people for changes. Basically, even when
we think the change is minor (from our point of view), we need to warn
people that a change is coming and help them to adjust to it. Given
warning of a change, it usually isn't such a major problem.
Unexpected changes, even when small, are shocks and cause resistance.
I think this re-emphasizes the importance of bringing up even "small"
changes in the release team and making sure everyone understands them
and they are properly publicized.
mike
:) -- using template mhl.format --
:) Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 20:49:37 EDT
:) To: sao@MIT.EDU
:) cc: Greg Hudson <ghudson@MIT.EDU>, testers@MIT.EDU, rar@MIT.EDU
:)
:) From: Greg Hudson <ghudson@MIT.EDU>
:) Subject: Re: Feedback on 8.1
:)
:) In-Reply-To: Your message of Wed, 18 Jun 97 17:29:03 -0400.
:) <9706182129.AA09973@agar.MIT.EDU>
:)
:) I'm still a little puzzled that people could get so used to the "f"
:) command being present, when it was only one platform. I notice all
:) three complaints are from IS staffers, who I guess use personal
:) machines which happen to be Suns.
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