Xref: utzoo comp.arch:4727 comp.lang.misc:1574
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!ncar!gatech!bloom-beacon!mcgill-vision!mouse
From: mouse@mcgill-vision.UUCP (der Mouse)
Newsgroups: comp.arch,comp.lang.misc
Subject: Re: Universal OS (striving for flexibility)
Message-ID: <1090@mcgill-vision.UUCP>
Date: 9 May 88 23:39:34 GMT
References: <769@imagine.PAWL.RPI.EDU> <76700017@uiucdcsp> <843@actnyc.UUCP> <4624@ihlpf.ATT.COM>
Organization: McGill University, Montreal
Lines: 25

In article <4624@ihlpf.ATT.COM>, nevin1@ihlpf.ATT.COM (00704a-Liber) writes:
> A universal OS (as well as a universal programming language),
> assuming that one exists, must be simple and intuitive to use.  I, as
> the user, should never have to look at a manual or go to a help
> screen.

Unfortunately, what is simple and intuitive to one person isn't to
another.

> [...] if I am looking at someone else's work it should, to me, look
> like my own.

I don't expect this any sooner than I expect Turing-capable AI
programs.  Style is too many things, including things too subtle to
easily change.  What you are asking for, in essence, is something that
looks at (say) a program, deduces what it does (as distinct from how it
does it), and re-does the same thing the way you would have done it.
Among other things, this implies that it's at least as intelligent as
you are.  Now this may be possible in some cases (seeing some of the
software coming over the net), but it surely is not possible for all
people.

					der Mouse

			uucp: mouse@mcgill-vision.uucp
			arpa: mouse@larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu