Minutes of FIGGY BAR RT Conference.

Date: 08/01/91   Time: 22:25EDT
   
  Open FIGGY BAR of 1 Aug 1991. Items discussed include the case sensitivity
  debate (one vote cast for insensitive, one cast for a switch), power
  supplies for RF, ACM SigForth with Irv Montanez at the helm - a possible
  topic area in the GEnie Forth RT, accelerators - circular and linear.

Attendees:
[GARY-S]
[[IRV] I.MONTANEZ]
[[Mike] M.KELLY36]

Minutes:
<I.MONTANEZ> is here.
<M.KELLY36> is here.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> HI GARY ITS GOOD TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO YOU AGAIN
<GARY-S> Mike - meet Irv; Irv <-> Mike
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Yo
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Not THE Gary Shandling ...
<GARY-S> Mike - we played that game before - still not Shandling ;-)
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> I started to say that I have been very busy and not able log 
on unfortunely
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Where are you out of Irv ?
<GARY-S> Have either of you been tracking the Case sensitive issue ? Care to 
cast a vote ?
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> I haven't
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> FOR case sensitivity ... Gary , you a sysop chez UNIX ?
<GARY-S> yes
<GARY-S> Matter of fact I am accessing GEnie via my Unix box, Mike
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> what are we talking about
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> What have you been busy with, Irv ?
<GARY-S> Irv - there is a VERY heated argument whether ANSForth should be case 
sensitive or case insensitive (case blind)
<GARY-S> any opinion ?
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> What deoes the majority think?
<GARY-S> cast your vote and we will let everyone know
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> of the case sensitive issue?
<GARY-S> A poll is just now being taken
<GARY-S> Mitch Bradley is taking the poll but I am gathering votes on GEnie and 
RIME
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> My vote is for not having case sensitivity.
<GARY-S> your vote is counted - thank you
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> why ?
<GARY-S> 'why' who ?
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> BECAUSE ITS EASIER FOR ME TYPE THIS WAY THAN this Way.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> espcially in electronic conversations. .ga
<GARY-S> I am an avowed minimalist, but I am leaning toward Lee Brotzman's 
unofficial proposal to include a case switch
<GARY-S> There's just too damn much 79 and 83 code out there with case 
sensitive code
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Tough. But I also favor the switch OPTION.
<GARY-S> It really stinks to add bells and whistles, but it stnks more to throw 
away all those man months/years of decent code
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> Mike to answer an earlier question, I am located at 
Brookhaven National Lab in Upton, New York//
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Doin' what Irv ?
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> Managing a trememdous amount of Physics data...
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> I think we sell to you.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> Possibly?
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> We make RF and microwave power supplies.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> We sure use them in our accelerator.
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Small world.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> We have a new Booster project where a considerable number of 
new supplies are being utilized.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> We are probably a good customer of your products.
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> What frequencies and wattage requirements.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> I,ll put you in contact with the engineer of the project if 
you really want specs.
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Sure ...'
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> If we aren't selling to you  ...  we should be.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> Give me a call at (516) 282-2540 at your convienience 
tommorrow and I have the information for you.
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Ok.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> Gary are you aware that I was recently elected ACM SIGForth 
chair?
<GARY-S> I read that somewhere - in the newsletter I think. ATTA BOY !
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> Thank you.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> I have been looking for volunteers who may want to play an 
active role in running SIGForth.
<GARY-S> Time for a plug Irv. We will provide a place ...
<GARY-S> here in the Forth RT for ACM SigForth stuff, but you will have to 
provide someone to maintain it.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> I will search for a candidate and contact you when I have 
selected him.
<GARY-S> We had said as  much to Paul F. but nothing came of it
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> Paul I believe memtioned it to me a while back but I guess 
its slipped by both of us since we have been very busy.
<GARY-S> and ---- it must be noted that goodies posted here get distributed on 
RIME and Usenet, giving you a target you _need_
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> BY the way I wish to extend my congratulations to you Gary 
for the well desererved Figgy award you receive.
<GARY-S> Thank you - I honestly feel others are more deserving, but it was a 
nice stroke
<GARY-S> It's on my ego wall, looks good too ;-)
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> You have really contributed a significant amount of your 
time and enery running the fig board and you truly deserved it .
<GARY-S> When is the next call for papers for ACM SigForth conference ?
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> I am sorry that you couldn't come to our SIGForth conference 
earlier this year.  I met Leonard Morgenstern and was very impressed.
 The next conference is in Kansas City , Missouri on March 5-7, 1992.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> I hope that you will be able to attend.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> You too Mike
<GARY-S> The other hot topic in ANSForth is the elimination of derfer, and 
several state-smart words
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Do you code Gary ( pardon the naiveness ) ?
<GARY-S> Not like I once did - so currently I would have to reply - not really
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> How big is your accelerator, Irv ?
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> It consists of over 200 magnets and we spend aproximetely 4 
million a month when we run it.
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Length ... Stanford ?
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> A lot I am looking for my data sheet with the exact 
specifications so as not to mislead you with the wrong data.
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Is it circular ( Texas planned ) or linear ?
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> Its circular and about 1/2 mile in diameter
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> The one in Texas is considerabley larger and with require 
many power supplies.
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> The accelerator in Texas if it is ever built will certainly 
provide considerable opportunities for vendors to sell their wares.  At
present the projected cost is about 8 billion dollars, realistically it will 
probably cost 12 billion.
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> No opinions here on the use of DEFER or state smart words. 
Sometimes I think ( because of the different Forth requirements for 
individuals ) that people are programming in a different language than I am.
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> We address the small fringe user as well as the large user. 
Small becomes large occasionally.
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Will " I'M NOT GARY SHANDLING " appear in the highlights of 
8/1/91 on the Net?
<GARY-S> yes - it will <grin>
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> The Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (ags) can accelerate 
protons to energies of up to 33 billion electron volts(gev).  It has a 
half-mile circumfernce and 240 magnets.
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> Can ... and ( unlike Texas ) does ?
<GARY-S> In a couple of weeks Will should be back on Thursday nights with word 
on his and Ting's China envoy
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> Mike are you an ACM or IEEE member?
<[Mike] M.KELLY36> No , sorry ( not even FIG ) .  Been approached but never 
signed on.
<GARY-S> Unless you two enjoy paying for dead air, let's close the FIGGY for 
tonight
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> ok
<[IRV] I.MONTANEZ> goodnight to you both!
=== End of Steno notes. ===