Fruitless Endeavors

[mark () vielle datasys net (Mark R. Lindsey)]

: > It's unfortunate that someone with such a long history and undoubtedly a
: > wealth of experience chooses to spend their time in these fruitless
: > endeavors rather than using that energy for something useful.

        The greatest danger to good computer science
        research today may be excessive relevance . . .
        [C]ommercial pressure . . . will divert the
        attention of the best thinkers from real
        innovation to exploitation of the current fad,
        from prospecting to mining a known lode
                                -- Dennis Ritchie
                                Communications of the ACM, August, 1984


One way to reveal the real problems that need to be solved is to exacerbate
them the conditions that cause them. Bad ideas and wasted time have a valid
place in this business.