Re: [parisc-linux] Re: OK, let's try cleaning up another nit. Is anyone paying attention?

Eric S. Raymond
2001-04-21T00:38:22Z

Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>:
> > Even supposing that's so, a 36% rate of broken symbols is way too high.
> > It argues that we need to do a thorough housecleaning at least once in
> > order to get back to an acceptably low stable rate.
>
> Many of your 'broken' symbols arent. We have no idea what the real amount is

If it can't be mechanically verified that the symbol has a correct reference
pattern within the tree, then it's broken. That's a definition.

The fact that it might become un-broken someday, by somebody's
intention to merge in future code, is interesting but irrelevant to
the fact that symbols broken in present time *mask bugs* in present time.

I'm not being a compulsive neatnik -- that wouldn't be worth my time. What I'm
trying to do is reduce the number of crevices in which bugs can hide.
--
Eric S. Raymond

This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were
no religion in it.
-- John Adams, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson.