Lippard.Multics 1986-10-13 16:29:16 mst Mon
Subject:  Re: Automatic Rebinding
Date:  Wednesday, 8 October 1986 13:07 mst
From:  Barry Margolin <Margolin>
To:  {mbx >udd>m>jjl>misc>misc}
In-Reply-To:  Message of 8 October 1986 12:52 mst from Barry Margolin

Dear Son,
   I was very happy to read your letter.  I've enclosed a CHECK, PLUS
some sound motherly advice.

   I'm afraid you can't come home.  We've rented out your address space
to this nice printer daemon.  He's very neat, and keeps all his queues
empty.  It's just that we need all the help we can get to pay your
pbrother Static's hospital bills.
   Your brother's prognosis is not good.  The programmers say that he is
permanently brain-damaged and that he will never do his bindings at the
right time.  It makes me so upset I could cry.  We are so lucky to have
a son like you who can do it right.
   When I heard you were thinking of leaving Multics, I talked to your
Uncle Symbolics to see if he wants help at the store, but all he needs
is someone who LISPS.  I tried calling GrandMa Bell, but she didn't even
answer the phone.
   So I really think you should reconsider leaving Multics.  They're
nice people there, and they're willing to swallow some inefficiency if
it buys them extra functionality.  But I do agree with you, son.  It's
not your job to fix the compiler.  You were meant to create, not to
destroy.  If they want to unsnap links, the compiler should call in "The
Terminator," who will be more than happy to tromp through everybody's
linkage sections checking for reference to the terminated segment.  He's
a brute force kind of guy, but that's OK, since all he does are segment
number comparisons, and it's only done at compile time.  This keeps you
from worrying about backlinks; you can do your job without change.
   I'm sure if you tell the people at Multics this, they won't mistreat
you.  They don't mind paying for infrequent operations.  Maybe they've
already thought of it.
   Well, that's it for now.  Say hello to Binder for me.  May the Source
be with you.

                                        Love,
                                        Mom