









       To:   Mark Writeoff
       From: Chuck Divest
       Date: April 13, 1993
       Re:   Programming is dangerous?


	   While cleaning out Dean Threesome's former office we came across
       the following memo.  The memo seems to define "macros" analogous to
       the ones we used to write in assembly language back in the '60s.  In
       fact, it seems to fit quite neatly into the interpreter that you sent
       me.  Something smells very fishy here.

       I have been working hard at trying to understand this.  I have read
       the book.  I have been using the interpreter you sent me, and spending
       lots of time at it.  In any case, my main problem right now is that
       everything runs slowly.  The last chapter of the book talks about
       compiling as a way of getting more speed out of a program.  I obtained
       the compiler and I tried to compile the SUBSTITUTE procedure from the
       memo.  Since there is no LET form in the language as given I expanded
       it as described in the book.  I also rewrote the IFs as CONDs.  But
       there are still some points about the result of compilation that I
       don't understand, so I attached a transcript of my compilation (with
       added line numbers) for your perusal.  Let's get together to discuss
       this at the next opportunity.  Perhaps we can meet in the morning of
       18 May 1993 in the athletic center from 9:00 AM to noon.  I hear that
       lots of people will be there to think about 6.001 problems at that
       time.

       Personally, I don't think programming is dangerous.  It seems to be
       more fun than being an administrator -- it makes me feel so young!  It
       is even more fun than TQM exercises!  I wonder if we could convince
       most of the administration to become programmers?  For a small cut in
       salary we could give administrators "programming time."  In fact, some
       of us would give up administration and high salaries to become
       professors again.  Imagine how fast tuition would fall if we all
       decided to do the honest teaching and research work of faculty members
       instead of pushing paper at each other!  But probably this is too
       radical an idea.
