[Info-vax] OT: Elephants Can't Dance

[Bill Gunshannon]

In article <49c6e70f$0$90268$14726298 at news.sunsite.dk>,
	Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> writes:
> Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>> I deal in the Open Source world at work (due mostly to budget constraints)
>> and nothing annoys me more than having students and faculty come to me
>> with a request that we run out and grab (and install int he middle of the
>> semester!) the latest and greatest version of a product who's update
>> cycle is measured in days.  Why do the want the new one?  Does it fix a
>> problem they were having?  Does it offer a feature they absolutely need?
>> Of course not, but it's the newest version and we should be running it.
>> I am working on a new web server right now.  They want it to include the
>> latest version of PHP.  Which breaks every one of their PHP based web
>> pages!!
> 
> Learn them to write better PHP.

There is no such thing as "good PHP".  It is a major security problem and
the antithesis of Software Engineering.

> 
> Newer versions of PHP is relative good compatible with
> older versions.

Real world experience would seem to contradict that.  Every time we have
had to move to a newer version of PHP is has broken pretty much all the
code the faculty use on their web pages.

> 
> What breaks is when code relied on features that has been declared
> problematic security wise for years and finally get disabled
> system wide by an upgrade.
> 
>> What ever happened to "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
> 
> It still exist.
> 
> But there is also "There only two types of systems: those
> being actively developed and those declared dead".

I would think people in this group might disagree with that sentiment.

bill

-- 
Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
billg999 at cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton   |
Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include <std.disclaimer.h>