[Info-vax] Hard links on VMS ODS5 disks

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 7/24/2023 1:12 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> We are talking about structural and design issues within VMS that is
> making this porting process a lot more involved than it should be.

There are two very different questions:

#1: Did DEC's decisions in 1977 make sense given 1977 knowledge?

#2: Did DEC's decisions in 1977 make sense given 2023 knowledge?

I believe the answer to #1 is YES. Their decisions was similar to how
most OS was designed at the time.

The answer to #2 is probably NO, because they should have gone
with a HLL, they should have prepared for future migrations to other
ISA, they should have prepared for 64 bit, they should have
focused more on security etc.etc..

But trying to evaluate decisions of the past using todays
knowledge is a totally futile exercise.

If you plan on inventing a time machine and travel back in
time to tell them to do things differently, then maybe. But
otherwise then accept that decisions was made based on
available information at the time for the decisions. And
complaining about such decisions does not change a thing.

There is a term for it "Monday morning quarterback".

Arne