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"Team Ada: Ada Advocacy Issues (83 & 95)" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:
From:
"Kester, Rush W." <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 6 Jun 2000 11:54:58 -0400
MIME-Version:
1.0
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Tucker Taft <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To:
"Kester, Rush W." <[log in to unmask]>
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tucker Taft [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Friday, June 02, 2000 1:29 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Lamenting Ada
>
<snipped Tucker's insightful comments about DoD's attitudes about Ada>

> I am not trying to be a "Pollyanna" here, but we keep hearing
> that the bottom is going to drop out of the Ada market "any day now,"
> and it hasn't happened.  If anything, the "doom and gloom" serves to
> demoralize users of Ada.  Certainly there is more we can be doing
> in terms of promoting Ada, but clearly the best thing to do is to
> "just use it" (as Nike would say ;-) and succeed in so doing.
>
> The Ada compiler vendors have done their primary jobs in my view,
> namely producing quality compilers, and at least some of them
> have figured out how to create a sales force that knows how to sell
> them and make money in the process.
>
> In my view, they are not under any obligation to "grow" the
> overall Ada market, presuming they are successfully growing
> their own revenues and profits.  Nevertheless, they have chosen
> to band together and form ARA, and at least part of the ARA's
> mission is to spread the word on Ada and grow the overall market,
> while another part is to support the existing users in various
> ways (e.g. validation, standardization, website resources, etc.).
>
> As users, our primary job is to use Ada where it is the right
> technology, and make noise when we succeed.  And hopefully enjoy
> the process.  We don't have to convince the entire world to use
> Ada, even if it would do them good (I feel like a broccoli grower ;-).
>
> -Tucker Taft  [log in to unmask]

I agree with Tucker that Ada seems to have weathered the "post mandate"
slump and be well on the way to recovery and growth.  I am disturbed
that Ada doesn't have an association like a Milk Marketer's, Florida
Citrus Grower's, Potatoe Grower's, (and yes even the Broccoli Grower's)
et. to promote Ada.

Increasing the use of Ada benefits us all.  Ada vendors benefit from an
increased market for their products and services.  Among Ada vendors I
include, compiler vendors, tool vendors, book publishers, and contractors.
It benefits Ada users by reducing the cost of compilers and tool,
increasing the likelihood that others will find problems before they do
and report them so that problems can be avoided, and fixed.  Ada users
will also benefit by the increased supply of Ada developers which should
reduce their cost. Ada developers also benefit from increased job
opportunities.  SIGAda benefits because of increased dues, more submittions
for Ada Letters, and more conference attendees.

Yet it seems to me that increasing the use of Ada through promotion and
publicity doesn't seem to be the mission of any organization. If such an
association were formed what membership fees would be appropriate, how
would it be staffed, and how would the staff be compensated?

Rush Kester
Software Systems Engineer
AdaSoft at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab.
email:  [log in to unmask]
phone: (240) 228-3030 (live M-F 9:30am-4:30pm, voicemail anytime)
fax:   (240) 228-6779
http://hometown.aol.com/rwkester/myhomepage/index.html

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