TEAM-ADA Archives

Team Ada: Ada Programming Language Advocacy

TEAM-ADA@LISTSERV.ACM.ORG

Options: Use Forum View

Use Proportional Font
Show Text Part by Default
Condense Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Sender:
"Team Ada: Ada Advocacy Issues (83 & 95)" <[log in to unmask]>
X-To:
Date:
Mon, 31 Jul 2000 11:10:37 -0400
Reply-To:
Michael Feldman <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:
From:
Michael Feldman <[log in to unmask]>
Content-Transfer-Encoding:
7bit
In-Reply-To:
<[log in to unmask]> from "Richard Conn" at Jul 31, 2000 06:46:04 AM
Content-Type:
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
MIME-Version:
1.0
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (54 lines)
Rick et al,
>
> Hi, Everyone,
>
> I took a little trip this weekend to local computer stores and book stores,
> in part to take a pulse of the presence of Ada and Software Engineering
> materials in the public view.  While this is a small sample, it may be
> interesting to hear if others have the same observations:
>
>   1. Ada books are gone from the shelves.  Zero.  I read into this that
>      computer stores and book stores no longer find it profitable to
>      carry them.
>   2. Ada compilers and tools are also not present - with one exception.
>      I found copies of my Ada and Software Engineering Library CDROMs.
>   3. The number of Software Engineering books has increased from the
>      last time I looked - I saw 8 different titles, 5 of which were
>      published by Microsoft Press.
>   4. Outside of the commercial sector, I found a couple of Ada books
>      in two local university bookstores.  I also found Ada and Software
>      Engineering Library CDROMs there.
>
> The pulse looks pretty weak,
> Rick

This is an excellent statement of a problem we face. I doubt that
anyone on Team-Ada was unaware of the basic state of affairs, but
now we are all informed.

So Rick, specifically, what solutions, or paths to solutions, are you
proposing to strengthen the pulse? And who do you think is best suited
to carry them out? It would be nice to see a crisp numbered list
for these, too.

If you just bemoan problems, devoid of proposals for how to improve
the situation, you risk being pegged as just another Greg Aharonian.
We all know you are far more than that, so please try to make some
constructive suggestions.

 * * * * *

BTW - the larger computer stores around Washington still carry a
large collection of Ada books, old and (most important) new.

This includes Reiters, the traditional downtown technical bookstore.
This is located a few blocks from GW, and "backstops" the GW bookstore
on textbook adoptions, but also is the major downtown store.
Their Ada cxollection goes well beyond the books we use at GW.
Also, I go fairly often (every few months) to MicroCenter in Fairfax
and Borders in Tysons Corner, and both are maintaining large Ada
collections. That the various newer volumes tend to come and go is
evidence that they are being purchased and then restocked.

Mike Feldman

ATOM RSS1 RSS2