[EM] Russ's stories about me and computer programs

[MIKE OSSIPOFF]

I never completely replied to this before, at least not to one of its 
completely false claims.

Russ said, in January:

A couple of years ago, Mike expressed an interest in learning to do some
programming, which he had never done.

I replied:

Actually no, that isn't correct. Russ freely makes things up. I'd done some 
programming, over a period of years. I discussed that in my earlier posting 
today, so I won't repeat that discussion.

What I suggested was that the BeatpathWinner algorithm be put up at the 
website. It was agreed that I'd send it in a programming language (as 
opposed to pseudocode). Pseudocode would have been fine too, but I also 
wanted to write a program rather than just a pseudocode description.

I chose Python because it was said to be the easiest of the popular modern 
programming languages.

Russ continued:

He asked me what language I
recommend. I told him that I like Python, and it is considered a good
pedagogical language.

I comment:

I chose Python for the reason that I said, above. Authors liked it, and 
suggested that it's the easiest of the popular, modern programming 
languages. Russ agreed that he liked Python, or liked what he'd heard about 
it, so it seemed a good medium for communication of the algorithm.

Russ continued:

Then we decided to post some CSSD code on the site.

I reply:

BeatpathWinner and CSSD, though they're equivalent, are completely different 
algorithms. And the decision to post BeatpathWinner at the website was made 
before a language was chosen. In fact, it was the reason why a language was 
chosen.

Russ continued:

He said he would
send pseudocode, and I would implement it in Python.

I comment:

No, the agreement was that I'd express the algorithm in Python, which I did.

Russ continued:

Mike had never
actually obtained access to a Python interpreter

I reply:

Correct.

Russ continued:

, but I suggested that
he could take a cut at a Python implementation and I would fix the
syntax, debug it, and test it.

I comment:

Yes, I'd send a Python program for the BeatpathWinner algorighm. Having the 
Python language, Russ could test the program for syntax typos.

Russ continued:

In other words, the pseudocode would be
written in Python.

I reply:

No, Python isn't pseudocode. The Python would be written in Python.

Russ continued:

Well, Mike sent me piece of junk that was chocked full of both syntax
errors and logic errors.

I comment:

As I said, there were a few (but not many) syntax errors. Of course a 
particular syntax error shows up wherever that particular syntax is used.

There were no "logic errors". As I said, the Python book I used implied 
something incorrect about the use of multidimensional arrays, but that was 
not a "logic error" on my part, but rather was a writing error in the Python 
book. As I said, when I found out that the multildimensional arrays didn't 
work as described, I didn' t use them, and instead made multidimensional 
arrays from Python's 1-dimensional arrays and a function that I wrote.

Russ continued:

Mike then explained that he couldn't handle the Python convention of
using indentation, in lieu of "endif" and "endfor" delimiters, to define
the logical structure.

I comment:

No, I didn't say that. I said that e-mail often can't handle the 
indentation. I said that e-mail sometimes loses the correct indentations. 
For that reason, I suggested that I add the endif and endfor, to mark the 
end of those blocks. They could be removed prior to use, or they could be 
left in as "comments".

That's an example of Russ's outright lying.

Russ continued:

A also explained to him, in passing, that he could put in comments by
simply preceeding them with a "#". I even showed him an example of how
to do it.

I reply:

That is pure fiction. I'd read a book on Python. I suppose pretty much every 
programming language has a way of making non-executing comments in a program 
listing, and every book on a programming language describes that. In fact, 
in program examples, the comments are found on many or most pages of a 
programming book. I'd justs finished reading a book on Python. I knew about 
the comment notation. Russ didn't explain it to me, with or without an 
example.

Russ continued:

He has preceded the actual
code with a lengthy explanatory message to me that was perhaps a page or
two long.

I comment:

No, it wasn't an "explanatory  message" to Russ. It was instructions for the 
user, on how to enter the rankings via keyboard.

I wanted it to be part of the program listing, so that it would always be in 
the possession of anyone who had the program listing. I suppose I could have 
written the program to print the instructions when the program begins 
running, but that seemed cumbersome for the user, who might not want that to 
print every time. So I included it in the program listing as comments.

Russ continued:

This lengthy preamble was obviously not intended to be a
comment to be included with the code, yet Mike had preceded every line
of it with a "#" comment delimiter!

I comment:

If I preceded every one of those input instruction lines with a comment 
marker, then it's odd that Russ thinks that it's obvious that it was not 
intended to be included with the code, as part of the program listing. The 
purpose of the comment marker is to include non-executing comments in the 
program listing.

Yes it was obvious that it was not intended to be part of the program 
(That's what the comment markers tell us, Russ). But it was obviously 
intended to be part of the program listing.

Russ continued:

I couldn't make up stuff like this
if I tried, folks!

I comment:

Folks, Russ could and did make it up.

Russ, as I've said, is someone with absolutely no honesty. There are people 
like that. Very few. As I said, you probaby didn't expect to encounter any, 
but now you have.

Is is complete lack of honesty in any way related to his Bush-worship? 
Probably. Remember that this is someone who told me that Bush is probably 
the best president that the U.S. has ever had. He said that after the 
invasion and during the occupation.

Russ continued:

He fancies himself to be some sort of expert in
voting algorithms

I comment:

I've never said that I was an expert on voting algorithms. I relayed Steve's 
BeatpathWinner algorithm to Russ, identifying it as being from Steve.

Russ makes things up.

Russ continues:

, yet he is incapable of writing a basic computer
program.

I comment:

I answered that in my previous posting today, entitled "BeatpathWinner 
algorithm".

Mike Ossipoff

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