🚀 go-pugleaf

In response to Mr. Cooper's diatribe on my "questions about VisualBASIC
and concerns about QuickBASIC", I will not allow myself to match his
virulent tone.  Apparently, he is under some stress, of sufficient force
to make him lose his professional continence at the sight of constructive
criticism.
 
I am truly sorry for placing that "$" sign in the registered trademark,
and would not have done it if I could have foreseen the effect it had
on Mr. Cooper.  Upon the sight of this common spelling (in cyberspace),
the one person I wanted to read my post didn't.

I do wish to point out the following weaknesses in Mr. Cooper's attack:

1) Mr. Cooper in his postings on alt.lang.basic, has never written a
   disclaimer that his comments are personal.

2) PCWeek, a Ziff-Davis publication, did announce the Beta release of
   a Visual Basic for DOS.  They received this information from Microsoft.
   Mr. Cooper could have simply stated the policy of his employer about
   comments instead of his remark on my understanding the meaning of the
   word "Beta."
  
3) The "$" sign inserted in place of the "s" in Microsoft is a common
   spelling on many bulletin boards.  Is it a "veiled insult"?  I cannot
   answer that question nor respond to Mr. Cooper's hysteria.  I did not
   use it in the manner he described.  I always thought it was recognition
   of the phenomenal success Microsoft had in the 1980's and to the 
   financial status of Microsoft's co-founder and CEO, William Gates.

4) How many Microsoft products have not been upgraded in four years?
   I think my complaints are legitimate not "hostile".

5) I am an educator who has helped a lot of young people start programming.
   When you look at the market for introductory programming languages, i.e.
   affordable and transferable, the two major choices have been BASIC or
   Pascal.  I cannot even begin to understand Mr. Cooper's bizarre 
   paragraph beginning about "...a chip on your shoulder" and ending with
   "My 5.0 liter Ford Mustang...."  I will simply point out that the
   long-running advertisement for QuickBASIC ("Zip.Bam.Boom.") includes
   a Key Features comparison with QBasic, GW-BASIC _AND_ Turbo Pascal 6.0. 

In conclusion, Mr. Cooper has committed a serious disservice to his
employer.  I have been a loyal Microsoft customer for four years, being a
registered owner of QuickBASIC and Microsoft Works and having been
instrumental in the placement of these two products in many secondary
schools.  Mr. Cooper's remarks were offensive and unprovoked, but I will
follow his advice and send my concerns about QuickBASIC and Mr. Cooper 
to Microsoft.

Greg Harber                          InterNet: z_harbergt@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Stephen F. Austin State University   "Heart of the Pine Smog"