Talk:MUMPS Programming/Intro

"I'm hoping I can avoid using too much " Computer Speak", and just avoid the jargon that people who really understand the subject use all the time."

Could you go with "..."Computer Speak", especially the jargon..."

To me, "just" is a four-letter word, a minimizing word, and I avoid using it. Especially egregious are prayers of the form "Lord, just help our leaders do the right thing" -- if that were to happen, it would be huge news, like hell freezing over or something -- "just" is like trying to sneak something by people without them realizing how big it is, like Alaska's bridge to nowhere.

If you can avoid jargon, that's huge. Don't minimize it.

--Steve

==== sounds good, I'll change it. DavidWhitten 07:55, 2 Feb 2009 (PST)

====

Just like a wind-up clock just moves the hands of its face as the spring inside unwinds, in the same way, a computer just goes through each of its commands until it runs out of commands, or power. In fact, the computer is always doing something, if it is turned on. Even when a computer is idling, it is actively idling, waiting to do something, just as a car when idling still is burning gasoline. The commands might just be "WAIT" and "GET A COMMAND" (which turns out to be "WAIT") over and over, but it must do some commands constantly.

==> "just" --> "simply" (X3) (when it means that)

Just like a wind-up clock simply moves the hands of its face as the spring inside unwinds, in the same way, a computer simply goes through each of its commands until it runs out of commands, or power. In fact, the computer is always doing something, if it is turned on. Even when a computer is idling, it is actively idling, waiting to do something, just as a car when idling still is burning gasoline. The commands might simply be "WAIT" and "GET A COMMAND" (which turns out to be "WAIT") over and over, but it must do some commands constantly.

Steve 20:56 UTC 3 Feb 2009