RE: [Algorithms] Message signature in token ring

[Brian H. <ho...@py...>]

>>Which is completely irrelevant.  The point is that SOMEONE is
>>qualified, and if that code is not available for review, then=
 NO
>>ONE except the people that wrote it in the first place are=
 going to
>>even have that option.
>
>But that someone is unlikely to be a game developer. Pick code=
 which
>has been reviewed by someone qualified rather than rolling you=
 own.

I don't think you're getting this.  "Someone qualified" -- like=
 who?  
The code is written by a bunch of faceless entities randomly=
 promoted 
within an organization.  My point still stands -- between=
 trusting 
"someone who might or might not be qualified and who may or may=
 not 
be writing good code" vs. "me", I'll take "me".

It's not a case of NIH, I might add, it's a case of openness.  I=
 use 
a lot of open source stuff for the very reason that I DO prefer=
 that 
experts be able to do stuff I'm only passingly familiar with, but=
 I 
get very leery when I'm asked to rely on someone else's code and=
 A.) 
I have no idea of their qualifications and B.) I can't see their=
 
code.

>I'm not sure where this turned into a DirectPlay discussion.=
 Your
>comments are highly inaccurate - and I suspect your knowledge=
 of
>DirectPlay is circa DirectX 6 at best. Please feel free to=
 contact
>me off-list if you would like to be educated. No hand-waving,=
 and
>concrete examples guaranteed.

It was an example of where your logic breaks down.  It's not a=
 slam 
on DirectX, but merely pointing out another Microsoft API that=
 has 
generally been derided but which Microsoft has repeatedly claimed=
 is 
written by people that know this stuff better than "dumb" game 
programmers.

>Haha, that's funny. If you have a modern sound card, software=
 mixing
>makes about as much sense as software rendering. Your experience=
 is
>clearly dated. Still, I guess you're not writing for the=
 leading
>edge any more, Brian.

Is this why every piece of software I've used recently still=
 retains 
the option to disable hardware mixing?

And please try not to make this personal, TONY.  Ok?

There are really only two fundamental truths here:

1.  Software you write yourself, you can fix/port/extend. =
 Software 
provided by someone else in binary-only form, you cannot.

2.  Software you write yourself has a chance of being of lesser=
 or 
higher quality than software written elsewhere.  The odds of you=
 
writing better software than "them" depends on a huge number of 
factors, and blithely assuming either all libraries are broken or=
 all 
game programmers are stupid isn't really going to be accurate=
 either 
way.

Anyway, this should probably migrate to general or sweng.

-Hook