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On Dec 8, 7:32*am, Borax Man <rotfl...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> curixinfotech wrote:
> > parshant

> I can't believe how many people responded to this spam.

in what sense is it spam? Is it widely posted? Is it off-topic? Is it
cross posted? Has it been repeatedly posted? Does it originate from a
bank employee in Bukino Fasu?

Nick Keighley <> wrote:
> On Dec 8, 7:32Â*am, Borax Man <rotfl...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > curixinfotech wrote:
> > > parshant
>
> > I can't believe how many people responded to this spam.
>
> in what sense is it spam? Is it widely posted? Is it off-topic? Is it
> cross posted? Has it been repeatedly posted? Does it originate from a
> bank employee in Bukino Fasu?

It's troll, not spam.

--
André Gillibert

On Dec 8, 12:44*pm, André Gillibert <MetaEntropy.removeT...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nos...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > On Dec 8, 7:32*am, Borax Man <rotfl...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > > curixinfotech wrote:
> > > > parshant
>
> > > I can't believe how many people responded to this spam.
>
> > in what sense is it spam? Is it widely posted? Is it off-topic? Is it
> > cross posted? Has it been repeatedly posted? Does it originate from a
> > bank employee in Bukino Fasu?
>
> It's troll, not spam.

I'm not sure even that's true. he may genuinely wondering what
pointers are for. It smells like homework though.

In article <68e27f18-0ad9-4309-b9e4->,
Nick Keighley <> wrote:
>On Dec 8, 12:44*pm, André Gillibert <MetaEntropy.removeT...@gmail.com>
>wrote:
>> Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nos...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> > On Dec 8, 7:32*am, Borax Man <rotfl...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> > > curixinfotech wrote:
>> > > > parshant
>>
>> > > I can't believe how many people responded to this spam.
>>
>> > in what sense is it spam? Is it widely posted? Is it off-topic? Is it
>> > cross posted? Has it been repeatedly posted? Does it originate from a
>> > bank employee in Bukino Fasu?
>>
>> It's troll, not spam.
>
>I'm not sure even that's true. he may genuinely wondering what
>pointers are for. It smells like homework though.

I go with troll (and "good on him!").

The real truth to keep in mind here is that the obvious answer to the
question is: Because the inventors (and subsequent maintainers) of the
language put them in. I.e., the question is equivalent to "Why is the
background of the 'Mona Lisa' the color that it is?" It is that color
because the artist made it that way. That's really all there is to it.

The problem is that the question gets people's dander up - it incites them
to interpret the question as a criticism of the language. Now, maybe that
is really what the questioner has in mind, but the fact remains that "we"
shouldn't take the bait. We should just answer as above.

--
Just for a change of pace, this sig is *not* an obscure reference to
comp.lang.c...

On Dec 9, 4:59*pm, gaze...@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) wrote:
>
> The problem is that the question gets people's dander up - it incites them
> to interpret the question as a criticism of the language. *Now, maybe that
> is really what the questioner has in mind, but the fact remains that "we"
> shouldn't take the bait. *We should just answer as above.
>
In the early days of C, you sometimes heard of programmers being told,
"You can program in C as long as you don't use pointers". That's
impractical, of course.

But pointers can cause terrible problems. Most languages hide them
from the programmer. C doesn't, and it's entirely legitimate to
discuss that design decision.
--
Basic Algorithms: how do JPEG files work?
http://www.malcommclean.site11.com/www

On Dec 9, 2:59*pm, gaze...@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) wrote:
> In article <68e27f18-0ad9-4309-b9e4-8386f4904...@p16g2000yqd.googlegroups..com>,
> Nick Keighley *<nick_keighley_nos...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >On Dec 8, 12:44*pm, André Gillibert <MetaEntropy.removeT...@gmail.com>
> >wrote:
> >> Nick Keighley <nick_keighley_nos...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >> > On Dec 8, 7:32*am, Borax Man <rotfl...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >> > > curixinfotech wrote:
> >> > > > parshant


> >> > > I can't believe how many people responded to this spam.
>
> >> > in what sense is it spam? Is it widely posted? Is it off-topic? Is it
> >> > cross posted? Has it been repeatedly posted? Does it originate from a
> >> > bank employee in Bukino Fasu?
>
> >> It's troll, not spam.
>
> >I'm not sure even that's true. he may genuinely wondering what
> >pointers are for. It smells like homework though.
>
> I go with troll (and "good on him!").
>
> The real truth to keep in mind here is that the obvious answer to the
> question is: Because the inventors (and subsequent maintainers) of the
> language put them in.

not sure that's completly, or usefully, true. A programming languages
is designed (or intended to be) to be useful in expressing solutions
to certain classes of problem. I suspect Richie put some thought into
his pointers. He based them on BCPL but with subtle twists in both
syntax and semantics. In short I don't think C pointer are an
accident.

> I.e., the question is equivalent to "Why is the
> background of the 'Mona Lisa' the color that it is?" *It is that color
> because the artist made it that way. *That's really all there is to it.

again I suspect there were contraits on the colours Leonardo
considered. Magnolia or rainbow stripes were probably unlikely.

> The problem is that the question gets people's dander up - it incites them
> to interpret the question as a criticism of the language. *Now, maybe that
> is really what the questioner has in mind, but the fact remains that "we"
> shouldn't take the bait. *We should just answer as above.

I'm not the one saying the OP's a troll