Peter van der Linden

[Roedy Green]

I got an email from Peter van der Linden today. He was once a Sun
employee very active in these newsgroups and wrote one of the FAQs.

He has written a new book on Java 1.5. I will be proofing/reviewing
it for him.

We wondering what happened to him just a few days ago.

He has a unique European way of writing that tickles my funny bone.

It helps in wading through these serious tomes.

 

[Andrew Thompson]

I got an email from Peter van der Linden today. He was once a Sun
employee very active in these newsgroups and wrote one of the FAQs.

A great one, I might add, that has unfortunately
disappeared from its original location/s.

He has written a new book on Java 1.5. I will be proofing/reviewing
it for him.

You lucky thing! I will look forward
to reading it myself.

We wondering what happened to him just a few days ago.

He has a unique European way of writing that tickles my funny bone.

It helps in wading through these serious tomes.

If you get a chance, could you ask who's
permission I would need to rehost his
original FAQ?

 

[Thomas Weidenfeller]

I got an email from Peter van der Linden today. He was once a Sun
employee very active in these newsgroups and wrote one of the FAQs.

When you talk to him next time, can you please forward the following
questions to him?

- Has he abandoned the maintenance of the comp.lang.java.programmer FAQ
completely (last update I am aware of was in 2001)?

- If he abandoned the FAQ, would he be willing to transfer the
maintenance to someone else (no, by asking the question I don't
volunteer , I do my fair share with the comp.lang.java.gui FAQ)

- Is the latest FAQ version available somewhere in a complete, intact
form? (the links on afu.com were badly broken, now even the FAQ's TOC on
afu.com is gone).

- If not, would he be willing to provide a potential new maintainer with
the latest copy?

Thanks,

/Thomas

 

[Andrew Thompson]

.....
- If he abandoned the FAQ, would he be willing to transfer the
maintenance to someone else (no, by asking the question I don't
volunteer , ..

I volunteer.

- Is the latest FAQ version available somewhere in a complete, intact
form? (the links on afu.com were badly broken, now even the FAQ's TOC on
afu.com is gone).

I think I found it on various occasions,
including once in the 'wayback' machine.

Looked like it could use some work though.

- If not, would he be willing to provide a potential new maintainer with
the latest copy?

Or that.

 

[TechBookReport]

I got an email from Peter van der Linden today. He was once a Sun
employee very active in these newsgroups and wrote one of the FAQs.

He has written a new book on Java 1.5. I will be proofing/reviewing
it for him.

I'd be more than happy to review it for TechBookReport once it's
published!

Pan
===========================
TechBookReport - http://www.techbookreport.com

 

[Carla Cretini]

I got an email from Peter van der Linden today. He was once a Sun
employee very active in these newsgroups and wrote one of the FAQs.

He has written a new book on Java 1.5. I will be proofing/reviewing
it for him.

He has a unique European way of writing that tickles my funny bone.

Yeah, well, his humour isn't always nice. Here's a chapter from his (I guess
previous) book from 2002:

(citation starts)
After that unpleasant business with the glitter booby trap I installed in
the VP's office, it would have been futile to ask the facilities guys to
replace the motion sensor with a regular switch. So I considered other
alternatives. A gerbil on an exercise wheel? They're too high-maintenance,
noisy, smelly, and they keep erratic hours. One of my colleagues suggested
installing folks from the marketing department in my office and having them
flap their arms intermittently, thus getting some productive use out of
them. I did consider it, but they have some of the same disadvantages as the
gerbil, and may not be so easy to train.
(end of citation)

I don't know how it happened, or how it got started, but somewhere along the
line it became "ok" for developers to basically piss on their colleagues
that try to ensure anybody gives a damn about what they've developed. It's
one of the things that makes this industry a depressing place to work, and
I'm disappointed that this kind of crap mentality can seep into a book that
otherwise purports to be serious.

If the people focusing on customers and the people focusing on technology
could learn to communicate better, this industry would doubtless be in far
better shape. Hopefully the review process will do some good, Roedy.

Carla

 

[marcus]

I got "Just Java" back when it was 1.1. Peter correctly anticipated
literally about a dozen problems I encountered coming from the C world
(I'm an old-timer). Time and time again I found myself saying, "Hmm,
this isn't right -- didn't Peter warn me about this . . . "

Then, when I had a sticky problem and posted it to c.l.j.* I was
thrilled to have Peter reply personally.

 

[marcus]

Wow -- he didn't slam anyone personally, yet you feel the need to slam
him. Crap mentality? Feeling a little insecure, are we?

"I don't know how it happened, or how it got started, but somewhere
along the line it became "ok" for developers to basically piss on their
colleagues"

Started around the time fire was discovered and the marketing guys
wanted to know what color to make it, and whether it could be inserted
nasally (Douglas Adams). Get real -- people in a given profession spend
half their time bashing people in their own profession, and half the
time bashing people in other professions.

I happen to be a published author, a jewelry designer, a web developer
(DailyCrossword.com -- wanna buy it?), and now a t-shirt manufacturer /
distributor / marketer / retailer (read that start-up). I am a equal
opportunity basher, myself.

-- clh