> portability.  It is only when one discovers that each "reliable compiler"
 > implements its own dialect, that each operating system intersperses its
 > own nuances, that each architecture contributes its own artifacts, that
 > one discovers that such "portability" is a complete and utter myth...

but it isnt a myth. the whole world (except you) revolves around this
concept of loose portability, ie we swop C programs and they
work. 99.99% of the time. you dont use it, because you care about that
.001% of cases. but i'll be dead and gone before the statistics catch
up with, and hey if a program misbehaves tomorrow and I get unlucky,
tant pis. Year-2000ism, or a runaway bus, or AIDS, or global warming,
or CJD could catch up with me as well. i take the risk, and get on
with life

sebastian