[cap-talk] Horton at HotSec '07: How broadly object/capability?

[Jonathan S. Shapiro]

On Wed, 2007-07-11 at 11:38 -0700, Jed Donnelley wrote:
> Jonathan,
> 
> Thanks for your useful comments.  What I wrote is just a set of first
> thoughts.  It does
> represent how I think/feel, but of course there will be considerable
> discussion even if
> MarkM decides to go with this general approach...

Jed:

Let me explain why I react so strongly.

Capability advocates are a small group, and are prone to be perceived as
zealots. In part this is fair -- only a believer would work so long, so
hard, on such a "marginal" technology.

The problem with being believers is that we are prone to make broad
statements. Often, these statements are grounded in years of back and
forth that has brought us to some view -- but that back and forth isn't
evident to the person who hears the statement. In addition, those
statements are often opinions rather than testable facts.

My own early first drafts were often poisoned by unsubstantiated
assertions of this sort. I've learned to edit a lot of them out, but I
still don't think I am doing well enough, and it definitely impacts how
I **and my work** are perceived. From a personal perspective, I rather
enjoyed your opening. I just think that the core capability-aware group
in the world is small, and we have to be very careful about
perceptions. 

MarkM is in a delicate position here, because he has two papers out
there that were perceived as fairly rich in unsubstantiated assertions
(in spite of editing). An unfortunate consequence is that his work now
faces that preconception among reviewers, with the result that he has to
be extra careful.

shap
-- 
Jonathan S. Shapiro, Ph.D.
Managing Director
The EROS Group, LLC