summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/8_1/deklett.tex
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to 'usergrps/uktug/baskervi/8_1/deklett.tex')
-rw-r--r--usergrps/uktug/baskervi/8_1/deklett.tex48
1 files changed, 48 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/8_1/deklett.tex b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/8_1/deklett.tex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..96506a2150
--- /dev/null
+++ b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/8_1/deklett.tex
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+\author{Jonathan Fine}
+\title{Donald Knuth's 60th birthday}
+\begin{Article}
+Recently I noticed from the \TeX book{} that Knuth would be 60 in
+1998. I thought it might be nice to organise a meeting to express
+our appreciation. And so I wrote to him, suggesting this. I also
+took the opportunity to ask him about his relationship and attitude
+to the NTS project. His reply follows. (Photocopies were circulated
+to those present at the 1998 AGM.)
+
+\begin{quotation}
+Dear Jonathan,
+
+Thanks for your letter.
+
+About birthdays, I believe (with the Beatles) that a 64th birthday is
+vastly more interesting than a 60th birthday. Thus I will be looking
+forward most eagerly to January 10, 2002.
+
+However, I am of course delighted that you and others might still
+appreciate some of my work after having ben exposed to it for so
+long. Thanks for the sentiment.
+
+About NTS and $\Omega$, etc., I have always encouraged work that
+leads to improvements in typography. I want \TeX{} itself to remain
+a fixed point forever, warts and all, entirely my responsibility; but
+I also believe that anything of nontrivial complexity is inherently
+non-optimum. So I look forward to continued improvements by
+conscientious people who are dedicated to quality software. (I do
+warn them that the task of reaching a decent fixed point is not
+easy!)
+
+Best wishes for a successful AGM. I received my invitation two days
+ago and it looks like a splendid meeting has been planned, although
+of course I cannot take the time to travel while working on
+\textsl{TAOCP}.
+
+Sincerely,
+
+Donald E. Knuth
+\end{quotation}
+
+It is at present too early, in my opinion, to make plans for Knuth's
+64th (octal 100 and binary 1,000,000) birthday. But in a year, or
+perhaps two, we should allow the prospect of such a meeting, to
+celebrate his contribution, to come forward in our minds.
+
+\end{Article} \ No newline at end of file