Re: 18 months

["Theodore Ts'o" <tytso@mit.edu>]

Dave,

	I fail to see where Herald made an ad hominem attack against
you, unless you count a request for data to back up an assertion you
made on the problem-statement mailing list.  I don't see an ad hominem
attack, but rather, a quite well reasoned, polite, and very
appropriate e-mail note.  If you consider his note to be a "public,
personal attack", I would suggest that you take a few deep, calming
breaths, and try rereading his message again.

	An ad hominem attack would be one where you might be called a
hand-waving lunatic who makes wild assertions without any examples or
data to back up your claims.  Pointing out that you have failed to
give examples to back up your data, and as such your arguments are
flawed, is attacking your *positions* and your *arguments*, and not
you personally.  It is IMHO quite legitimate.  If you don't like the
implications that might be drawn by someone who is pointing out flaws
in your arguments, I suggest you work on improving your arguments and
debating points on the problem-statement mailing list, instead of
crying that you have been personally attacked.

						- Ted