Peter T. Daniels wrote:

>
> > I must say that I am thoroughly enjoying your book but sincerely
> > regret that when it stimulates my interest in how the script is
> > keyboarded you find that inapropriate.
>
> Do you think Richard Sproat's main criticism, that the last chapter
> didn't include a discussion of the computer technology available in the
> early 1990s, is valid?

This is an issue I have heard Ken Lunde discuss in the past about hi
influential books CJK Computing and its later version CJKV Computing. He
preferred not to describe the current applications
of the data in the book, knowing it would go out of date rapidly, but
the publisher insisted, especially for the earlier edition.

Still, looking back at the information does give a useful sense of the
state of the art at the time, what was tried, and what worked and didn't
work at the time. It is far form complete, but there is little record of
that important development path anywhere else.

Had some of it been in your book as well, that would have been an
important piece of history preserved, Still, I understand that your
reluctance, in principal, is the same as Lunde's, and that you had more
sway over your publisher then he did. Perhaps because his was a book
directly aimed at software engineers, and yours was not.

On the other hand, he was pre-eminently qualified to write that section,
all principles no-withstanding, is it fair to say that you are not
qualified to write it, even had you felt like it was a good topic to
cover, and that might have played a part in your reluctance?

Best,

Barry