From: geeman@best.com
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 00:31:47 +0800
To: "Peter D. Junger" <cypherpunks@Algebra.COM
Subject: Re: Programlike Texts
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970730090408.006cbaf8@best.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Also coming to mind is the well-known notation for dancers ... 
I believe it's called Laban notation.

At 09:46 AM 7/29/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
>One argument that is made by the government when trying to defend its
>export restrictions---which are really publishing restrictions---on
>cryptographic software is that they are not trying to regulate the
>communication of information but rather the functionality of the
>software.
>
>Now this has never made any sense to me, but that does not mean that
>the argument can just be ignored.
>
>So I have been looking for examples of texts that are analogous to computer
>programs but that are executed by something other than a computer.
>
>So far the best example that I can think of, and I doubt that one can
>find a better one, is the instructions given to a drill team.  
>
>I have looked at the drill manual for the U.S. Naval Academy that is 
>located at <http://www.nadn.navy.mil/MISLO/DRILL/drillman.html> and
>it sounds exactly like a manual for some rather specialized computer
>language dealing with mathematical objects that can be subjected to
>various rotations and other transformations.