Pods sent us this interview with Olaf Barthel. Enjoy.
First of all, this was mainly for my pleasure and getting to know a great man. I asked questions that I felt where interesting. Oh, there are also some quite odd questions submitted by AO users at the end of the article. This took a week to do, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Sorry if some of this interview seems a little disjointed. It was done over 1 week, over several emails sent back and forth. I tried to gather relevant pockets of information together, but some bits may have slipped pass me. If you do indeed see any parts of the interview that seem out of place, just pretend you didn’t see it, or didn’t see it in that particular position.
. Also remember I’m an Australian using an American spell checker so, there might be a variance between spelling
. Nice Reading…
POdsHistory with the Amiga. What have you done in terms of application development and AmigaOS development?
OlafSoftware development started out as a hobby for me, and the Amiga turned out to be a very pleasant platform for experimentation. Out of the experiments came lots and lots of small public domain programs which I lost count of years ago. Perhaps the most well-known is the `term' terminal emulation software. But I've also wrote a bunch of commercial applications, such as a computer role playing game ("Legend of Faerghail") and Photo CD image processing software ("PhotoworX", "PhotoworX Pro" and several spin-offs). At the same time there were several consulting jobs I was involved in, such as technical writing for Village Tronic (makers of the "Picasso" graphics cards), driver software development for the same company and ultimately, consulting work for Amiga Technologies GmbH which lead to my involvement with the Amiga operating system. I was involved in the original research for the OS 3.5 update and ended up drawing up the plans and details on which components would need updating and how. A lot of work went into that project, and later the OS 3.9 update. Chances are that if you're using OS 3.5 or 3.9 I was involved in rewriting or updating the software you are using. For example, I rewrote the icon.library from scratch and updated workbench.library to its current level of functionality.
POdsOk, because of your experience with workbench.library and icon.library, are you now coding or doing any consultation on those specific parts of AmigaOS4 or will you have anything to do with them in further releases?
OlafI don't want to touch any of these again. In my opinion we need something much better than the Workbench we have today, and even the icon.library implementation suffers from many unwise choices regarding how data structures were used. I'm rooting for getting a Workbench re-implementation off the ground. We can't stick to this model forever, and even DirOpus (in spite of its many, many merits) ended up borrowing ideas that weren't so great to start with.
POdsHaha, I can understand that. What parts of icon.library do you think could be improved?
OlafCould? Probably nothing. We really ought to have something different in the operating system in place of the icon.library API and its method, as we know them today.
POdsI've just recently rediscovered AmigaOS and one thing a like about it is the icons. If you had the chance to totally redesign these libraries, how and what features would you implement?
OlafPeople are asking for more colours to be supported in icons, for example. The current icon.library architecture, which assumes that the icons will be stored in files, makes it hard to process large icon files (which is just what you get when you move to true colour icons, as are so prominent in, for example, MacOS X). We just about get away with the 2-3K colour icon files we have today. While this is in part a file system issue, it could help to extend the icon.library API to allow for icon collections or icon databases to be created, which would be more efficient in storing the data. Or you could create "icon caches" which store the icon data in a more accessible format than the one the individual files are stored now. This is one of the ideas I think are worth exploring for the icon.library.
POdsWhat is your opinion on the upgrades going into AmigaOS as we speak? Intuition, HDtoolbox, etc...
OlafThe work that's being done is necessary to get the operating system code into shape again. It has been gathering dust for so long that even the most modest changes are welcome. We tried to push ahead with the OS 3.5 and 3.9 updates, but up until now only small changes had been made to the ROM resident code.
POdsHave Hyperion got their priorities right in terms of doing things in the right order? (what we need most is being done first?)
Olaf What needs to be done most is troubleshooting and consolidation. It was with 3.5 and 3.9, and the priorities haven't changed much for 4.0. Still, technical merits don't always sell a product, which is why the 4.0 update also covers features which appeal to those who are not interested in what a couple of software engineers consider important on a technical level
Come to think of it, the 3.5 and 3.9 updates had to take care of the same issue.
POdsWhat parts of Workbench do you find wrong about it?
OlafThe file management system is obsolete. It's a bad copy of the Macintosh Finder (in its 1984 form). Copying files, the presentation of the file system, all these are very primitive. We've grown used to this simplicity, and many people may even cherish it. But it's essentially primitive rather than simple by design.
POdsOne thing I liked about workbench is that it only presents those items that have an icon. It makes it very easy for the newbie, but then you can use multiview or shell prompt if you want more power. Is this the presentation you’re talking about? Or the actually filesystem lay out? Why do you think this is a bad way of doing things?
OlafWorkbench doesn't display as much information about the data on disk as it could. For example, we've had user and group IDs associated with files and directories for more than ten years. Yet, Workbench does not display this information. This is partly because there is hardly any software available, which would take advantage of this feature. But you should also ask yourself whether this isn't partly motivated by the fact that neither Workbench nor the default shell commands show the user/group IDs. Also, Workbench is much more complicated to operate than it should be. Practically everything you can do with Workbench is done through the pull-down menus. As for the rest, you can click the window close gadget, scroll around, and that's it. What I'd like to see implemented, for example, are controls that are on the same screen as the information they affect. Why can't you click on a button in the same window as the icons whose order is going to change in response to you clicking on the button? This sounds trivial, and it is on other operating systems, yet it's far from trivial with the current Workbench model. Compare this to how DirOpus handles this.
POdsDo you suggest greater functionality or redesign of the current workbench, or both? - Sounds like a huge job!
OlafRedesign with greater functionality, of course
POdsYour a consultant, have you voiced concerns to Hyperion or Amiga Inc about the icons and there for, workbench? Has the rest of the team have similar feelings about these or other parts of the system?
OlafIf we weren't all thinking about how the Amiga operating could be improved, we wouldn't be involved in this project, would we?
There is, however, a subtle difference between updating an existing implementation, which basically works, but not that well that it couldn't use a little tweaking, and re-implementing something on the grounds that no amount of work spent on mere tweaking could help to improve the current implementation. It's not always easier, but it certainly is less risky to 'hone' something that already exists than to 'forge ahead' and (re)build something from scratch. This is why all the AmigaOS update projects so far have focused on consolidation and gradual improvements. There was always considerable less effort spent on re-implementation because it takes so much more time to design, plan, integrate and test something new. It's something of a luxury, but it's necessary. And with all luxuries, you can always afford only so much at a time. With the icon and workbench ideas I mentioned, just like with the other user interface improvements that are really necessary, I believe that their time hasn't come yet.
POdsIs it necessary for the Filesystem to support User and Group ID's since it (correct me if I’m wrong) AmigaOS is a single user OS!
OlafI mentioned the user and group ID feature just to illustrate the point that there is information available which is not displayed and which, because it is not displayed, keeps people from realizing that there is a feature which begs attention and should be put to good use. Yes, the Amiga operating system is a single user environment. But: you can use distributed network applications and exchange files over the same network, it's just that many people don't realize that this is possible in the first place. Ever heard of "Envoy"?
POdsNo I haven’t... Tell me about it?
OlafIt's the equivalent to Apple's Macintosh file and printer sharing services and the file and printer sharing services Microsoft built on top of the SMB protocol. Commodore developed a complete suite of tools, file systems and drivers to permit Amigas to be connected to a network, sharing resources. The scope of the project goes far beyond simple file and printer sharing, it even covered inter-process and inter-machine communications. Very easy to configure, quite fast and reliable (at least in version 2.0 and beyond), too. Commodore did not manage to make 'Envoy' into a mature product as the group, which developed it in-house, was disbanded in 1992. Still, the source code survived and was updated in the years to follow. You can buy Envoy 3.0 from Schatztruhe/GTI today. Not many people know that this application exists, but then not that many people have multiple Amigas in their network.
POdsSo the application is maintained by someone out side of Amiga Inc. Would you consider this a great tool to be included within AmigaOS by default?
OlafSure. The GUI is good, it's easy to configure and use, and it's probably hard to find any functionally equivalent software package that is so well integrated into the Amiga operating system environment.
POds“it even covered inter-process and inter-machine communications.”
What does this mean for the user? What power does this give us/allow us to do?
OlafAt Commodore the developers built a distributed graphics rendering application around the IPC functionality. I'm not sure what today's users would want to see implemented on top of that framework. Maybe an MP3 server and local clients?
POds*drool* - Do these guys have a website or is there any more information on this software?
OlafTry this link:
. It points straight to the page that covers the Envoy product. You can even order it by mail from the same page.
POds
Well, since your impressed with this software (obviously), have you let Hyperion know about it? Does this separate company know about AmigaOS4?
Olaf
GTI/Schatztruhe distribute software. They used to be the European distributors for DirOpus and Personal Paint, to name a few products. The author and maintainer of Envoy would be the person to talk to.
POds
Amiga Inc has been known to approach companies in the past (with rather large profiles) and ask for a port of their software... E.g. Macromedia. – Do you know if these guys have been approached or at least informed about AmigaOS4 by either Amiga Inc or Hyperion?
Olaf
Sorry, I have no idea. I'm just a software developer, not a manager
POds
About those user and group ID’s, are there any plans, or is anyone even talking about, making AmigaOS a multi-user OS? Would something like this require a redesign of all/most/some/none of the system?
Olaf
I doubt that you can turn a single user operating system into a multi-user operating system in the first place without having to sacrifice many hard-won advantages. The reliability and security that are so peculiar to multi-user operating systems are properties, which you cannot retrofit into an existing design. You may be able to improve upon the reliability, but security must be built into the design from the ground up.
POds
So it’s doubtful that anything like this could happen... bummer, I quite like the multi-user abilities of Unix!
Olaf
If you want Unix, use Unix. It was designed for these purposes. AmigaOS is not a multi-user or server operating system. While the general direction of operating system development should eventually lead AmigaOS along the path of consolidation and gradual improvements in reliability, there are just some things it will never be able to do without losing its character.
POds
It’s well known that you’re involved with the development of AmigaOS4 with Hyperion. What is your duty in the eyes of Hyperion? What parts of the OS have you touched (either coded or had part in designing) since being hired by Hyperion?
Olaf
Like many others, I'm a consultant working on the OS4 project. While I was still doing consulting work for Amiga Technologies GmbH in 1995/1996 I had started to rework the AmigaOS source code to build on a single Amiga (the original code required more than one computer, one of which had to be a Sun/3 workstation). This came in handy for OS4, which builds upon this work. The Amiga ROM file system re-implementation I'd started working on more than a year ago is one of my other contributions, as is the new TCP/IP stack that will ship with OS4. I am trying to offer my advice and criticism for the OS4 project in general without getting on anybody's nerves What we tried to do with the 3.5 and 3.9 updates didn't always work out well, and some of the ideas are now finding a place in the scope of the OS4 update (or in the update beyond that).
POds
You say the original AmigaOS source code was written and compiled on several different machines? One of those being a Sun/3 workstation. Your job was to take the source code and get it compiling on only the on system.
Olaf
Not actually my job. Andy Finkel had prepared an operating system build for Amiga Technologies, which I tried to get to work on my computer system at home. At that time the R&D effort undertaken by the company was picking up speed (only to be wound down not much later when the parent company, ESCOM, filed for bankruptcy) and I thought that it would be helpful to have a complete working build available for future development work. There was no R&D lead in the company handing out tasks, I picked this job myself.
POds
How hard was this too do, and how long did it take.
Olaf
It took a while to become familiar with the build environment and the tools. My goal was to reduce the number of different compilers and assemblers required to build the operating system. Ideally, you'd just have to say "make" and a couple of hours later you'd have the Kickstart ROM files and the Workbench distribution sitting on your hard disk. In total, it must have taken 1-2 years to bring the build to this level of functionality. I worked on this on and off whenever there was time.
POds
Looks like we have a lot to thank you for. Does it look like, from what you've heard or know that AmigaOS by version 5 could be going in a similar direction?
Olaf
One single unified build? Everybody seems to do it just like this. It has its merits: you can test for integration problem during the build process, such as missing header files or interfaces.
POds
Looking back, this would make it easier to code the AmigaOS. How has this helped the development of the AmigaOS in practice? Development times speed up? Less confusing?
Olaf
It has helped development. The code built and worked out of the box and you could go back to the working state whenever you needed to. And you didn't need any special 'C' compiler or assembler to build it.
POds
So your main role is consultant, however code your written previously is finding its way into AmigaOS4. Are you involved in implementing the code such as the Amiga ROM file system or the TCP/IP Stack, or have other people taken over that work?
Olaf
I wrote the file system re-implementation from scratch, with other people helping to debug it and to review it. Same goes for the TCP/IP stack, which I ported from the original BSD sources around Christmas 2000. Both have evolved and grown since then I'm still involved in development work and writing code. It's hard to choose your tasks. For once, there is still so much to be done with the Amiga operating system. But there is so little time and resources left to do it. OS4 does more or less what 3.5 and 3.9 did: improve upon what's necessary *and* what can be improved given the scope of the project.
POds
Because of the use of BSD sources with the TCP/IP stack, does this make it difficult to introduce code into the TCP/IP stack and keep it priority?
Olaf
No, this is exactly what the BSD license permits.
POds
Does its license directly resemble the BSD license or has it been written under a different one?
Olaf
This is the original BSD license, dating back to the year 1994
POds
On a similar topic, I took a look around amigadev.net and found an article on "Extending the SANA-II network driver specification". I really have no idea what it is or if it has anything to do with the Amiga. Could you give a brief info on who uses it, what it’s used for and who controls this specification?
Olaf
SANA-II is the Standard Amiga Networking Architecture, version 2, which all Amiga networking drivers for Ethernet cards or dial-up (PPP, SLIP) conform to. If you're using a TCP/IP stack, chances are that it sits on top of SANA-II drivers (with Miami and Miami Deluxe being the exceptions because of their built-in driver code and the alternative 'MNI' driver architecture). There is no official maintainer of the standard, just like there is no official maintainer of the IFF standard at the moment. Since I was working on dial-up networking drivers to complement the TCP/IP stack, I thought it would make sense to update the driver specification, which was really geared towards local area networks.
POds
So this is like the SMB of windows or the AppleTalk (I think its that, correct me if I’m wrong) of Apple Macs? Does it allow similar features such as Printer Sharing?
Olaf
You are thinking about protocols, but SANA-II is the interface between the networking hardware and the software that talks to the hardware.
POds
What suggested improvements did you make to the standard, and what will it allow our Amigas to do (once implemented) that they couldn’t do before, or at least do easily!?
Olaf
It's easier to configure and use dial-up networking drivers. This was left out of the original specification because at that time the primary application for networking drivers was in LANs. What previously had to be done in a very roundabout way (e.g. telling the TCP/IP stack the IP address that was automatically assigned to the PPP client) can now be done in a well-defined fashion. I've also added new methods for querying the amount of data that passes through a networking interface which are more accurate and allow for more data to be counted. In a busy network the packet/data counters each SANA-II driver needs to implement can easily overflow several times a day. With the new methods I proposed the overflow is unlikely to be triggered that easily.
POds
So AmigaOS will be shipped with the SANA II driver? PPC implementation or 68k?
Olaf
The drivers complement the TCP/IP stack. And the code should be in native PowerPC format.
POds
In terms of the DE being integrated into AmigaOS! - Do you have your own opinions on how this will be done? Or in fact, the best way it could be done?
Olaf
I haven't followed the development of the DE for a while. If and when the integration starts, it will have to be done by writing the platform and CPU isolation layers Elate is built upon. These have been demonstrated to work on the PowerPC.
POds
What’s your opinion on the hardware available... great, grand wonderful, fine...? AmigaOne, Shark, Cyberstorm, BlizzardPPC... What about in comparison to the Pegasus?
Olaf
Sorry, I'm not a hardware guy. While I'm perfectly able to solder an interrupt line to a fast slot pin on the A3000 main board, I lack the enthusiasm for hardware many people share. I don't very much care about the options available today and I'm not even following the news. All I ask for is that if I'm going to work with the gear, then it should be reliable enough to allow for that work to be done. And that's it.
POds
Opinions on Multiprocessor support in OS5 (hypothetical)
Olaf
From what I know, this is really hard to do. Sure, it's possible, but the actual gains don't necessarily justify the effort.
POds
According to Amiga Inc’s plans, there will be multiprocessor support for AmigaOS5. Hyperion have pulled many aspects of Amiga Inc's OS4.2 feature list and put them into OS4.0. Do you see Multiprocessor support or anything else down the track that will be put into earlier versions?
Olaf
I'm skeptical of multiprocessor support in general. In my opinion the results should be worth the effort invested, and I don't quite yet see how this is supposed to add up and bring in the benefits you would expect from adding another processor to the system. If and when this feature is going to be covered, we'll have more data to judge this feature. Until then we can only speculate how well this is going to work.
POds
Have you had the pleasure of using MorphOS? Opinions?
Olaf
I haven't installed any PowerPC operating system on the PowerPC-equipped Amiga that's sitting on my desk yet. The installation procedures are still too complicated for my liking, and I didn't feel like exploring them yet. I'm basically a lazy fellow, that's why
POds
Have you had the pleasure of using AROS? Opinions?
Olaf
No, I haven't touched it yet. Looked at the source code and liked what I saw, yes, but never quite found the motivation to experiment with it.
POds
As I mentioned before, I saw your posting about SANNA II network drivers on amigadev.net. What is Amigadev.net's primary use?
Olaf
You better ask Gary about that, I never read the small print I assume that it's just the right place to publish Amiga developer information which has quasi-official character.
POds
Does Amigadev.net co-ordinate or take part in any Open Source development for AmigaOS, such as OpenGL? - What type of Open Source works goes on over there if any? Where does this work all go, AmigaDE/AmigaOS?
Olaf
Sorry, I have no idea. I'm tinkering with the stuff I know best and the open source development projects don't really figure into it -- with a few notable exceptions such as the CVS, Samba and SMBFS ports I did.
POds
How easily ported where these applications. I am aware that AmigaOS has some type of Unix compatibility layer, does this help a lot?
Olaf
There is no Unix compatibility layer other than the one you make up yourself or adopt. The programs I have ported all had their own compatibility code included. I just don't trust the alternative, namely the ixemul.library POSIX computability run-time environment.
POds
Your probably too busy to have time for any hobbies (such as coding atm) but what apps are you currently working on or thinking about starting?
Olaf
Talk about busy You'll know that you are too busy if you can't afford a hobby. I'm reading books a hobby, and I'm a certified movie enthusiast.
Right now there's nothing concrete in the pipeline. I've got plans to rework the SMB file system and someday get a stripped-down SMB server running on the Amiga. Then there's the file system issue (designing and implementing the next Amiga file system).
POds
Is the next Amiga File system an OS4 project, or one you happily do in your spare time?
Olaf
This ought to become an OS4 project. But I'm happy to tinker with it until I've got something to show.
POds
How would this differ from FFS2 (which is feature as part of OS4)?
Olaf
A new Amiga file system would have to be more reliable, faster, be able to support larger media and be able to handle the large files today's multimedia applications are expected to deal with. In a nutshell, we'd need a very different file system architecture.
POds
Or are you in fact talking about FFS2?
Olaf
No, the FFS re-implementation is pretty much feature-complete. The overall design has many shortcomings, but you can't really address them without sacrificing backwards compatibility or restarting the testing cycle.
POds
Would you ever suggest Hyperion should implement it, when the time is right? What’s the likely hood of this becoming a part of AmigaOS eventually?
Olaf
Designing and implementing a file system is no small task, and it's no fun if you're going to market and sell it yourself. It ought to become part of the operating system.
POds
So, what parts of the filesystem have you got done? Or if you haven’t got anything done yet, I.e., not started yet... What have you though about implementing..?
Olaf
I'm still in the "let's see what could be useful" stage, trying to put together a list of features and things to avoid. For example, the new file system should use journaling, allow for file names to be longer than 107 characters, permit file names chosen from character sets other than ISO 8859 latin 1 and seek performance should be better. On top of that, it wouldn't hurt if had a plugin system for extending file system functionality (such as for caching and encryption).
POds
When coding at home for fun, or in one of your Open Source projects, do you follow a software development cycle? You might not do so for the open source projects because they are mainly ports, but for say a new piece of software that will required to be designed from the ground up, do you follow any such procedure when not coding for work? e.g. The Next Amiga File System?
Olaf
I learned the hard way that you can't write software without any planning at all and have fun at the same time. For the FFS re-implementation I actually worked out all the algorithms and design on paper before I started to write it. I don't suggest everybody should write software that way, but it helps if you get your head around the problems that are likely to crop up *before* they begin to crawl out of the woodwork and surprise you. That's not your typical 'academic' software development cycle kind of thing, I grant you. For my own part, I found that a pragmatic approach of 1) knowing what to do, 2) documenting your intentions, 3) plastering the code with routines that check input/output/expected behavior and 4) inviting people to test the results and contribute ideas works pretty well.
POds
Would you sell this to Amiga Inc/Hyperion (whoever is developing the OS at that point) or would your release it under some type of open-source license?
Olaf
Open source work is tempting, but we don't do so well in this respect on the Amiga any more. There aren't too many people left who take an interest in this kind of project, let alone in Amiga software development in general.
POds
What open source apps do you think the Amiga could really benefit from?
Olaf
In a nutshell, just about everything that does not limit itself to the Unix environment. For example, there is printing (CUPS), languages (GCC) and software configuration (CVS) and development tools. Some applications will never really fit well enough into the Amiga operating system environment. But for the others, it's always worth the effort to try and see in which context they might fit. Unfortunately, you never get taken seriously if you attempt to bring open source software to the Amiga. Linux draws much more water and we Amigians are more or less a fringe group.
POds
Well, your probably well aware of the Open Office port for AmigaOS. This would have to be one of those worth while projects you talk about! Have you meet the people working on this? They seem to be working closely with Hyperion? Opinions?
Olaf
I generally only get involved in software development projects whose results I'll be using myself. That provides for some motivation, but what really counts is that you're bound to find more hidden bugs and come up with more ideas to enhance the software if you're using and developing it. I'm quite happy using 'low tech' software such as TeX and CygnusEd for writing manuscripts and letters. There is an advantage in using highly integrated productivity packages such as Open Office, but not necessarily for me. I don't really need a word processor, a database or a spreadsheet program. And because I don't really need them, I'd make a bad candidate for judging the quality of the resulting product.
POds
There was an interview with von Steffen Häuser at Amiga Magazin very recently. Within this, he mentioned a multimedia API or a new Multimedia system. What was wrong with the old system and what does this new system/API aim to do? - easier interface, more multimedia support etc..?
Olaf
You do realize that almost ten years have passed since Commodore cast the existing APIs? The design and implementation always left something to be desired, but over time it became apparent that you just couldn't keep up with what the rest of the world did with media. For example, take streaming media handling such as RealAudio and RealVideo. We don't have anything in the Amiga operating system, which could even serve as the foundations to build playback for these services upon.
POds
Do you have any idea if the new system would provide a basis for streaming and other goodies?
Olaf
If you're going to offer multimedia functionality today, streaming ought be covered.
POds
Also on Multimedia support, DivX support was announced in this interview (however I was reading it via a ugly translation and missed a lot I bet). Is this DivX or OpenDivX support? How will this be supported? System wide, or
within individual players?
What other codecs or file types looks like getting better support in AmigaOS4? mp3? mp3pro? (I haven't actually used this at all yet, but it’s apparently good). Oggvibos (or how ever you spell it) support?
Olaf
Sorry, that's not in my field of interest or influence.
POds
I really must finish this interview, its getting very large and peoples eyes shall be burning by the end of it To finish up, I will include some very simple questions, totally unrelated from what you are more or less famous for (the AmigaOS), that I have gathered from various personalities, from Amiga.org. - Don't feel as if you have to answer these, as some may be offensive .
redrumloa
1)What is his favorite beer
Olaf
Sorry to disappoint, but contrary to popular belief, Germans are not genetically
predisposed to enjoy beer. I'm a tea drinker, and my favorite poison is Darjeeling.
redrumloa
2)Does he like large or small breasted women.
Olaf
Dunno, never looked.
DaveP
OK, wireless is a wonderful thing. Questions from the drunken pub crowd:
1) Why did the dead baby cross the road?
Olaf
Dunno, never looked.
DaveP
2) When will I will I be famous?
Olaf
Bros, 1989, if I'm not mistaken. Not my kind of music, though. Makes
you wonder who was in charge of handing out the Brit Awards back then.
DaveP
3) Did you vote on the Eurovision Song Contest?
Olaf
No, I don't have the extra Y-chromosome you need in Germany in order
qualify for voting.
DaveP
Identify the country the following phrases come from:
- over by there
- tidy
- I'm just tampin'
(a) Germany
(b) Belgium
(c) Canada
(d) Wales
Olaf
Australia.
DaveP
What do you think of France losing the opening game of the World Cup?
Olaf
Not only do I fail to qualify as a member of the German beer drinking
community, I don't care about soccer either. Whoever manages to win or lose
a game in the World Cup, it's not for me to worry about the consequences
DaveP
Are you a t!ts or an @rse man?
Olaf
Dunno, never looked.
DaveP
Is the Euro better than the Pound?
Olaf
I believe that the British coinage is superior to what they came up for for the Euro. To me all the Euro/Cent coins look the vaguely same in terms of shape/size/colour. It certainly works better for the Pound/Pence coins.
DaveP
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Olaf
In the town of Bath (County Avon).
DaveP
What has the smellier subway system, London or New York?
Olaf
I've never been to New York. But from my modest experiences with subways around the globe, smelliness is part of the specifications when it comes to build a subway. Considering its age, the London subway probably had a head start in perfecting this feature, compared to its New York cousin.
DaveP
If some watery bint lobbed a scimitar at you would you claim the throne of the Britons?
Olaf
Well... the job lost much of the appeal it used to have. First, nowadays your castles show a disturbing tendency to catch fire, which I would find very annoying. Second, you're not allowed to marry a catholic girl which kind of limits your options to a greater degree than I would find comforting (I mean, how can you be royal
*and* keep 'The Sun' in business without getting a grip on your love life?). Third, I'd be seriously worried about my job with the UK slowly slipping towards becoming a republic.
DaveP
What singer songwriter came up with "Operator 42" and "Hey Santa-Claus"?
Olaf
Noel Coward or possibly Harvey Fuqua.
POds
I thank Olaf for taking the time to talk to me and letting me get to know him. He is truly an excellent member of the community, one that surely has already made a substantial impact on our small niche OS and will go down in our history for his contributions.
So on behalf of everyone who reads this interview I thank the Olaf .
