Bryan O'Sullivan writes:
I find that people are more responsive when not being flamed, and when they get the sense that their helpful words aren't falling on deaf ears.
Bryan, I appreciate that you are trying to help. I apologize if I have left the impression that I wouldn't. E-mail is an imperfect medium. It is hard for human beings to communicate when they cannot see each other or hear each other's voices. With a little luck, we'll bump into each other on a conference or whatever other occasion, and then I'd love to chat and have a beer with you. You may find that there is a bit of humor in some of the remarks you may now perceive as offensive because we don't know each other.
It is perfectly true that you can take an existing ByteString and smoosh its innards however you like, because the authors sensibly made this possible. However, doing so breaks referential transparency, so it's not encouraged as a general principle.
Yes, that is true.
It's very much in the realm of "here's the gun, there's your foot, be careful".
Personally, I feel guns are really bad news and I would not want to have any around me in real life. That is because a mishap with a gun can kill someone. When it comes to developing software, however, the risks I perceive are slightly less severe, so I feel more adventurous. That is my personal decision, so naturally I respect that others are free to choose differently. Take care, Peter