[brudgers]

I apologize for writing in a manner that would mislead someone into believing that I claimed that self modifying code was a need for anyone, let alone systems programmers. It's all Turning complete, even if that completeness comes complete with a tarpit.

To a first approximation, I'd expect that 1980's Unix programmers would generally be working in environments more accepting of restarting a batch process when there was an error in the code, i.e. significantly less likely to hold a clerical or secretarial "TCP report" job in a regular commercial office. Though that split has become less likely, it's still pretty uncommon for a computer user with little control of their work environment and deadlines to be using *nix rather than Windows.