Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming Sold to MathWorks

Cleve Moler, Chief Scientist and Founder of The Mathworks, announced today at a news conference that The Mathworks has purchased the Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming web page, formerly owned by David Fanning and Wily E. Coyote. “Hell, with the articles about the IDL Workbench posted on the site recently, people were flocking to Matlab in droves anyway. We just decided a small capital investment would speed things along,” said Moler. “We plan to keep the content pretty much the same as it's always been, but just give the two founders a little more leeway to say what they are really thinking.”

Fanning, who started Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming over 10 years ago, didn't realize the business was being sold until late Monday evening. “Coyote came to me and told me he was arranging for a sweetheart deal, but the dog got underfoot just as he was telling me and I didn't hear the word 'deal',” he said. “I thought it was the same-old, same-old and the next thing I knew I was being asked to get the pornography off the computer. I didn't even know it was on there,” he complained.

IDL is similar to Matlab in many respects, although a great deal more frustrating to use. “Without Coyote's Guide,” said Moler, “I don't think anyone could have learned how to use the product.” Jack Little, President of The MathWorks, says the company is going to try to leverage the helpless feeling most IDL customers have on seeing an empty command line to build support for a Matlab interface. “Even Fanning wasn't genius enough to explain iTools,” Little enthused. “We think people are going to like the Matlab way of doing things, and Fanning will have more time to play tennis, which we hear is what he wants to do anyway. ”

Moler claims no wholesale changes are planned for the site, even though Wily Coyote has been appointed to the vacant Art Director position. “We're just looking for a slightly more youthful vibe,” said Moler, “and Coyote claims he can spruce up the site with more exciting graphics. “Think Python, rather than FORTRAN,” Coyote said with a wink.”

Coyote and Fanning in happier days.