--- a/src/utils.cc	Thu Feb 03 06:28:19 2000 +0000
+++ b/src/utils.cc	Thu Feb 03 08:32:44 2000 +0000
@@ -592,15 +592,12 @@
     }
   else
     {
-      if (val.compare ("yes", 0, 3) == 0
-	  || val.compare ("true", 0, 4) == 0)
+      if (val == "yes" || val == "true")
 	{
 	  warn_old_style_preference (true, val);
 	  pref = 1;
 	}
-      else if (val.compare ("never", 0, 5) == 0
-	       || val.compare ("no", 0, 2) == 0
-	       || val.compare ("false", 0, 5) == 0)
+      else if (val == "never" || val == "no" || val == "false")
 	{
 	  warn_old_style_preference (false, val);
 	  pref = 0;