Fun_People Archive
20 Sep
All Hail Komrades Thompson and Ritchie.

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From: Peter Langston <psl>
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 100 13:18:23 -0700
To: Fun_People
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Subject: All Hail Komrades Thompson and Ritchie.

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http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=00/09/20/027209&cid=84

> I'd wager that most of the folks who care about OS-X as end-users
> don't care that it is based on a UNIX-like OS: they just want their
> Mac to run. The credit for the stability of OS-X will go to Apple,
> not to BSD, for the most part (even if that is inaccurate)."

This is true, up to a point. But in some ways, a general ignorance of
Unix seems to help drive a certain romantic ideal -- an ideal that keeps
the word "Unix" in very active circulation even outside of geek circles.
To the typical Mac end-user, Unix is mysterious, and ancient, and
strong. It's made of cast iron and the bones of heroic programmers of
old. Unix is like a brawny Soviet on a Constructivist poster, swinging
his hammer for his comrades. We don't know why it's good, but damn if
our hearts aren't stirred by the weighty, solidly angular goodness of
it all.

© 2000 Peter Langston