Pointer: The Unix-Haters Handbook

January 27, 2006

In the spirit of yesterday's entry on a Unix annoyance:

If you're fond of Unix, and especially if you're uncritically fond of Unix, it's good to read the Unix-Haters Handbook (originally published in dead trees format, but now available online); another website on it is Don Hopkins' here, which has bonus bits and pieces.

I don't agree with the Handbook; my position is probably closest to Dennis Ritchie's marvelous anti-forward, which really summarizes things quite nicely. But it's good for Unix enthusiasts to admit that Unix does have clay on its feet.

(Besides, the Unix-Haters Handbook has lots of funny quotes, decent rants, and well done vituperation. How can you go wrong?)

I find the Handbook interesting partly because it's a lingering artifact of the clash of computing cultures in the 1980s, where Unix was ultimately victorious. Another artifact of this clash is Richard Gabriel's often-quoted The Rise of "Worse is Better", which is also well worth your time to read.

Note that "Worse is Better" was just part of Gabriel's Lisp: Good News, Bad News, How to Win Big, which is another of those seminal papers, although less interesting for non-Lisp people. Gabriel has a history of the spread of "Worse is Better" here for the interested, along with a lot of other writings on his web site.


Comments on this page:

From 68.97.223.31 at 2006-01-27 08:01:45:

Yay! My sister got me the UNIX Haters Handbook for Christmas (she's kind of obnoxious) quite some years ago. But I still found it interesting reading, and don't disagree with all of it.

-R

From 84.163.80.152 at 2006-01-27 12:48:13:

Reading that brings back memories of a time and place, not least because a number of friends are quoted in the book. So, for example, when I read his email quote, I see in my mind's eye clennox ranting in the crowded common room at Fandom House.

Thanks for the pointer. It was a nice walk down Memory Lane.

r_ness@lj

Written on 27 January 2006.
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Last modified: Fri Jan 27 01:47:33 2006
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