purplecatty
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I downloaded eBook called "UNIX-Haters Handbook" to my BBCurve which is abt 300 pages long.
It is all about Programmer's frustration, freakish commands, complicated system methodology, tip and tricks that fails, type of computer they use back then, ect..
It is pretty technical to read and Programmer's storys from Email and fact of UNIX's problems. Starting from 1969 to 1989. Some are funny, some are funky, Some are 'cruel jokes'.
Then on the last part of book. It turned out that 3 Operating Environment Developers in Switzerland back in 1969 was working on early release Pascal. One guy finished reading 'Bored of the Ring" book (hilarious version of National Lampoon of Lord of the Ring book).
They decide to make a little April Fool joke by creating new OS called UNIX and C by creating truly warped version of Pascal OS to make it complicated and cryptic as possible to maximize frustration to casual user. They created some commands to do funky things. They were planning to sell it to Soviet (USSR) to set them back 20 year on technology. But it turned out US Companies, GE, AT&T, and several co was interested to try out UNIX. Their little 'April Fool' joke had been running for 20 years until one Developer was working on LiSP in Apple Macintosh and he felt so guilty and decide to admit that UNIX and C were actually a hoax.
Many big co (AT&T, GE, Micro$oft, ect) was shocked but one company, Borland International suspect this for couple of years.
But the Developers was impressed that Programmer became smarter, wiser and have commonsense on UNIX.
I didn't realized that one can create pranks that cost companies millions to maintain problemic computers. Surprisly that three developer didn't get sued over it. My guess that co are too embarrassed abt it.
That was rather interesting story!
Anyone knew about it?
Catty
It is all about Programmer's frustration, freakish commands, complicated system methodology, tip and tricks that fails, type of computer they use back then, ect..
It is pretty technical to read and Programmer's storys from Email and fact of UNIX's problems. Starting from 1969 to 1989. Some are funny, some are funky, Some are 'cruel jokes'.
Then on the last part of book. It turned out that 3 Operating Environment Developers in Switzerland back in 1969 was working on early release Pascal. One guy finished reading 'Bored of the Ring" book (hilarious version of National Lampoon of Lord of the Ring book).
They decide to make a little April Fool joke by creating new OS called UNIX and C by creating truly warped version of Pascal OS to make it complicated and cryptic as possible to maximize frustration to casual user. They created some commands to do funky things. They were planning to sell it to Soviet (USSR) to set them back 20 year on technology. But it turned out US Companies, GE, AT&T, and several co was interested to try out UNIX. Their little 'April Fool' joke had been running for 20 years until one Developer was working on LiSP in Apple Macintosh and he felt so guilty and decide to admit that UNIX and C were actually a hoax.
Many big co (AT&T, GE, Micro$oft, ect) was shocked but one company, Borland International suspect this for couple of years.
But the Developers was impressed that Programmer became smarter, wiser and have commonsense on UNIX.
I didn't realized that one can create pranks that cost companies millions to maintain problemic computers. Surprisly that three developer didn't get sued over it. My guess that co are too embarrassed abt it.
That was rather interesting story!
Anyone knew about it?
Catty
Last edited:
Got link? 
for link.. 