[aclug-L] Re: Shells

[Larry Bottorff <prenzl@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To me "Internet access" means I have a login on a machine that is a "full
service" Unix machine because for some reason I myself don't have a full
service, fully networked computer on hand. It wasn't until MS and AOL etc. 
that Internet and Unix were separated and "dumbed-down"  services were
offered.  The dumbed down route leads to the "consumerization" of the
Internet just like TV and radio are all one-way media. In my opinion, this
totally violates the spirit of the Internet as a bi-directional "the
network is the computer" phenomenon.  When I took Mizzou's OS course,
somebody asked the professor what he thought of Microsoft's Internet
efforts. He said, "The Internet is Unix;  Unix is the Internet." We all
mumbled "amen", made the sign of the cross, and the semester began. 

Having said all that, I can imagine that full Unix-style computing might
be at odds with today's mass consumer Interneting. Imagine, if the Unixae
had not let MS etc take over the home and business market, this would all
be moot. A Unix machine is by definition a networked machine, which would
have meant anyone with a computer is automatically networked--far, near,
and wide. The only thing new would have been WWW-HTML.

Even though I left Southwind employment rather upset about things (largely
stupido mea culpa in hindsight), I've always steered people to SWind
because of the peerless level of (Unix) professionalism. I think it's a
slippery slope to start not being true, full Unix, even if it's a pain. 
Good Unix people usually run good, solid ISPs that users can trust. I'm
now stuck in M'ridge and use Jonathan's futureks.net just for that reason
(even though it's slow and access is difficult). My wife has to use
mtelco.net (formerly midusa.net).  Ouch! I talked to the new "mtelco.net"
people and then I talked to my wall--same experience.

I know this is pretty extremist, but someday this AOL/MS stuff will end,
and the Unix way will return. Apple just got on board big time. Linux and
BSD are leading the charge. To me an ISP should offer Unix networking--at
whatever level a customer wants, but I'm a bit radical.... 

L



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