[aclug-L] Re: There are still some monkeys in the CEO chair

["Jonathan Hall" <flimzy@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> A clone does contain the original.
> If science makes a clone of me, then
> it better damn well look like me.

I guess if you want to use a biological definition for a non-biological
entity, then that's your right to do so. However, in doing so, you will be
alienating yourself from the rest of the world by using terms as nobody else
does.

I find 4 definitions of "clone" on dictionary.com:

  1.. A cell, group of cells, or organism that are descended from and
genetically identical to a single common ancestor, such as a bacterial
colony whose members arose from a single original cell.
  2.. An organism descended asexually from a single ancestor, such as a
plant produced by layering or a polyp produced by budding.
  3.. A DNA sequence, such as a gene, that is transferred from one organism
to another and replicated by genetic engineering techniques.
  4.. One that copies or closely resembles another, as in appearance or
function: "filled with business-school clones in gray and blue suits"
(Michael M. Thomas).

The first four are obviously irrelevant, since they deal with bioligcal
enteties.  The fourth and relevant definition says nothing of containing the
original.

If I make two identical cakes, it can be said that they are clones of each
other.  However, nobody would be silly enough to try to convince me that one
cake contains the other.

Perhaps a better analogy are many of the available "clone" software
packages.  FVWM95, for instance, is a clone of the Windows interface.  Does
it contain Microsoft Code?  No, of course not.

Linux is a clone of Unix, for the very fact that it does not contain Unix
code.  This is a popularly known fact.  You can argue against it as much as
you like, but you will be at worst wrong, and at best just disagreeing with
every other living breathing computer geek on the planet.

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