[clug] Why do we do what we do in Linux? [was Re: Text editor]

[Ben Davies]

On 27 October 2014 23:10, steve jenkin <sjenkin at canb.auug.org.au> wrote:
>
> On 27 Oct 2014, at 10:52 pm, Bryan Kilgallin <bryan at netspeed.com.au> wrote:
>
>> So what readable, humorous on-line cartoon-book can you recommend? :-[
>
> You’re right, there are none, apart from xkcd.
>
> Unix/Linux is a ‘sharp tool’, it doesn’t have training wheels or safety guards.
> The tools were developed by professionals, for professionals to expedite their work.
> You’re expected to know how to use the tools and how to handle them.
<snip>

Going off topic, author Neal Stephenson discusses some of those
problems in his essay:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_The_Beginning_Was_The_Command_Line

He makes an interesting analogy between Linux/Unix and an industrial
power drill - the Hole Hawg. An annotated version of the text is here:
http://garote.bdmonkeys.net/commandline/index.html

Enjoy :-)


Ben