🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <19951222T005058Z@arcana.naggum.no>, erik@naggum.no says...
>
>[Ron Natalie]
>
>|   Certainly, UNIX predates the IBM PC.  One main reason UNIX uses / is
>|   that it was a lot easier to type for such a frequently used character.
>|   UNIX used -x for options where DOS copied the CPM construct of using
>|   "/x" for options (who intern picked up the idea from some of the early
>|   DEC OS's).
>
>also note that the backslash is a user interface issue.  you used to be
>able to choose the option character with OPTCHAR (I think) in CONFIG.SYS.
>I haven't touched a Microsoft-infested computer in many years, so I don't
>know if this is possible, anymore.  I set OPTCHAR=-, and DOS programs
>printed all paths with / instead of \, and I could use "dir -w".  Microsoft
>was acceptable then.
>
>but you still cannot put / in DOS filenames, and the reason is that DOS
>also interprets / as a directory separator.  most DOS users don't know this
>and think you're lying.  these users also think you have to name files the
>same as DOS says they are called, and complain loudly when you suggest they
>call their files "FOO.HTML" instead of "FOO.HTM", even though DOS doesn't
>know the difference between any two file "extensions" that have the same
>first characters.  (curiously, these users don't feel compelled to write
>DOS filenames in all capitals.)
>
>the worst part about DOS is that it invites users to think that a computer
>is only that which they see, and Windows doubly so.  (Mac users _know_ it
>isn't. :)
>
>#<Erik 3028582219>
>
>#<Erik 3028582239>
>-- 
>suppose we actually were immortal...
>what is the opposite of living your life as if every day were your last?

I found your letter insulting at first, but then I realized I already was aware 
of everything you were saying despite the fact that I run Win/95 and DOS...of 
course unlike most people I grew up playing zork on an 8088. 
-- 
The Crow - thecrow@iconn.net
"It can't rain all the time"
-Kryptology