IP: Meaning of "open"

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

To: farber () cis upenn edu
Subject: Meaning of "open"
Date: Fri, 06 Jun 1997 00:00:54 -0400
From: "Jonathan S. Shapiro" <shap () eros cis upenn edu>




Poor Richard's thoughts on the decline and fall of the term "open,"
remind me of an exchange I witnessed back when I was at HaL Computer
Systems.


Senior HaL Manager:


        So what exactly *is* a microkernel? Could you define it for me?


Vistor, after a lengthy pause, comes out with:


        Microkernel: A term that used to mean something but has since
        been taken over by marketing.


There's a lesson in that, I think.




Jonathan Shapiro






******Remember  19 June in San Fran******


Look at http://www.eff.org/fillmore