From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v752.3) In-Reply-To: References: <093f2bfe7a9087598e2cc59c5c242eaa@terzarima.net> <4741DA7C.6040304@gmail.com> <5d375e920711191238x729e41aeq1a452c4b5b3c0d4c@mail.gmail.com> <336C9C21-9FCE-4BFC-BDCC-5E22F0946440@mac.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Message-Id: <456C40B6-9099-43C7-A83E-C9927F1640EC@mac.com> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: dave.l@mac.com Subject: Re: [9fans] 8c "out of fixed registers" Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:58:17 +0000 To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@cse.psu.edu> Topicbox-Message-UUID: 04c5f348-ead3-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 > may I suppose you use a web browser? You may. > if yes, is this complexity needed or not? No it is not, because the browser is not "needed". Neither is OS X or the MacBook upon which they run. AFAIK the only things we _need_ are: air, food, water, shelter and reproduction (have I missed any?): all the rest is choice. Just because someone choses to use some piece of unnecessarily complex technology does not make it a "need", it makes it a "want". We don't need web browsers, video players etc.: we just like having them. If you then say "I need it to do my job", then I say that the job is your choice (as is mine using linux etc.), and so ad infinitum. If the government mandates use of a web browser, well, we voted for them, right? If you don't fight tooth and nail against them then it's your choice. In other words, I use the shit, reluctantly, I don't increase the size of the pile. While I'm not happy with the situation, as least I'm not exacerbating it. Plan9 with a usable web browser would be a fine idea. Unfortunately, the pain and complexity that goes with making that fine idea into a reality would drive people away from plan9. D.