From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.3 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_ADSP_CUSTOM_MED, DKIM_INVALID,DKIM_SIGNED,FREEMAIL_FORGED_FROMDOMAIN,FREEMAIL_FROM, HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS,HTML_MESSAGE,MAILING_LIST_MULTI, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [45.79.103.53]) by inbox.vuxu.org (OpenSMTPD) with ESMTP id cffbc561 for ; Thu, 6 Feb 2020 02:44:38 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 9032A9CC0D; Thu, 6 Feb 2020 12:44:37 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 678CF9CC07; Thu, 6 Feb 2020 12:44:14 +1000 (AEST) Authentication-Results: minnie.tuhs.org; dkim=fail reason="signature verification failed" (2048-bit key; unprotected) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="IcbY6Fxo"; dkim-atps=neutral Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 92A4C9CC07; Thu, 6 Feb 2020 12:44:12 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-qv1-f47.google.com (mail-qv1-f47.google.com [209.85.219.47]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id D16779CB86 for ; Thu, 6 Feb 2020 12:44:11 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-qv1-f47.google.com with SMTP id g6so2176146qvy.5 for ; Wed, 05 Feb 2020 18:44:11 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20161025; h=mime-version:references:in-reply-to:from:date:message-id:subject:to :cc; bh=RMsV1fvYn50t9Jc/k94TkQYwoCYm5d6NSeXsX/39oOY=; b=IcbY6FxoSG8gM94puOO/+J9Ti295WccMHsxTILKjPVjTuTiVShPlgu3qVy/RaQQJkg AG1in1PvfFZjQlyeFGW7GEgh8Ky8oMhsklEdfSxIOmZ3rG7uPkX4oXPgnrzUHTwCtO0d U4cLPhwwzryzIT5kU0sHsUpLt3cpDXqsdidyxUn2Io5ZtXOhkK5E0H+Frc7oSYiguKrW 71CzBRNG02nIJDfZ4r66lTkKewjKD/bUcBnVPHUvmVutz20q/jCLz11uFhcCBYo1AAeG E8TKkINlyfeXcxcoV5bpzdX+2+/nK9xM503naIQFFJmOUvpNXY1kftZWk/Oodg++KCCK KB2g== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:references:in-reply-to:from:date :message-id:subject:to:cc; bh=RMsV1fvYn50t9Jc/k94TkQYwoCYm5d6NSeXsX/39oOY=; b=K1BFolH3jYjXAXm7NtaaqEZQEcAZTys8BcoMvzHCWG+OjiG+Ji3IDpQY+zTMYktBDU 4ykWJwykywmhNICJJmHRtik4XqT/Q/5JjXAJHOWfqpDRONUuENkm03u/l7eOXGpqtcof mOn15OaYbk5OPWCe5D99xMa4GrNRdwD9EXSLU1shDWuBKPFVTKVcHbY8foRqnFA3jsdL mMUqPLW+cFW/QnGDHGWpvz+yfGVic9djz8C4d+XUFvi01yD57U0INmJ4Ys6nvrkf4KrG 0cNjqn4jl+RAY5Uw/3Kn/+vtfKMPgVDi67Rp1GnloIb0WngWAtjIN+1/7aK9Q+QiHIoX Ty7Q== X-Gm-Message-State: APjAAAV/+VehykSflwiiE24POZKitU6oXlJqofdJe05D30307NzHIHfq 0vbA5zG6m3jZ4QDM65xMd6J/c52ucZFVImDdUy6uZA== X-Google-Smtp-Source: APXvYqyce4GmJcB9V166zEj8S+WvDTEdVsNlV1pTTkfeAkmtTMdw9cfOM5aX7IoA513r0Vd04hP+4NwpsoRbMi0vQtk= X-Received: by 2002:a0c:fac1:: with SMTP id p1mr593997qvo.231.1580957050880; Wed, 05 Feb 2020 18:44:10 -0800 (PST) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: <9c507ef665851fd21ecdf0e23136dc86@firemail.de> <1ippPk-8PE-00@marmaro.de> <1iqMuL-1zK-00@marmaro.de> <20200204094018.661e76717f7f475e6cb53e75@sjmulder.nl> <20200204201453.ebeaabon26vbgfle@localhost.localdomain> <202002050845.0158jDOu024559@freefriends.org> In-Reply-To: From: Dan Cross Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2020 21:43:33 -0500 Message-ID: To: Ed Carp Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0000000000006c4916059ddf3ffa" Subject: Re: [TUHS] pronouncing *nix formulas (was: screen editors) X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Cc: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" --0000000000006c4916059ddf3ffa Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable On Wed, Feb 5, 2020 at 5:23 PM Ed Carp wrote: > Sex the UNIX way > [...] > # finger > [...] > Perhaps I've sent this story to TUHS before, but I can't resist. "finger: the most inappropriately named command in computerdom" (no, that's not a challenge...). When I was in high school I was stealing, er, I mean, borrowing computer time from the local university. It wasn't quite as criminal as I make it sound; I was decently well known around campus, folks tolerated my presence admirably and as informal payment for the computer time, I did a lot of unpaid sysadmin work. Anyway, this was the early 90s and the university was starting to give email accounts to pretty much everyone. What this meant was that there was a server somewhere running sendmail that accepted incoming mail, and a POP3 server that you could connect to to download that mail. There were self-service computer labs around campus connected to the university network, and the `finger` service on the main campus machine was backed by a database that responded to a crude, limited query syntax. Notably, you could finger your own first and last name (in quotes) and get some data about your account, including your login name (most of which were of the form abc123 because ... university bureaucracy). However, the university wasn't all that great about telling people any of this stuff...word had gotten out that everyone had an email account, but not how to go about getting your login information, etc. They certainly never mentioned the "finger" command. Of course, among the computer types, using 'finger' was par for the course. "Hey, you going to be online later?" "Yeah, just finger me over at the math department." Etc. One day I was hanging around near the helpdesk when a young woman, a graduate student, came in to ask about her account details. The student on duty at the time, in a very helpful, cheerful voice said, "oh, that's easy! Just finger yourself!" (Oh context, you are everything...). Jaws dropped. Stunned silence ensued. The student working the helpdesk, suddenly looking approximately like he might die, managed to awkwardly stammer out something about "the the the finger command" and "I mean, uh, I'm not saying that YOU should, like, you know... I mean, I don't mean THAT...and, uh...I'm just making it worse, aren't I? Here, this will all make so much more sense if I just show you what I mean. On the computer! I mean...just let me type this thing...er, what's your name?" The graduate student left a few minutes later with her login details. So far as I know, no one got fired. In the end I think everyone had a good laugh, grad student included. - Dan C. On 2/5/20, Rob Pike wrote: > > Frodo (Ted Kowalski) told me it was originally spelled, and pronounced, > > fuck, for good reason, but he soon realized it was going to be used by > > others and changed one letter. It was just letters after that. > > > > -rob > > > > > > On Thu, Feb 6, 2020 at 1:34 AM Clem cole wrote: > > > >> FWIW. When it was written, Ted and I used pronounced it as =E2=80=9Cfi= sk=E2=80=9D > (rhymes > >> with =E2=80=9Cdisk=E2=80=9D), but F. S. C. K. was always acceptable to= my ears. I admit > >> I > >> smiled one time when I heard some one call it =E2=80=9Cf-sick=E2=80=9D= but that was not > >> considered the proper pronunciation. > >> > >> Sent from my PDP-7 Running UNIX V0 expect things to be almost but not > >> quite. > >> > >> > On Feb 5, 2020, at 3:45 AM, arnold@skeeve.com wrote: > >> > > >> > "G. Branden Robinson" wrote: > >> > > >> >> At 2020-02-04T09:40:18+0100, Sijmen J. Mulder wrote: > >> >>> markus schnalke wrote: > >> >>>> Wikipedia writes that `ed' would be pronounced ``ee-dee'' (like > >> >>>> ``vee-eye''), is that what you english speakers do? > >> >> > >> >> Certainly not. When one sees a command name that duplicates a > >> >> frequently-used diminituve of a common name, the brain is going to > >> >> select that preferentially. > >> > > >> > ISTR thinking of it and calling it e-d, along with r-m, l-n, m-v and > >> > the other two-letter commands. > >> > > >> >> (And did people really say "dee-eye-tee-roff" for "ditroff"?) > >> > > >> > I did ... Although it's "groff" and not "g-roff". :-) > >> > > >> > FWIW, > >> > > >> > Arnold > >> > > > --0000000000006c4916059ddf3ffa Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
On Wed, Feb 5, 2020 at 5:23 PM Ed Carp &l= t;erc@pobox.com> wrote:
= Sex the UNIX way
[...]
# finger
[...]

Perhaps I've sent= this story to TUHS before, but I can't resist.=C2=A0 "finger: the= most inappropriately named command in computerdom" (no, that's no= t a challenge...).

When I was in high school I was= stealing, er, I mean, borrowing computer time from the local university.= =C2=A0 It wasn't quite as criminal as I make it sound; I was decently w= ell known around campus, folks tolerated my presence admirably and as infor= mal payment for the computer time, I did a lot of unpaid sysadmin work.

Anyway, this was the early 90s and the university was= starting to give email accounts to pretty much everyone. What this meant w= as that there was a server somewhere running sendmail that accepted incomin= g mail, and a POP3 server that you could connect to to download that mail. = There were self-service computer labs around campus connected to the univer= sity network, and the `finger` service on the main campus machine was backe= d by a database that responded to a crude, limited query syntax. Notably, y= ou could finger your own first and last name (in quotes) and get some data = about your account, including your login name (most of which were of the fo= rm abc123 because ... university bureaucracy). However, the university wasn= 't all that great about telling people any of this stuff...word had got= ten out that everyone had an email account, but not how to go about getting= your login information, etc. They certainly never mentioned the "fing= er" command.

Of course, among the computer ty= pes, using 'finger' was par for the course. "Hey, you going to= be online later?" "Yeah, just finger me over at the math departm= ent." Etc.

One day I was hanging around near = the helpdesk when a young woman, a graduate student, came in to ask about h= er account details. The student on duty at the time, in a very helpful, che= erful voice said, "oh, that's easy! Just finger yourself!" (O= h context, you are everything...).

Jaws dropped. S= tunned silence ensued. The student working the helpdesk, suddenly looking a= pproximately like he might die, managed to awkwardly stammer out something = about "the the the finger command" and "I mean, uh, I'm = not saying that YOU should, like, you know... I mean, I don't mean THAT= ...and, uh...I'm just making it worse, aren't I? Here, this will al= l make so much more sense if I just show you what I mean. On the computer! = I mean...just let me type this thing...er, what's your name?"

The graduate student left a few minutes later with her= login details. So far as I know, no one got fired. In the end I think ever= yone had a good laugh, grad student included.

=C2= =A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 - Dan C.

On 2/5/20, Rob Pike <robpike@gmail.com> wrote:
> Frodo (Ted Kowalski) told me it was originally spelled, and pronounced= ,
> fuck, for good reason, but he soon realized it was going to be used by=
> others and changed one letter. It was just letters after that.
>
> -rob
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 6, 2020 at 1:34 AM Clem cole <clemc@ccc.com> wrote:
>
>> FWIW. When it was written, Ted and I used pronounced it as =E2=80= =9Cfisk=E2=80=9D (rhymes
>> with =E2=80=9Cdisk=E2=80=9D), but F. S. C. K. was always acceptabl= e to my ears.=C2=A0 I admit
>> I
>> smiled one time when I heard some one call it =E2=80=9Cf-sick=E2= =80=9D but that was not
>> considered the proper pronunciation.
>>
>> Sent from my PDP-7 Running UNIX V0 expect things to be almost but = not
>> quite.
>>
>> > On Feb 5, 2020, at 3:45 AM, arnold@skeeve.com wrote:
>> >
>> > "G. Branden Robinson" <g.branden.robinson@gmail.com&g= t; wrote:
>> >
>> >> At 2020-02-04T09:40:18+0100, Sijmen J. Mulder wrote:
>> >>> markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> wrote:
>> >>>> Wikipedia writes that `ed' would be pronounce= d ``ee-dee'' (like
>> >>>> ``vee-eye''), is that what you english sp= eakers do?
>> >>
>> >> Certainly not.=C2=A0 When one sees a command name that du= plicates a
>> >> frequently-used diminituve of a common name, the brain is= going to
>> >> select that preferentially.
>> >
>> > ISTR thinking of it and calling it e-d, along with r-m, l-n, = m-v and
>> > the other two-letter commands.
>> >
>> >> (And did people really say "dee-eye-tee-roff" f= or "ditroff"?)
>> >
>> > I did ... Although it's "groff" and not "g= -roff". :-)
>> >
>> > FWIW,
>> >
>> > Arnold
>>
>
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