From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.9 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_SIGNED,DKIM_VALID, DKIM_VALID_AU,HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS,HTML_MESSAGE, MAILING_LIST_MULTI,T_SCC_BODY_TEXT_LINE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [50.116.15.146]) by inbox.vuxu.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7E110215C8 for ; Mon, 17 Jun 2024 16:16:44 +0200 (CEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [IPv6:::1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2D8B54314A; Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:16:40 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-oi1-x233.google.com (mail-oi1-x233.google.com [IPv6:2607:f8b0:4864:20::233]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id E1FE343148 for ; Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:16:32 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-oi1-x233.google.com with SMTP id 5614622812f47-3c9b74043b1so2307758b6e.1 for ; Mon, 17 Jun 2024 07:16:32 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=dartmouth.edu; s=google1; t=1718633792; x=1719238592; darn=tuhs.org; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=2UpTv0pBcdQX1muPRTGHX9DFkQQ0NxkeXmONOlWiOb0=; b=S7ih6EWhznzYiJhqY/FpOe5WYwurPzit2hstNtzlf85EQm6w6oh6m8LqXjzz3Z+toB 6JcIway2jZ7qWxLNf0Fo9FjMS5jiBl/sjMvpkJLuGiuifXMZ/OzKpX4jXNJOqG2zuYxU CCruPnQlOucAJETHG83RFAP0A7txLBwIc20EFmPUuNM06B1hVLs+SyKVGh41ij/ThqBD 4UHWP81f8afNIxBEKZsid3H5TenKCc9vsBf7WWPX+lQNUg9E5WsG8nXFrFXeQd6U4yIX GSrl8ASwaNgCgKiuPn/1K1odOULWOLJi03A4GI4aC+xxsBjFLm5zsKgpx4iQVIYqaxU/ 5RSg== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1718633792; x=1719238592; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=2UpTv0pBcdQX1muPRTGHX9DFkQQ0NxkeXmONOlWiOb0=; b=DBd6dURYSXo3A8vM4U5oR+a35REunMLWdNQYqsJ1KXR4bSixhUi9GiVkHOHe6xf751 vO9URY9QQPyGbfjvz7+vtmxc235+/9I4R8RZ6ZhxSw/Ge1OFY+5FNA/5v8qW368SoEjU ExxApvA9M0CJjEDtgCQAbVRy4ik/gQXRtlaqnc0tvjDLm4OtHemsJpO0+WyFQS27BhV8 ud8qFeI15lS7GK9OZ0hoSp/3gMSpcYJ0TJ1hC7DH91mo2f5KLTktgyZ7rv88o09QyJxF WlwTjXFfm/2+fUnvBFzyzWPGwACctwlX0qUBoB1aNAzbutigYNbsETIFDc2NFsLm5Fhm ZUgg== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0YwNNg0gETkRj0yo3dqQZqschYwto+tlaYPWnw3tlO7e5XALJYN/ ngZC6aAvG3s4Ut+3thm8FRm+6ZF9i9E+Hjq4GV3XyA7rfSOqc6yNiHAb0Og/aWPSuBUAHRnRMY3 iWq31Zfc+nrhSKysHH/0Hz3bBZvHi1p4LceFJ9VYX/bAXNlrUMN8= X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IGdTQ2VeOq2PizM/YEog3SvbiAU0V4/2Jsf+r1qDDM0r1eOr7/Bz88MpKLuvBugm+zgpllrr0dPc1KacxvDwIQ= X-Received: by 2002:a05:6808:130c:b0:3d1:fda9:3b05 with SMTP id 5614622812f47-3d24e8ddc19mr11430452b6e.12.1718633791827; Mon, 17 Jun 2024 07:16:31 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Douglas McIlroy Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:16:15 -0400 Message-ID: To: TUHS main list Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000a94584061b169cdd" Message-ID-Hash: GM2T2URYWHRWLGZHKX2DSLG2U3QR7NFI X-Message-ID-Hash: GM2T2URYWHRWLGZHKX2DSLG2U3QR7NFI X-MailFrom: douglas.mcilroy@dartmouth.edu X-Mailman-Rule-Misses: dmarc-mitigation; no-senders; approved; emergency; loop; banned-address; member-moderation; nonmember-moderation; administrivia; implicit-dest; max-recipients; max-size; news-moderation; no-subject; digests; suspicious-header X-Mailman-Version: 3.3.6b1 Precedence: list Subject: [TUHS] Diff: The seminal water we swim in List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list Archived-At: List-Archive: List-Help: List-Owner: List-Post: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: --000000000000a94584061b169cdd Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > this month marks the fiftieth anniversary of the release of what > would become a seminal, and is arguably the single most important, > piece of social software ever created. I'm flattered, but must point out that diff was just one of a sequence of more capable and robust versions of proof(1), which Mike Lesk contributed to Unix v3. It, in turn, copied a program written by Steve Johnson before Unix and general consciousness of software tools. Credit must also go to several people who studied and created algorithms for the "longest common subsequence" problem: Harold Stone (who invented the diff algorithm at a blackboard during a one-day visit to Bell Labs), Dan Hirschberg, Tom Szymanksi, Al Aho, and Jeff Ullman. For a legal case in which I served as an expert witness, I found several examples of diff-type programs developed in the late 1960s specifically for preparing critical editions of ancient documents. However, Steve Johnson's unpublished program from the same era appears to be the first that was inspired as a general tool, and thus as "social software". Doug --000000000000a94584061b169cdd Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> this month marks th= e fiftieth anniversary of the release of what
> wo= uld become a seminal, and is arguably the single most important,
> piece of social software ever created.

I'm flattered, but must point out that diff was= just one of
a sequence of more capable and robust versions of=C2= =A0
proof(1), which Mike Lesk contributed to Unix v3. It, in=C2= =A0
turn, copied a program written by Steve Johnson before=C2=A0<= /div>
Unix and general consciousness of software tools. Credit
must also go to several people who studied and created
algorith= ms for the "longest common subsequence"
problem: Harold= Stone (who invented the diff algorithm
at a blackboard during a = one-day visit to Bell Labs), Dan
Hirschberg, Tom Szymanksi, Al Ah= o, and Jeff Ullman.

For a legal case in which I se= rved as an expert witness,
I found several examples of diff-type = programs
developed in the late 1960s specifically for prepar= ing
critical editions of ancient documents. However, Steve=C2=A0<= /div>
Johnson's unpublished program from the same era
app= ears to be the first that was inspired as a general
tool, and thu= s as "social software".

Doug
=
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