*BSD News Article 85461


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From: tedm@agora.rdrop.com
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.system,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Linux UFS support and FreeBSD
Date: 21 Dec 1996 09:48:53 GMT
Organization: Symantec Corp.
Lines: 41
Message-ID: <59gbq5$9bs@Symiserver2.symantec.com>
References: <59ac1t$hq1@news6.noc.netcom.net> <59f7q6$f7a@nesti.newengland.net>
Reply-To: tedm@agora.rdrop.com
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Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.development.system:37554 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:32969

In <59f7q6$f7a@nesti.newengland.net>, pgf@american.com (Paul Fox) writes:
>Roger Espel Llima (espel@bireme.ens.fr) wrote:
>: Dec 19 04:52:41 nostromo kernel: ufs_read_super: fs_nindir 2048 != 3
>: Dec 19 04:52:41 nostromo kernel: ufs_read_super: fucking Sun blows me
>: Dec 19 04:52:41 nostromo kernel: ufs_read_super: fs last mounted on "/mnt/usr"
>: Dec 19 04:52:41 nostromo kernel: ufs_read_super: fs needs fsck
>: Dec 19 04:52:41 nostromo kernel: ufs_read_inode: file too big ino 2 dev 3/7, faking size
>: Dec 19 04:52:41 nostromo kernel: ufs_read_super: inopb 64
>
>i have _no_ clue about the poster's problem, but i will
>say that there is _no_ place for obscenity in production
>quality software, whether in comments or in user visible output.  it

1)  You have the source, you can change it on your own machine

2)  This is only obscene in English.  I submit that your assumption that the
entire world speaks English is far more obscene than this message.  "fuck" has
no meaning and thus no offense to non-English speakers.

3) Unix is replete with innunendo.  For example, there is a humorous piece
that lists a bunch of jokes that you can play, for example typing "make love"
produces the response "don't know how to make love"  There are others more
"offensive" than that, a number of error messages were deliberately constructed
to produce humorous sexual comments in response to phrases typed into them.
After all, why do you think that the "finger" command is named "finger?"  
Writing about how your going to finger someone is an obvious play on words
that is certainly going to be offensive to the non-initiated.

It's people with your attitude that hold up vanity liscense plates to mirrors and
are responsible for so much doublespeak, watering down the English language
until it is colorless.  I think it is strange how people scream when they see
a word that is short for a normal biological process between two people, yet say
nothing about a word such as "kill" which is short for ending someone's life.
Remember it's in Unix that we "kill children processes" or "slave children processes
to parent processes" which is a far more offensive thing than any normal,
natural biological process such as intercourse.  I guess in this instance that
violence is better than biology.

Remember, it's only profanity because people like you are upset when it is
said.  If no one complained when the word was spoken, the shock value of the
word would be lost and there would be no point in saying it.