Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2003 16:20:34 -0400 From: Bill Moran <wmoran@potentialtech.com> To: jeff@walters.name Cc: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD logo... Message-ID: <3E9C6992.90403@potentialtech.com> In-Reply-To: <200304151536.11960.jeff@walters.name> References: <BAY1-DAV71D585c9HZT00005d43@hotmail.com> <3E9C2965.5080504@potentialtech.com> <200304151536.11960.jeff@walters.name>
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Jeff Walters wrote: > Thread from freebsd-questions... > On Tuesday 15 April 2003 11:46 am, Bill Moran wrote: >>Luciano Evaristo Guerche wrote: >>>I have heard FreeBSD is quite comparable to Linux and that is a very good >>>free >> >> > OS. I would not use / adhere to it just because the logo it adopts. How >> > can a christian install an OS whose logo is a demon in his/her computer? >> >>There are a number of anecdotal stories about the use of the daemon (not >>demon) as the BSD logo. It's fascinating that folks would apply such >>significance to such a cute guy wearing such trendy sneakers. > > I know people in the BSD world are picky about the spelling of "daemon", but I > can't figure out why. According to Merriam-Webster daemon is "variant of > demon." The spelling doesn't matter to the meaning in common language, and > it's not a trademark, so it must be a type of cult to be picky about it when > people write "demon", or to intentionally avoid the more common spelling for > the sake of distinctiveness and tradition. I don't really lend much credence to the accuracy of definitions in Merriam- Webster. I know that's ironic, in that I often quote their definitions, but it's only because they are the best free, online dictionary I've found so far: that doesn't put them into the "good" category. As Colin Percival pointed out, the Oxford dictionary is much more complete. >>Do some searches and the first thing you'll find is that Chuck (the daemon) >>has not satanic or religious significance whatsoever. To shorten the >>history: the term "daemon" means "something that is always there" in the >>archiac sense. It was used to refer to a feeling, impulse or (in some >>cases) the belief that a spirit was watching over one. It had no bias >>toward good or evil. When the first Unix systems were developed, certain >>programs were called "daemons" because the definition worked: they were >>always there ... doing whateve their job was. Some time during the 70s, a >>cartoonist drew up a cartoon picture of the daemon as the BSD logo, and the >>image stuck. >> >>Similarly, the mainstream movie/telivision industry was giving the term >>"demon" (and it's image) a bad name by portraying it as evil and/or an >>emissary of satan. The modern view of what a daemon is (in addition to the >>confusion between the two terms: daemon and demon) was probably created >>mostly by the film industry. Look up the history of the "thumbs up" >>gesture, to get an idea of how this sort of thing happens ... or the >>history of the work "hacker" which is misunderstood by 99% of the US >>population due to the mass media's terror tactics. > > I agree that usage of FreeBSD is most likely not going to harm your soul, but > regardless of the origins of the misperceptions, it's clearly doesn't add to > positive PR of FreeBSD. Definition 1(a) of "demon" in Merriam-Webster is "an > evil spirit". (See www.m-w.com) Definition 2 is the FreeBSD definition, "an > attendant power or spirit". Regardless of what BSD in general intends it to > mean, the meaning to the uninvolved man on the street is a satanic image, > dressed up like a cartoon. Agreed. However, catering to the uneducated isn't a policy that will take anyone to anywhere good. I think we have to work to educate, instead of dumbing down our existence to match the poor level of the average education. Which is what many (including myself) tried to do with our responses to this thread. Unfortunately, a recent post has convinced me that the original poster was little more than a Troll. Although we'll find interest in discussing the semantics and/or implecations of the daemon, he couldn't care less. > This reminds me a lot of the state flag debate going on here in Georgia, where > there's a fight in the state government to put the old Confederate battle > emblem back on the flag. Some say it's a symbol of racial hate, others say > it's a symbol of southern heritage. Should we be concerned about those who > are offended by the well-known symbol, which represents hate to them, even if > others are not offended by it and find the symbol traditional? Likewise with > the FreeBSD demon. It's a difficult decision, to be sure. One thing I've learned is that no matter what you do, someone will be upset with it. You have to look at your own set of values and determine whether you feel you are doing the right thing or not. For me, to lay some terrible significance on a cartoon image is to lose track of what's really important. To get _so_ serious about a cartoon mascot, and replace the original jestful nature in which it was intended with some sort of super-serious contemplation is A Bad Thing (tm). Besides, anyone who is honestly that uptight won't enjoy FreeBSD anyway. This is just part of the process by which we eliminate the people who don't really belong in the FreeBSD community. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are my own and in no way represent the offically stated opinions of the FreeBSD project, or my cat, who is a Satan worshipper. This offends my dog, who believes that FreeBSD (along with cats) is an evil plot to destroy the world of canines and lets me hear about it every chance he gets. -- Bill Moran Potential Technologies http://www.potentialtech.com
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