Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 10:38:03 -0700 From: Chip Camden <sterling@camdensoftware.com> To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: BSD logo Message-ID: <20100724173803.GD50085@libertas.local.camdensoftware.com> In-Reply-To: <20100724062446.GD78741@guilt.hydra> References: <E1OcU31-0002Iw-00.vic_sk-mail-ru@f138.mail.ru> <20100724062446.GD78741@guilt.hydra>
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Quoth Chad Perrin on Saturday, 24 July 2010:
> Disclaimer:
>
> I do not represent the FreeBSD project in any way, shape, or form. I am
> certain any such people would be much nicer and more polite about this
> than me. I'm sure I would be much nicer and more polite about it if I
> became a representative of the FreeBSD project at some point in the
> future. Because I am not officially affiliated with the project at all,
> though, I feel free to be brutally honest.
>
>
> On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 06:01:07AM +0400, Victor Skovorodnikov wrote:
> >
> > This may sound strange but I have a question about logo. Why such a
> > logo for BSD? What is the meaning of that logo?
>
> It's a reference to "daemons", a type of software that runs in the
> background "listening" for connections. The term "daemon" has ancient
> roots in Greek mythology and has nothing to do with more recent Christian
> notions of "demons". In short, mythological "daemons" are basically just
> supernatural beings of lower power and stature than the pantheon of Greek
> gods, and computer "daemons" are helpful programs.
>
>
> >
> > I have always been thinking of trying FreeBSD but as a Christian I get
> > deterred by its un-Christian logo.
>
> Good grief. Are you referring to the cartoon character?
>
> It's a cartoon character. It's not an attempt to lure your children to
> join Satan's armies. There's no reason to be "deterred" from giving
> FreeBSD a try just because of a friendly cartoon character.
>
> People who value their wool socks should not be deterred from using MS
> products because of the stupid moth mascot used by MSN, and those who
> dislike arctic climates shouldn't be deterred from using Linux-based
> systems because Linux uses a penguin as its mascot. By the same token,
> the notion that a red cartoon character with horns should deter a
> Christian from using FreeBSD is kind of silly.
>
> I was a member of a military unit known as the Red Devils years ago. I
> did not feel like I was being corrupted by Evil. Perhaps you would be
> deterred from being my friend because of this, nonetheless. If that is
> the case, though, I think I'm better off without you.
>
> While I normally prefer to take an inclusive approach to dealing with
> people who run into obstacles in their approach to thinking about OSes,
> there are cases where I simply feel the urge to throw my hands in the air
> and giving up on someone. Such cases are those where it seems likely
> that some kind of closed-minded idolatry (which is exactly what this is:
> taking a cartoony mascot as some kind of Manifest Presence of a
> supernatural, superhuman Force, Principle, or Being) is going on. Either
> you will get over it, or you will not, and it is only a very faint hope
> that pointing out the ludicrousness of your objection that compels me to
> respond at all.
>
> If you're talking about the weird sex toy thing that has become the
> new(er) official FreeBSD logo, however, it seems the FreeBSD project
> simply can't please some people. I'm pretty sure that was made so
> ambiguous and largely meaningless specifically because of fear of
> negative reactions from those who cannot imagine going through life
> without being offended -- and it still isn't working, if that's the
> reason for your complaint.
>
> It may be "un-Christian", but if so it's "un-Christian" like a penguin or
> a moth is "un-Christian", and not like a burning cross would be (and I'd
> call that "anti-Christian" instead, anyway).
>
>
> >
> > Have you considered changing it to something else? Doesn't have to be
> > an angel, but perhaps something neutral ;-) ?
>
> I hope the logo doesn't change because of silly requests from those who
> cannot have religious beliefs without also being reasonable human beings.
>
> This whole thing reminds me of a conversation I had in the early '90s
> where someone told me that a Nine Inch Nails song called "God's Money"
> was blasphemous. Of course, there is no Nine Inch Nails song by that
> name, and the song the person was talking about ("Head Like A Hole")
> doesn't have the words "God's money" in it at all. The guy had misheard
> something and leaped to an erroneous conclusion without bothering to
> consider the possibility he was just a reactionary idiot.
>
> Someone's sure to call me intolerant or abrasive as a result of this
> email, but frankly, I don't care. Guilty as charged: I am not tolerant
> of intolerant, willfully ignorant fundamentalists, regardless of what
> fundamentalism infects them.
>
> It's not like you couldn't look up the answer to your question about the
> meaning of the cartoon mascot character on the Internet fairly easily
> anyway, assuaging your fears of eternal damnation by choosing the wrong
> OS. The desire to be outraged appears to be stronger than the desire to
> educate oneself.
>
> When this is the way someone starts a "discussion" about wanting to use a
> new OS, I tend to believe there is no genuine interest in using the OS in
> question.
>
> --
> Chad Perrin [ original content licensed OWL: http://owl.apotheon.org ]
"abrasive" -- maybe. But this was a most enjoyable read.
I don't suppose our Christian friend opposes hot cross buns or Christmas
trees. Then again, some Christians do.
--
Sterling (Chip) Camden | sterling@camdensoftware.com | 2048D/3A978E4F
http://camdensoftware.com | http://chipstips.com | http://chipsquips.com
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