Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.
Re: In the beginning...
Author: Jason Domina Posted: 6/9/1999; 9:28:54 PM Topic: In the beginning... Msg #: 7163 (In response to 7161) Prev/Next: 7162 / 7164
If The Cathedral and the Bazaar was one of the net's first great literary pieces, then "In the beginning..." is absolutely one of the finest. Where Cathedral is pragmatic, Beginning is beautiful.If you want to understand the practical reality of "Open Source", read the Cathedral. Mr. Raymond's essay is written from the perspective of someone right down there in the heart of the glowing furnace. A true practitioner of the art, Mr. Raymond carries his shovel and stokes the fire.
Mr. Stephenson's essay is written as if he were Merlin, traveling backward through time able to understand a "new" technology as the cultural artifact it has already become in the "future". In his essay, Mr. Stephenson's gaze penetrates great spans of time piecing together the seemingly incongruous movements and machinations that converge in one culture's moment to reflect and record it's belief system. It's technology.
Whispering.
Our dead father's teeth
hide behind my lips the secret
shame of expelling time
I can paint these scenes now
because you are not here to see them
only your voice remains
An arc of light drawn through thin lines
whispering
so that we may all hear it
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