Re: [9fans] The Big Questioning: Plan 9 everywhere?

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 10:16:01 -0700



On Jun 5, 2025, at 12:30 PM, Daniel Maslowski via 9fans <[email protected]> wrote:


Thank you for supporting my argument!

I assume that you are not suggesting to not question Rob's conclusions from 3 decades ago.
Indeed, we're no longer in the 90ies, we moved from mouse to touch input, and back then having no insight into today's user behavior and not yet having seen newer design patterns is why it's time to tackle the figurative fence.
That's only part of what I'm saying though. I mean to look at the design of the system at large.
We did that here in Germany with the Berlin wall. Tore it all down, that is. I don't see the point in particularly looking at American stereotypes in this context though. The world is much bigger. I'm all for sparking joy. :-)

On Thu, Jun 5, 2025 at 4:30 PM Stanley Lieber <[email protected]> wrote:
if i understand correctly, i think the plan 9 authors’ disagreed that window systems such as rio push complexity on the user. the argument went like this:


in 2025, people don’t even bother to argue with this anymore, since everyone seems to accept as a foregone conclusion that the desktop is the ur primitive that sparks joy in real americans, but the assumption wasn’t always thus.

it’s fine to disagree, but remember to look out for chesterton’s fence.

sl

i wasn’t supporting your argument, i was pointing out that the desktop metaphor was already considered and rejected by the plan 9 authors (in this case, even before plan 9 ever existed). i’m not saying we can’t question the plan 9 authors’ decisions; i’m saying it doesn’t sound like you have considered, or are even aware of the reasons why those decision were made in the first place.

i disagree with you that modern ui patterns are superior. i like rio because it does what i want and it stays out of the way.

ironically, i remember when some linux users were appalled at attempts to mimic windows 95 look and feel.

sl

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