--- F R E N D Z of martian --- neozen... ----- Original Message ----- From: jesse hirsh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, March 24, 2000 1:29 PM Subject: <nettime> useless servers > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 12:12:14 -0500 > From: chuang tze <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: useless servers > > > -> http://internet.tao.ca <- > > > Shih the hacker was on his way to the state of Chi. When he got to Chu > Yuan, he saw a computer by the village shrine. The server was large > enough to shade several thousand oxen and was several hundred mind spans > around. It towered above the microsofts with its lowest branches eighty > clicks from the ground. More than ten of its branches were big enough to > be made into local area networks. There were crowds of people as in a > marketplace. The master hacker did not even turn his head but walked on > without stopping. > > His apprentice took a long look, then ran after Shih the hacker and said, > "Since I took up my ax and followed you, master, I have never seen phiber > as beautiful as this. But you do not even bother to look at it and walk > on without stopping. Why is this? > > Shih the hacker replied, "Stop! Say no more! That server is useless. A > network made from it would implode, a computer would soon rot, a program > would split, a web site would ooze sap, and a chat would have parasites. > It is worthless phiber and is of no use. That is why it has reached such > a ripe old age. > > After Shih the hacker had returned home, the sacred system appeared to > him in a dream, saying, "What are you comparing me with? Are you > comparing me with useful servers? There are commercial, application, > pornographic, occult, security, warez, and other network servers. As soon > as the network is ripe, the servers are stripped and abused. Their large > branches are split, and the smaller ones torn off. Their life is bitter > because of their usefulness. That is why they do not live out their > natural lives but are cutt of in their prime. They attrct the attentions > of the common world. This is so for all things. As for me, I have been > trying for a long time to be useless. I was almost destroyed several > times. Finally I am useless, and this is very useful to me. If I had been > useful, could I have ever grown so large?" > > "Besides, you and I are both things. How can one thing judge another > thing? What does a dying and worthless man like you know about a > worthless server?" Shih the hacker awoke and tried to understand his > dream. > > His apprentice said, "If it had so great a desire to be useless, why does > it serve as a shrine?" > Shih the hacker said, "Hush! Stop talking! It is just pretending to be > one so that it will not be hurt by those who do not know it is useless. If > it had not become a sacred server, it would probably have been cut down. It > protects itself in a different way from ordinary things. We will miss the > point if we judge it in the ordinary way." > > ---------- > > Nan Po Tsu Chi was wandering in the Shang Hills when he caught sight of a > huge, extraordinary server. A thousand four-horse chariots could have > rested in its shade. Tsu Chi said, "What kind of server is this? It must > be very special phiber. He looked up and saw that the smaller networks > were gnarled and twisted, and could not be used for marketing or selling > products. He looked down and saw that the great shell was curved and > knotted, and could not be used for sending spam. When he tasted the > phiber, it burned his mouth; when he sniffed it, he became intoxicated > and for three days acted as if he were drunk. Tsu Chi said, "Indeed this > server is good for nothing. No wonder it grew so big. That is how it is! > Holy men treasure this worthlessness." > > ---------- > > Ching Shih in the province of Sung is a good place for growing > commercial, governmental, and application servers. Those servers that > attain the girth of a span or more are cut down to make buy-out targets. > Those of three or four spans are cut down to make platforms for tall, > elegant online malls. Those of seven or eight spans are cut down to make > side shows for the spectacles of cinema and television, or serve the > tastes of aristocratic and rich merchant families. So, these servers > never achieve their full stature but fall in their prime under the blows > of a market. Such are the hazards of being useful. > > > ~~~~~~~~~ > a message from the internet list > http://internet.tao.ca > the internet you say? > qui est-ce? > > # distributed via <nettime>: no commercial use without permission > # <nettime> is a moderated mailing list for net criticism, > # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets > # more info: [EMAIL PROTECTED] and "info nettime-l" in the msg body > # archive: http://www.nettime.org contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Sent to you via the frendz list at marsbard.com The archive is at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
