Africa really is the Dark Continent!

[Dave Monroe]

Aha!  Here the arcane knowledge of Bolognese
semioticians comes in handy.  From Umberto Eco, "La
bustina di Minerva," Espresso (September 30, 1994) ...

   "Insufficient consideration has been given to the
new underground religious war which is modifying the
modern world. It's an old idea of mine, but I find
that whenever I tell people about it they immediately
agree with me.
   "The fact is that the world is divided between
users of the Macintosh computer and users of MS-DOS
compatible computers. I am firmly of the opinion that
the Macintosh is Catholic and that DOS is Protestant. 
Indeed, the Macintosh is counterreformist and has been
influenced by the 'ratio studiorum' of the Jesuits. 
It is cheerful, friendly, conciliatory, it tells the
faithful how they must proceed step by step to
reach--if not the Kingdom of Heaven--the moment in
which their document is printed. It is catechistic:
the essence of revelation is dealt with via simple
formulae and sumptuous icons. Everyone has a right to
salvation.
   "DOS is Protestant, or even Calvinistic. It allows
free interpretation of scripture, demands difficult
personal decisions, imposes a subtle hermeneutics upon
the user, and takes for granted the idea that not all
can reach salvation. To make the system work you need
to interpret the program yourself: a long way from the
baroque community of revelers, the user is closed
within the loneliness of his own inner torment.
   "You may object that, with the passage to Windows,
the DOS universe has come to resemble more closely the
counterreformist tolerance of the Macintosh. It's
true: Windows represents an Anglican-style schism, big
ceremonies in the cathedral, but there is always the
possibility of a return to DOS to change things in
accordance with bizarre decisions..... 
   "And machine code, which lies beneath both systems
(or environments, if you prefer)? Ah, that is to do
with the Old Testament, and is Talmudic and
cabalistic."

http://www.semiotica.com/eco.html

http://www.bcs.rochester.edu/bcs/people/students/eigsti/eco.html

Making Linux, what?  A sort of ecumenical liberation
theology?  Let me know ...

--- no fun <jbridel1 at rogers.com> wrote:
> Aha!  Here the arcane knowledge of Windows comes in
> handy.  There was a funny article by Umberto Eco
> about how Windows is analagous (sp?) to Catholicism
> and Mac to Protestantism... Win/kabbalism too I
> think... I may post it if I find it...  but I
> digress...

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