Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 09:15:30 -0500 (CDT) From: "M. L. Dodson" <bdodson@beowulf.utmb.edu> To: fbsdlist@federation.addy.com, molter@logic.it Cc: questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Satanic logo Message-ID: <199708291415.JAA15152@beowulf.utmb.edu>
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> > On Fri, 29 Aug 1997, Cliff Addy wrote: > > > We have the "powered by" logo on our home page. About once a > > month we get a query or complaint on the demon. I basically know > > the origin, but is it officially documented somewhere, so we can > > point these folks to the "official" explanation of why we are > > using an OS with a devil mascot? > > > > Please, no flames on why these people are idiots and how we don't > > need their business. We're just looking for answers. > > Hi Cliff, > > surely they _are_ idiots ;-) > > I do love our daemon, Chuck. My ****big**** dream is that someone > will draw a sexy "daemonette" too ;-) > > >From chapter 31 of the "Unix System Administration Handbook" by > Nemeth (a very good book) : > > The words "daemon" and "demon" both come from the same root, but > "daemon" is an older form and its meaning is somewhat different. A > daemon is an attendant spirit that influences one's character or > personality. Daemons aren't minions of good or evil; they are > creatures od independent thought and will. As a rule, UNIX systems > seem to be infested with both daemons and demons. > > One should hope that your visitors are able to understand irony. > > Also, it is interesting to note that the world "daemon" was first > used at MIT for the CTSS OS, then it moved to Multics and after to > UNIX. > > Cheers > Marco Molteni > Computer Science student at the Universita' degli studi di Milano, Italy. > "This snakeskin jacket symbolizes my individuality > and belief in personal freedom". > > It is also likely to have some relationship to Maxwell's demon (daemon?), methinks. This is the guy who monitors the shuttered hole between two gas vessels, opening it when a hot molecule approaches from the left vessel and closing it when a hot molecule approaches from the right (or vice versa). Net is a temperature difference which can be used to run a heat engine => perpetual motion. (Don't worry; Leo Szilard used information theory to prove that it takes more energy to run the demon than you get out. Second law is safe.) Some physicist will probably correct the errors I made in that description ;-) Bud Dodson -- M. L. Dodson bdodson@scms.utmb.edu 409-772-2178 FAX: 409-772-1790
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