[SIGCIS-Members] FW: Is Unix racist?

[Nabeel Siddiqui]

"My meaning should be obvious. All institutions have limited resources that
should be properly allocated to achieve the best results. Funds expended on
“UNIX is racist” reduces the possible support for imparting useful
knowledge to students."


I would normally not respond to a such a diatribe against a scholar, but
this critique makes no sense.  Your meaning is not "obvious" and shows
little understanding of how funding for research works.  I highly doubt
that this article was done under some form of external funding, unless you
mean her salary, in which case she is paid for more than simply her
research.


Your idea of what is "useful" is also very subjective.  As Matt has already
discussed, this article is often used in classrooms, and although it does
have its faults, they can be discussed in a civil way.  If you have actual
critiques of the article, that is one thing, but the attacking of a
well-respected scholar without any real substance is not needed.

On Mon, Aug 17, 2015 at 8:41 PM, Subramanian, Ramesh Prof. <
Ramesh.Subramanian at quinnipiac.edu> wrote:

>
> Here is a perspective from India. In the 1970s, India was hobbled by lack
> of technology, especially computer technology, due largely to the Indian
> government's restrictive practices (i.e. drive for self-sufficiency, etc).
> In the late 1970s and early 1980s The government woke up to the fact that
> all was not going well, and decided to allow the private sector to
> manufacture small microcomputers in India. Simultaneously, a Committee to
> improve Banking services was also set up.
>
> After analysis,  the Banking Committee decided that Unix offered the most
> modularity that was available for FREE (without any restrictions), and
> which could be tailored to suit India conditions. The signal went out to
> the private sector to manufacture Unix-based computers. Mass training on
> the Unix environment took place. The O/S could be fitted into a CD, and
> these were used to explore various flavors of Unix.
>
> So at least as far as Indian computing is concerned, the modular as well
> as free (as in free beer) aspect provided Indians with the necessary high
> level O/S, and taught them specialized computing skills.
>
> Regards,
> -Ramesh
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Ramesh Subramanian, Ph.D.
> Gabriel Ferrucci Professor of Computer Information Systems
> Quinnipiac University
> Hamden, CT 06518.
> Phone: 203-582-5276
> Email:rameshs at quinnipiac.edu
> Web:
> http://www.quinnipiac.edu/about/directory/faculty-detail/?Dept=16&Person=23345
> &
> Fellow, Yale Law School - Information Society Project
> New Haven, CT 06511
> Email: ramesh.subramanian at yale.edu
> Web: http://www.law.yale.edu/intellectuallife/9841.htm
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Members [members-bounces at lists.sigcis.org] on behalf of Janet
> Abbate [abbate at vt.edu]
> Sent: Monday, August 17, 2015 4:57 PM
> To: Sigcis
> Subject: [SIGCIS-Members] Is Unix racist?
>
> Anyone seen this piece by Tara Mcpherson? It starts with some interesting
> questions, but I found the follow-through to be disappointingly
> ahistorical. Again and again she argues that there must be a connection
> between the modularity of Unix and the compartmentalization of race within
> American culture, but then immediately admits that she has no evidence for
> any direct connection. As far as I can tell, the only reason she singles
> out Unix is because it coincides conveniently with the US Civil Rights era.
> I'm curious to know what others think.
>
> "Why Are the Digital Humanities So White? or Thinking the Histories of
> Race and Computation."
> http://dhdebates.gc.cuny.edu/debates/text/29
>
> Janet
>
>
> Dr. Janet Abbate
> Associate Professor, Science & Technology in Society
> Co-director, National Capital Region STS program
> Virginia Tech
> www.sts.vt.edu/ncr
> www.linkedin.com/groups/STS-Virginia-Tech-4565055
> www.facebook.com/VirginiaTechSTS
>
>
>
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