[SIGCIS-Members] FW: Is Unix racist?

[Janet Abbate]

Thanks for that perspective, Ramesh. 

My concern with the McPherson piece is that it relies too much on metaphor, ungrounded by the type of empirical evidence you just provided. She wants to draw an equivalence between abstraction and covert racism, but one could just as easily argue that the modularity of Unix represents a non-hierarchical and therefore more egalitarian model of society. It's difficult to know which interpretation is correct without a more concrete analysis of how race is enacted and experienced in a particular historical context. We surely need more of those, so if this piece inspires scholarship in this area, I can forgive its flaws.  

Janet

On Aug 17, 2015, at 8:41 31PM, Subramanian, Ramesh Prof. 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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