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@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@yale.edu Web: http://www.law.yale.edu/intellectuallife/9841.htm ________________________________________ From: Members [members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org] on behalf of Janet Abbate [abbate@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 _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org