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: joshdavis; June 19th, 2006

So, aparently these people are confused by the use of "tarball" for "tar file".

They think the guy misheard "tar file".

They're mocking this back and forth.

For 10 minutes.

I guess they're not really used to UNIX conventions any more than they really HAVE to be.

Still, in trying to show that this guy is stupid, they are showing to me their lack of experience.

It's very disappointing.

For those who care but don't know, "tarball" as a term has been around since the inception of "Tape ARchive" as an extension to UNIX ARchive format.

The Jargon File says the term didn't pick up steam until the late 1990s, but I recall seeing/hearing it in the mid 1990s. (I didn't touch UNIX until the early 1990s, so I wasn't there for the inception of TAR).

Tags: computers, unix

10 comments — :

( 10 comments — Leave a comment )

sunshine_mama

2006-06-20 03:32 am (UTC)

Prepare to be disappointed - I don't understand pretty much a word you post when you do technical posts. I just read and go "oooh, he's SMRT!" :P

joshdavis

2006-06-20 09:18 pm (UTC)

But that's ok, because you don't pretend to be a computer expert, and you don't mock computer users for your lack of understanding of computers. You smile, nod, accept that computers are not your supergeek thing, and all's well.

And The Simpsons = awesome...

"I am so smart! S. M. R. T.!"

sunshine_mama

2006-06-21 04:57 am (UTC)

Yes, indeedy... 'tis far easier to go, "yeah, I dunno all that junk" rather than mock.. though it is much more FUN to mock some things.

joshdavis

2006-06-21 05:07 am (UTC)

Mockery in fun jest is a good thing. It's when it's out of hostile ignorance that it's a problem.

Ireverence in mockery is even good. Some of the best humor is found within the realms of taboo.

I wanted to somehow throw out a lighthearted comment, but I must be tired because it comes out all serious. :)

sunshine_mama

2006-06-21 05:34 am (UTC)

It's ok, there's a time and place for both serious and lighthearted, and I'm good with either. Well, receiving it, not necessarily throwing it out, because I sometimes get a serious case of Dumb. Other times, though, I SMRT. :)

(Deleted comment)

joshdavis

2006-06-20 09:29 pm (UTC)

I still think that "compress" should have been named "feather".

And yah, the whole coke vs soda vs pop vs fizzy drink vs soft drink thing is still weird to me.