> I know that the population of 9fans contains a sizeable percentage of > people who would like to cast Plan 9 in amber, to hold it immutable as > an example to future generations. That's an unrealistic expectation.
Maybe, but maybe that's the best we can do, given that the conditions that gave rise to Plan 9 have long ceased to exist and are unlikely to recur. A version of Plan 9 untainted by the predominance of the Intel and Windows philosophies is needed to reminds us of how things could have turned out. But it is all much more complex than a mailing list could possibly track. Since the 1970s, it is clear that technology has taken a number of quantum leaps that could have landed in different places and all the missed opportunities, good and bad, need to be recorded as well as explored because we sure as hell are not in the best of all possible futures, right now. Unless you're some virtual entity such as Microsoft, Intel, Google or Facebook and could not care less about the fate of individuals. Oops, that's probably a bit rambly, but I think most observers will understand. ++L
