Computer systems research is even more dead and buried than it was when this was written in 2000. Most of the once innovative work that makes up the undead, crumbling foundation that all modern software is based upon was made possible by state money and the massive hoards of gold big tech companies had in the late 20th century. This capital that allowed the development of things such as Unix, the Internet, HTTP, e-mail, even things we take for granted like libc can now be found flowing largely into consumer product development and speculative technologies (like NFTs! :so-true:). Companies are now content building whatever slop they want to sell to people upon the rotting foundations of all this technology. Not only are they content but it directly benefits them; you're going to need their engineers/support staff to figure out and maintain whatever bespoke thing they've cobbled together. And good luck ever migrating away.

We've been stuck with Unix/Linux, Windows NT, PCs, and the Web for decades now to the detriment of humanity's technological development. Systems incrementally developing into such massive and overcomplicated morasses as we are stuck with today has serious reliability, security, and cost implications. A modern Microsoft "Patch Tuesday" has users downloading hundreds of patches at a time for serious security and reliability issues. Alternatively, sit at the console of any modern Linux system, type 'ps ax' and gaze into the intricate internal workings of what once was a simple and elegant design. I'm not blaming the Linux people here, its impressive what they've managed to achieve with the resources they've had.

During the construction of socialism worldwide I think we will again see massive shifts in the way we think about and do computing. Part of the reason I do work on experimental projects like Plan 9/9front is the hope that it will eventually be useful to the creation of a better society. Thoughts?

This was written while on a lot of substances so sorry if this is nonsense x3

:soviet-heart: