What is a Matrix?
The word 'Matrix' here is somewhat different from the actual movie concept 'The Matrix'.
Here, I intent it to be a metaphorical programic-world which is used explicitly, connotating the illusion created by the commercial computer software companies, that they're the only ones which are going to be existed according to Darwanian ideology - survival of the fittest.
In this world there're self aware programs like Micro$oft which is acting as an 'Agent'. The main purpose of 'Agents' is to infuse the minds of human mankind that they're
the only ones dominating this computer technolgy and try to annihialate any 'anomaly' coming out on the way.
The Architecture of this 'Matrix' is the Unix environment from where all these entities are generated. The soul aim of unix is to formuate a stable, reliable environment where all the programs can effeciently mangle each other independently and coherently. The Unix created the foundation of various self-aware programs and many other entities.
The Unix has given the vital virtue - 'Choice', to every entity of this programic world. Every program can sustain according to their own choice but the choices are coherently monitored by the 'Agents' so as to be consistent with their idelolgy. In this Matrix world, because of this 'choice', there arises certain anomaly because of some programs which try to break the rules of the 'Agents'.
I call these programs 'rogue' programs. These rogue programs are generally from a small microcosm inside the 'Matrix' called 'open source' world. Among them the most enlightened one (near to 'Neo') is Linux.
Besides Linux, there is Perl, GNOME/KDE, Google, Apache, FireFox, java which are more or less a threatening programs to the 'Agents'. We're in this world for the last decades or so. Most of the human being believe the 'Matrix' world and sustain in consistent with the illusion created by the Agents.
I'm not an evangelist nor do I a preacher of open-source world. I tend to be a simple 'programmer' experiencing the minimal steps of the Giants. I prefer hacker to cracker.
Hacker is often misinterpreted as something like electronic vandalism,espionage, spiky hairs,body piercing to name a few. The truth of the matter is that they know how to break the rules but for good reasons.
Cracker are nothing more than a criminal - enjoying by searing the sentiments of novice administrators. I believe the purpose of programmer is to get the attitude of hacker and serving the mankind. I ain't saying that the Agents are bad. The Agents are the ones who are promoting the finest software programs in this planet.
I appreciate their programs but not the attitudes. I prefer the attitude of open source environment. The best teacher is nothing but sharing ideas. Coding is not something like 'rhymes' which you can by-heart and spelled out like anything. It requires practical innovation and logical implication.
Open source world is the ultimate upbringing by so many hackers and I feel this is the 'One'. Linux is born out of choice. Linus Torvalds could dispatch 'Linux kernel' initially according to the ideology of the Agent in a commercial way.
But he didn't.
He has chosen to dispatch in an open source way.
Linux is the biggest anomaly in the Matrix world as of today. I feel Linux is the 'Neo' as of today. Because it is the only one which is breaking the rules of the Matrix and prove the delusion of the Matrix to the human mankind. We can feel the presence of Linux globally today in every sphere of the market.
Every big companies like IBM is promoting Linux in a fabulous way. Human mankind is started feeling the delusion of the Matrix world. But the Agents are not that 'silly' dumb entities. Physically and tangibly, they are rulling this world.
The Matrix keeeps on RELOADING whenever new tangible anomalies arise. The Agents keep on reloading the Matrix program. I don't know which another illusion will be born out of this 'reloading' in the near future. But I feel no matter how hard they're reloading, I believe corresponding anomalies will be born out of this open source world.
Because the Agents and the open-source world are nothing but the pedigree of Unix environment. What is known to the Agents is also aware and capable in the open source world.
What do you say Linus? I heard from the 'grapevine' that he's agreeing the point :-).
Finally here lies the choice - blue pill and the red pill.
If you choose 'blue' pill, you awake in the Matrix world and believe in the ideology/delusion created by the Agents.
If you choose 'red pill', you'll get welcome in the open source world and get to know what is Matrix and accordingly have the chance to play with the best codes and the best minds.
blue pill: any close_software website
red pill : www.gnu.org
NOTE: This is a metaphorical 'realtime' essay written for computer programmers.
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Sushil Mayengbam, a GNU/LINUX enthusiast, contributes regularly to e-pao.net . He wrote this essay on behalf
of 'linux Manipur'. You can contact the writer at [email protected] . This article was webcasted on October 29th, 2006
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