why learn UNIX

[rob robertson]

In article <3353 at bu-cs.BU.EDU> bzs at bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein) writes:
>
>From: alan at herman.UUCP (Alan Kiecker)
>>He has been asked why it would be beneficial for the students
>>to learn UNIX; i.e. why should the college bother to convert. If anyone has
>>any comments, I would appreciate it, and will forward them on to our
>>director. 
>
>	3. Job Perspectives - I invite you to pick up the Sunday
>	employment section of a major newspaper (try the Boston Globe)
>	and make a hash mark every time you see a UNIX position and
>	others. It should be revealing.

Barry, do not attempt this in Cleveland, kingdom of Big Blue.  If you can get
3 ads mentioning Unix your lucky.

>	5. Commonality - Over 90% of all CS departments in the US
>	use UNIX. This is most reflected in the number of texts
>	available, check out any large college bookstore and compare
>	the number of titles available in various computing subjects
>	that are available either on UNIX "the O/S", UNIX as an
>	application base, a compiler development environment, a systems
>	environment or related (eg. Franz Lisp, UCB Pascal, C, ICON,
>	modern networking.) Try to find VMS books...

They even have one out on how to edit (is vi THAT cryptic?)

>	8. Faculty hiring - If 90% of all CS depts use UNIX there must
>	be a few people out there available to teach it.

All of our departmental machines run UNIX.  However, I know one or two
professors here who can't even change there passwords without asking.
this is more of a comment on the hiring policies here than anything
else.  

>	9. Future - I'll make the brash prediction here that VMS has
>	around 2-5 years (max) left. I don't consider it very responsible
>	to teach students a system who's days are numbered. The VAX line
>	itself (which VMS is hopelessly tied to) seems to be nearing the
>	end of its useful life span.

Hey, fortran and cobol will still be around for another 10, why can't 
vms still be in 2-5.

>	10. UNIX has better games :-)

agreed.

>Cheers.

ciao!

rob
Case Western Reserve University