satan, 666, goat's blood

[tony at catsim.UUCP]

In article <711 at bucsb.bu.edu.UUCP>, alicia at bucsb.bu.edu.UUCP (alicia h) writes:
> 
> 	Hey out there, it's late and we're tired... but we have a 
>   question. Why are daemons (like,"rwhod", "talkd", "rsendd"...)
>   called "daemons". I mean, we know it's Latin for something that's
>   not quite a God, but more than a man - but how does that relate.
>         My first association is that daemons are eternal... but I
>   don't know....    just curios....
> 
> 
> 		   alicia
> 

If you have a copy of the "HACKER'S DICTIONARY" the answer lies on
page 53. Here is a part of the definition:

{ A program that is not invoked explicitly, but that lies dormant
waiting for one or more conditions to occure. The idea is that the
perpetrator of the condition need not be aware that a daemon is lurking
(though often a program will commit an action only because it knows
that it will implicitly invoke a daemon).
				.
				.
				.
Daemon and DEMON are often used interchangeably, but seem to have
discrete connotations. "Daemon" was introduced to computing by
people working on CTSS, the Compatible Time-Sharing System, which
was the first time-sharing system, developed atMIT. The pronounced
it "dee'm:o," and used it to refer to what is now call a DRAGON or
PHANTOM. THe meaning an pronunciation have drifed, and we think the
definitions given here reflect current usage. }

If you don't have a copy of Hacker's Dictionary I would suggest
that you try to find one.


					Tony Cratz

UUCP: hplabs!intelca!catsim!tony
Mail: 4051 Burton Dr.
      Santa Clara, Ca. 95054
Phone: 408-980-9144