Unix Conspiracy (1991)
6 days ago
- #Bell Labs
- #Unix history
- #conspiracy theory
- Conspiracy theory suggests Unix's growth was a plot by Bell Labs to make competitors dependent on AT&T-controlled system.
- Unix was allegedly designed to be unreliable and insecure, requiring continuous upgrades from AT&T.
- The theory likens Unix to a 'virus' spread by people and market forces rather than directly through technology.
- DEC president Kenneth Olsen's quote 'Unix is snake oil' is cited by adherents of the theory.
- The conspiracy, if real, lost control post-1990 when AT&T sold Unix to Novell amid the rise of free-Unix distributions like Linux.