The readings on the history of operating systems made me aware of how little I knew about some of the fundamental computing concepts behind the technology I use everyday. One of the concepts that I have been trying to understand is the distinction between computer languages, programs, and operating systems. From what I understood an OS is a package of software that mediates the users’ interaction between the hardware and other computer programs. The OS is itself written in a computer language although it operates on different levels of abstraction from languages like html.

The more technical background on the development of Unix was enlightening, but it also reminded of the distinction between knowledge of and knowledge that. I have exceptionally little knowledge of how a car works, I couldn’t explain to you the principles behind the combustion engine, but I do know that when I turn the key, the car starts. In other words I think the intricacies of the technological development of OS are interesting, but I’m more interested in learning how to “drive the car” so to speak.

To that end, I was interested in some of the theoretical discussions about labor, property, and capital. One of the greatest potentials of technology is to liberate people from manual labor and to improve standards of living. A Marxist reading might also pose ethical questions about the consequences of the technological revolution and the conditions it has produced. We might question the commodification of our private data and the sale of customer’s personal information to advertising companies on sites like Facebook and Google.