From: cpatton4.01 AT aol.com (Cpatton430)
Newsgroups: comp.human-factors
Subject: Smart Unix messages
Date: 23 Apr 1994 14:51:04 -04.01


I think the usability of UNIX error messages is unsurpassed.  Try these
examples:

You:    % "how would your rate president Clinton's incompetence
UNIX:  Unmatched ".

You:    % [Where is Jimmy Hoffa?
UNIX:  Missing ].

You:    % ^How did the sex change operation go?
UNIX:  Modifier failed.

You:    % If I had a ( for every $ Congress spent, what would I have?
UNIX:  Too many ('s.

You:    % make love
UNIX:  Make:  Don't know how to make love.  Stop.

You:    % sleep with me
UNIX:  bad character

You:    % got a light?
UNIX:   No match.

You:   % man: why did you get a divorce?
UNIX:  Man:: Too many arguments.

You:    % ^What is saccharine?
UNIX:  Bad substitute.

You:    % %blow
UNIX:  %blow:  No such job.

You:    % \(-
UNIX:  (-: Command not found.

You:    % cat "food in cans"
UNIX:  cat: can't open food in cans

You:    $  PATH=pretending!  /usr/ucb/which sense
UNIX:   no sense in pretending

You:    $ drink matter
UNIX:   matter:  cannot create

So let's have no more nonsense about "unusable" UNIX messages.
(These tidbits were originally attributed to Michal Rutka)