Special Quote by Ken Thompson
“I wanted to avoid, special IO for terminals.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Unix Development, 1970s
He preferred a simple, universal solution over custom terminal handling.
In simple terms: Avoid special terminal code.
Key Takeaway
Prefer generic interfaces.
Themes
simplicity
software design
portability
Mood
pragmatic
technical
Type
advice
technical
When to use this quote
- system programming
- cross‑platform tools
- legacy code maintenance
Key Concepts
Unix philosophy
abstraction
Questions to Reflect On
- Is simplicity always the best choice?
- When is specialization justified?
A Different Perspective
Custom solutions can reduce performance or increase bugs.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
