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} (oracle:/home/oracle)# cat /opt/prophesies/book-of-marmoset/chapter3
} ------
}
} 1 and thus, the beast did lay upon the land, having grown large and
} slothful and no longer produced quality software, instead growing large
} on the people who had already fed it by releasing new versions that
} they must purchase to show homage to the beast.
}
} 2 it had upon it many heads, and each head did act as if it were upon
} its own control, yet all did bow down to the one head, which was
} unkempt and wore thick glasses and was unbecoming to look upon.
}
} 3 and all the heads of the beast did speak with one voice,
} proclaiming to all across the land that its words were true.
}
} 4 and many did believe, for they had pointy hair and wore suits and
} as such were easily swayed by the voice of the beast saying, "listen
} unto me and buy what I say and thou shalt not be fired."
}
} 5 and many did believe, for they wore sport coats and had graduated
} with a degree in MIS from the business school and as such were easily
} swayed by the voice of the beast saying "listen unto me and continue to
} support none else but me and thou shalt not be fired."
}
} 6 and many did believe for they only read PC Week and believed
} anything they saw in advertisements and as such were easily swayed by
} the voice of the beast saying, "listen unto me and thou shalt find thy
} work to be faster and more fun than ever before, e'en when thou playest
} not by yourself the game with cards."
}
} 7 and many did believe for they knew not of computers and used only
} what the manufacturers supplied and as such were easily swayed by the
} voice of the beast saying, "listen unto me, we know what's good for
} you, think not for thine own self."
}
} 8 then from a land across the great ocean in the east (except for some
} people who lived on the same land on the same side of the water and for
} those he came from the north, or the west and even for a few he
} came from the south) came a figure
}
} 9 who rode upon a mighty GNU and bore upon his left arm a shield and
} upon that shield was the sigil of the penguin, mighty with fish, and
} its name was Linux
}
} 10 and bore in his right arm a sword and upon the sword were graven the
} words, "as the OS be free, so shalt ye"
}
} 11 and bore upon his brow (above his glasses) a shining star that bore
} his name and his name was Linus.
}
} 12 and upon his left hand was an unkempt one, riding an even mightier
} GNU leading a hurd of GNUs and his name was rms,
}
} 13 and upon his right hand was a horde of daemons, and upon their brows
} were born their names, such as "Free" and "Net" and "Open" and a
} multitude of others.
}
} 14 and greeting him stood one wearing a red hat, who grew more powerful
} with every passing day across this land.
}
} 15 and behind them, on many forms of beasts of the land and beasts of
} the water and beasts of the air came his prophets and disciples,
} bearing many strange names that those of the land on this side of the
} great ocean cannot easily pronounce and bearing many scrolls upon which
} were written source codes that did have vast power.
}
} 16 and they did cry with one voice across the land, "no longer dost
} thou need to be subjugated to the beast!" but the voice of the beast
} was mighty indeed and few heeded their call.
}
} 17 so Linus and his disciples did spread across the land and they threw
} open many doors and cast daemons inside and the people inside did
} rejoice and become powerful.
}
} 18 and they visited many universities, where the students were too poor
} to pay homage to the great beast, and they cast daemons upon them, and
} the students did rejoice and become powerful.
}
} 18a (and still those who would follow Linus did pay small homage to the
} great beast who's system requirements were so large that the
} manufacturers did produce faster and cheaper and more powerful machines
} that did make them even more powerful than the great beast)
}
} 19 yet still across the land the voice of the beast did cry louder and
} the beast did still grow larger
}
} 20 until even the land itself did cast itself up to challenge the
} beast.
}
} 21 and the beast did laugh upon the land and the land held the beast in
} contempt until the beast apologised
}
} 22 and the land was so large and lumbering that it did accept this
} apology even though it was not meant in truth.
}
} 23 then the beast did raise its voice even higher among the people
} saying, "look unto the land, which hath wronged me!"
}
} 24 and the many people, being easily swayed, did agree with the beast.
}
} 25 then in the far west of the land on this side of the great ocean, a
} great dragon did raise its head and did proclaim itself free with the
} voice of one named Marc who did also speak for many, although unlike
} the heads of the beast, the many did look up to the one called Marc who
} had power enough against the beast to call it challenge.
}
} 26 and then in the far north, a most colorful hydra who did draw
} pictures and write words and many things did raise its head who's words
} were perfect and did proclaim that it did also believe the word of the
} one called Linus.
}
} 27 and then did the star upon Linus' brow shine with a mighty light and
} his shield shined with a vast shine and his sword did glow with a
} wondrous glow.
}
} 28 though many with pointy hair and many with MIS degrees and many who
} believed only the magazines and many who knew no better did still pay
} heed to the voice of the beast, there were now many who could stand up
} and proclaim themselves believers of the one called Linus for the great
} dragon and the great hydra had given credence to his teachings.
}
} 29 so then many did cast their lot with him and followed him and became
} also his disciples, though they did not always follow his teachings
} exactly and there were many forms of daemons across the land, they did
} band together, for they were open and free against the great beast.
}
} 30 and tho the great beast was large, it now had fear in its eyes
} for the one called Linus showed no fear, tho he was tiny and the beast
} was vast, for he had many followers at his side and at his back who
} lent upon him their strength and they did challenge the great beast,
} crying "As the OS be free, so shall the people!"
}
} 31 and tho the many people, still listening to the voice of the great
} beast did not believe, many were no longer swayed by the voice of the
} beast and the followers and disciples did have great hope in their
} hearts against the great beast and grew more powerful at each passing
} day.
}
} ------
} Thus spake the Oracle, which words were then placed forever in the
} Oracularities digest. So it is written, so shall it be done. (If
} the priests know what's good for them... Ahem.)
}
} You owest not the Oracle, but to listen and heed to the writings of the
} third chapter of the Book of Marmoset and have no fear against the
} great beast.
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