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CISC speaks
by ashiq on 04/18/2004 05:10 AM
In what may be described as a very rare occurance, we managed to interview a very well known Morphos core developer. As it turned out, we found out much more than we expected.

CISC at one of his lesser moments
Here CISC can be seen getting rather upset about all the trolling and bickering going on about how MorphOS is not up to par.

We have sent one of our reporters high up North to interview one of the most well known and respected of the Morphos core developers, Sigbjørn Skjæret, also known as CISC. Even though he is well known in the "community", few facts are known about him. We at WrongPlanet will try to change this and shed some light onto this mysterious individual. As you will find out when you read further, contrary to popular belief, Sigbjørn (we will call him CISC from now on) is quite an open person and does not make any secret about his life.

WrongPlanet: Phew, that was a long and difficult trip to find your house here high up in the mid to northern part of Norway, we actually had to drive 120 km extra, because the ferry was out of order.

CISC: Yes, it is actually quite a pain in the ass to get supplies here. ;-) So we often trade with the Laplanders further up North. ;-) We get reindeer milk, reindeer butter, reindeer cheese, reindeer meat, reindeer fur to keep my wife and her 6 kids warm (I am inside most of the time so I'll just wear my wife's furry coat if I need it, we're the same size you know) and reindeer lard, which we use to brew a kind of tea/broth, it keeps you strong during the cold and dark winter. ;-)

WrongPlanet: Right. That is very interesting. Life must be hard up there.

CISC: Well, it is not for me. My wife always takes out the garbage, and the kids, well except the youngest, always haul the supplies. It is a 3 day walk one way across the mountains, but then they learn discipline. And it is a good experience for them. ;-) I hear no complaints since Ralph gave me that whip. So life is good. Want a cuppa reindeer tea by the way? ;-) My wife will be happy to make us some. ;-)

WrongPlanet: Well, uhm no thank you, we just had a drink. Anyways, this brings us to the main subject. I see you managed to make lots of time available for yourself to work on MorphOS.

CISC: Yes, and my family is very supportive in this, for which I praise myself lucky every day. ;-) By the way, did I tell you we had Ralph and the kids come over the other day, he always does that at early Spring, it's becoming a sort of tradition of us. ;-) The kids aren't always too happy about it, as they find his kids to be annoying pricks, but oh well. ;-) He was supposed to stay for a couple of weeks, but strangely he had to leave after a few days because his stomach ulcers suddenly acted up. I have no idea why, it is such a healthy climate here. ;-) I hope my wife's cooking didn't upset him. ;-) She is a great cook by the way. Her reindeer broth is second to none. ;-) Luckily, besides the leisure time we spent together, we also managed to get some core MorphOS work done. Because we're core developers, we have to maintain a strict schedule. ;-) We really can go on forever, Ralph and I, when we're typing away at mission control, which is how I call my computer room, a "BOFH" (Bastard Operator From Hell, ed) reference hihi. Hope you don't mind if I ask my wife to make me some reindeer tea? ;-)

WrongPlanet: No, go ahead. What exactly is your task in the MorphOS project?

CISC: Man, that's one hell of a good cuppa, thanks to the missus. Anyways, as you may know I have never developed any guis, so I have little clue about that. That's why I mainly focus on the MorphOS internals, the hardcore stuff as a manner of speaking. Device drivers and the lot. You know I made the IDE driver, quite a piece of fine craftsmanship, if I may say so. ;-) Everything which makes MorphOS tick, outside the quark kernel, which is Ralph's focus, is developed by me. ;-)

WrongPlanet: Uhm, ok. Well, what do you think about current talk by people "in the know" that MorphOS is a dead end, that it has no reason to exist and basically lacks a lot of things any self respecting OS should have by default?

CISC: But MorphOS is better than AmigaOS right? ;-) So it can't be all that bad now can it? And I guess you refer to things as memory protection and a usable user interface? Well, memory protection will be implemented in the "q-box", ok that is now still just a brainfart of Ralph, but it will soon become reality, honest, second quarter 2005 or something. ;-) And gees, who needs a user interface to start with? ;-) I guess those people who get off on brushed aluminum skins and such, right? To those I would say, be happy with what you got, it took the team (well, some virtual basic type of codemonkey who we hired for a week, but never paid hihi) days of work to slap the lot together. ;-) Now leave me alone with such meaningless and unimportant issues. ;-) After all, that is not what my task is, I do the real tough stuff.

WrongPlanet: Right, what are your feelings about the recent money issues regarding Genesi?

CISC: As you may know I do this work for free, I am not employed by Genesi. So I care little about what happens there. This is sort of a hobby project of me gone wrong, haha, in the right way though ;-) Although, near the end of 2003 I got a package from Buck, with the specific request to keep it safe and not to open it. Don't know what's in it, but it must be important. ;-) He said he would come to pick it up sometime this year, when the odds are not against him anymore. Hm, I don't know if I was supposed to tell this, but this was off the record right? ;-)

WrongPlanet: Of course CISC. Within the "community" you are well known and praised for having a gentleman's attitude and for being always very correct.

CISC: Right, if only they knew, snicker. ;-) Image building is a very important factor in all of this, it may make or break a man. And it made me. ;-) Did I tell you I was a sysadmin on a SGI Indi back in the days? So you see, the hardcore stuff, the bare iron is not alien to me. That's why Ralph chose ME for this job. ;-)

WrongPlanet: Yes, we and I think many people have wondered how you got into the team of core MorphOS developers. Could you shed some more light in that?

CISC: Of course. ;-) The initial contact between me and Ralph was quite a coincidence. You know, back in the days I kinda hung out with Harry Sintonen aka Piru. ;-) He was then working for Hyperion and I was trying to get a job there also, I mean Hyperion really was THE company to work for, with great people AND potential, the future you know. So I made sure to become good buddies with Harry, to put my foot in the door so to say. ;-) Well, the Hyperion thing didn't work out quite as nicely as I hoped for. ;-) Harry knew Ralph and got a job working as a MorphOS core developer, well as you can understand it didn't take me long to get myself in the picture there. I quite convinced Ralph I am the lowlevel and bare iron dude he needs (just off the record: or so he thinks hihi). ;-) And the rest as they say is history. It is nice that Ralph's family and mine get along so well, we really are best buddies man. ;-) Although he seems to get a bit touchy when we have discussions, I don't know why, it must suck to be often wrong, like Ralph, oh well. He's a great guy nonetheless, just losing his touch a bit, he isn't so young anymore ;-) I wonder, maybe MorphOS needs a new project leader. ;-)

WrongPlanet: Right, that's very interesting, I am sure our readers will just love this. I think we know everything we needed to know, and then some. But one question just came into my mind, why do you always wink when you talk?

CISC: Do I? I didn't realise I did. Oh sorry, I just see the kids came back with supplies, got to help them. Now where did I leave that whip. You will find your way out right?

WrongPlanet: Uhm, sure. Thanks for a great and enlighting interview. Article Manager module by by George! Software.

Comments
The comments are owned by the poster. We are not responsible for its content.
that's it
Posted on: 2004-06-02 17:47:09   By: Anonymous
 
;-)


    Re: that's it
    Posted on: 2004-06-04 00:23:26   By: Anonymous
     
    What is? :-)


      Re: that's it
      Posted on: 2004-06-06 14:43:52   By: Anonymous
       
      It's ;-) not :-)

      Stop trying to spread FUD!!!!!!!!!111


        Re: that's it
        Posted on: 2004-06-08 03:59:02   By: Anonymous
         
        omfg rotflol!!!!11


          Re: that's it
          Posted on: 2004-06-11 02:33:19   By: Anonymous
           
          Message removed by Christophe Decanini for violation of ANN's posting rules.
          Specific reason from moderator: Trolling



    Re: that's it
    Posted on: 2004-06-11 02:24:46   By: Anonymous
     
    [Comment removed by Mikey_C: Trolling and flame baiting.]



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