The idea that Unix is or should be a collection of small tools is only a corollary to the real point, which is that Unix is not a machine, but a language. A ma

The idea that Unix is or should be a collection of small tools is only a corollary to the real point, which is that Unix is not a machine, but a language. A machine can only do what it has buttons for. A language can express ideas that have yet to be thought. They are greater than the sums of their parts. As with all languages, words get expanded and used in ways they weren't intended. This is good. English is messier than Esperanto, and better for it. Unix is a language where merely speaking an idea makes it reality. We call this magic.