Andreas Enge wrote:

> Part of the fun in Guix is that it conflates and blurs boundaries,
> the package descriptions, the dmd init system and the package manager
> are all written in Guile and can be loaded into the same REPL.

Extending your argument, every other software written for the Guile
interpreter should be called Guix.  What's absurd.  But even if we
ignore that, what's almost inconceivable, we would find that it is not
justified to attribute to Guix the "conflation and blur of
boundaries".  Why would Guix have more credit for that than Guile
itself?  Why not GNU dmd?  How about GNU Lilypond?  Just non-sense;
your argument is simply void of meaning, one can conclude whatever one
wants to.

> Guix is the package manager _and_ the packages.

Let's suppose you're right.

There are two possible interpretations; besides being a package
manager, Guix is:

1. Each one of the packages.  For instance, Guix is GNU Bash
and GNU Emacs.  That's absurd because Bash != Emacs, and therefore
Guix != Guix.

2. The set of all packages.  So Guix = GNU.
However by hypothesis Guix is a package manager (you have stated that),
and we know by a matter of fact that GNU is an operating system.
Therefore Guix != GNU.  Absurd.

As we came to contradictions within the only two possible
interpretations, your original statement must be incorrect.  Thus,
either Guix is *not* a package manager or Guix are *not* the packages.
Guix is clearly a package manager, so it must not be the packages.

> Like the Debian system is not just dpkg; Guix should be compared to 
> Debian, not dpkg/apt.

Let's *confabulate* about a dedicated Debian dpkg developer for whom
dpkg was the funniest and greatest project of all.  Although he was a
good programmer, he was often overwhelmed by the romantic and strong
feelings he had attached to dpkg.  For him, it was like if dpkg was
the soul of the Debian distribution: so much that in a philosophical
and metaphorical way, he knew deep inside his ego that dpkg was Debian
itself.

One day he got a message, addressed to the dpkg development list,
saying about the notorious and noble role of dpkg within the Debian
distribution.  Albeit the message had given due credit to his beloved
project, he didn't felt right about it --- it was not enough!

Then he decided to post a response to the list.  In the heart of his
message was an interesting analogy backed up by a reference to the
respectful official distribution of the GNU operating system, simply
called "GNU", for obvious reasons that he truly knew, but ignored for
the sake of his argument.  The analogy read:

  "Like the GNU system is not just Guix; dpkg should be compared to
   GNU, not Guix."

Our fellow hacker had his discernment affected by his emotional
attachment to dpkg and was not capable of reasoning clearly.  He
couldn't figure out that the analogy he was trying to make was
completely absurd since his original assumption, that dpkg was the
Debian distribution, was plainly wrong.  Moreover, the analogy was
such that it was made a blatant error, in the context, to whomever
knew the GNU system and it's meaning --- as he did, but couldn't or
didn't want to perceive.

Following up his response, there was a message confabulating about an
hypothetical GNU contributor who conflated Guix and GNU, strongly
believing that Guix was in fact GNU.  Then, although our fellow hacker
was sympathetic towards that tale hacker, he confronted the absurd
which his analogy leaded if it was put in the symmetrical context of
reference.

The rest, as they say, is history.  Maybe we'll never know if our
fellow hacker admitted his misconception and resumed his appreciated
and highly relevant work on his package manager, he once naively
dreamed as an operating system, or pursued his original delusion to an
end.  What we do know is that this story teaches us a lesson:
discernment is the main attribute of a hacker's wisdom.  Put your
discernment first, your sentiments later.


-- 
 ,= ,-_-. =.  Bruno Félix Rezende Ribeiro (oitofelix) [0x28D618AF]
((_/)o o(\_)) There is no system but GNU;
 `-'(. .)`-'  GNU Linux-Libre is one of its official kernels;
     \_/      All software must be free as in freedom;