I re-read this story every year or so It's part of the culture of hackers/programmers, and one of the stories that everyone involved in programming should know.

It has, of course, been submitted here many times, and some of the comments should become part of the story. It's not enough to read and enjoy - we should also learn.

https://hn.algolia.com/?query=the%20story%20of%20mel&sort=by...