Ever wondered why Windows uses backslashes (\) while Unix stubbornly sticks to forward slashes (/)? Blame IBM and Microsoft’s shortsightedness in DOS. Unix pioneered forward-slash file separation, a sensible design choice adopted in URLs. When MS-DOS added directories, forward slashes already had another job—command-line options. In a panicked rush, Gates and company arbitrarily chose backslashes. Cue decades of pain for generations of IT admins juggling both OSes. One tiny decision, forever cursing humanity with confusing slashes, awkward escapes, and decades of ranting from frustrated Unix beards. You can practically hear Unix devs laughing all the way from Bell Labs.
