Tacos

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The Ars Technica Community Operating System (TACOS) is an imaginary operating system ostensibly created by the members of the popular computer enthusiast web site Ars Technica to represent computing Utopia. Contrary to appearances however, TACOS is in fact an ironic device originally intended to highlight the inherent silliness of the platform wars, in which debates over which OS should reign supreme flared up ceaselessly. According to its billing, TACOS resolved the seemingly intractable platform wars by satisfying the needs of every possible user. Of course, being all things to all users, TACOS was an absurdity in principle; like Utopia, it was not accessible within the mortal realm.

As time passed, "Tacos" became the de-facto "none of the above" option in any poll started on the Ars Technica forums. It is customary to incorporate the word in some humourous fashion, often playing on taco being a kind of food.

Upon realizing that TACOS ran afoul of satisfying contradictory demands, it was hoped that a debater would recognize that by extension no OS could satisfy the needs of every user, thereby "unasking the question" upon which the platform wars were predicated ("which OS is 'the best?'"), and transcend to true platform enlightenment: achieving computing Nirvana, rather than Utopia.

The homophonic relationship between the handle of CmdrTaco, the famous creator of Slashdot, and Ars Technica's TACOS is the source of much confusion and semantic drift; however, the two have entirely independent origins.

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