Bill Joy (born 1954) is an American computer scientist and co-founder of Sun Microsystems. His contributions to BSD Unix, the vi editor, and networking protocols helped build the foundation of modern computing.
Berkeley
At UC Berkeley, Joy became the primary developer of BSD Unix. He created vi, contributed to the C shell, and led implementation of BSD’s TCP/IP stack—the code that enabled the internet.
Creating vi
Joy wrote vi in 1976, creating a visual editor for the ex line editor. Working over a slow modem connection, he designed vi’s modal interface to minimize keystrokes. The editor’s efficiency made it standard on Unix systems.
BSD’s TCP/IP
Joy led BSD’s implementation of TCP/IP protocols, funded by DARPA. This code became the reference implementation and spread to virtually every operating system, enabling the internet’s growth.
Sun Microsystems
In 1982, Joy co-founded Sun Microsystems, where he:
- Led development of NFS (Network File System)
- Contributed to Java’s design
- Designed SPARC processor architecture
- Wrote the BSD license
”Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us”
Joy’s 2000 Wired article warned about dangers of advanced technology, including AI and nanotechnology. The essay demonstrated his willingness to question technology’s trajectory despite building his career on it.