On Jan 24, 2008, at 8:22 AM, James Steiner wrote: > On Jan 22, 2008 11:14 AM, Don Begley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> On Jan 21, 2008, at 9:13 PM, Steve Smith wrote: >> >>> >>> On Jan 21, 2008, at 2:45 PM, Russell Standish wrote: >>> >>>> As I tell my son, you don't really know how to use your computer >>>> until >>>> you've mastered the shell. >>> >>> You really haven't mastered a computer (or lived, really) until >>> you've >>> toggled programs directly in via register switches. >>> >>> Paper tape and card readers are new-fangled tools of the devil. >>> >>> - >> >> Plus, it's a lot easier to find the bugs when switches are >> mechanical. >> >> -d- > > I don't know if I agree with that, but I'm willing to be convinced. :) > > Which is harder: finding the one intermittent cold solder joint among > hundreds, or finding an incorrect use of "=" (assignment) in place of > "==" (comparison)? >
My first reaction was the latter in an era of programs with gazillions of lines of code. However, that ignores the reality of modern chips. So, I'll bale by saying I was reflecting on the origins of the term bugs. <g> -d- ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
