I used to be a Systems Programmer/Analyst at Sperry/Univac. Until you've seen the front panel on one them, and set a few register switches, you just haven't lived! Best job in the world; greatest fun _ever_.
Some days I miss the simplicity of examining Core dumps and explaining to Defence why a bit error meant their system ordered 25,000 left boots, but no right ones... Then I pick up my Tablet device and look for a Digital Movie to watch while I engage in the International pool of information and create cooperative systems using computer arrays that make the old Univac look like an Abacus... Future's not so bad sometimes :) -- James :) Collins :: Email: [email protected] ,-_|\ Web Management InterActive Technologies Pty Ltd / * Voice 9AM-5PM AEST - 0438-798-594 \_,-._/ Fax 24 Hours - 07-3821-5697 v Snail Mail: P.O. Box 1073, Capalaba, Qld, 4157 Internet Link: http://www.wmit.net/ -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bernard Robertson-Dunn Sent: Friday, 5 June 2015 1:56 PM To: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Re: [LINK] Let's pause before drinking the 'coding in schools' Kool-Aid On 5/06/2015 1:12 PM, David Lochrin wrote: > Did you ever learn the boot sequence which had to be keyed in to those > neon-light register switches on the front panel of a Univac 418 (:-)? No but I did learn it for a ConPac 4020 process control machine with 4k of magnetic core and a paper-tape reader/punch To run a program you had to first load the FORTRAN compiler tape, then the program, the output being object code. Then load the linker tape and the object code, the output being an executable. Then load the operating system tape and the executable. Then press run. All to get the square root of 4, or something as trivial. All that now being useless knowledge. But the mathematics and theory behind numerical analysis/programming of second order non-linear differential equations means that I have a fundamental understanding of chaos and the dangers of predictive models which I don't think most economists and modern climate scientists have. -- Regards brd Bernard Robertson-Dunn Sydney Australia email: [email protected] web: www.drbrd.com web: www.problemsfirst.com Blog: www.problemsfirst.com/blog _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
