2014-01-02 10:06, Michael Rawson skrev: > > On 01/01/14 20:43, Aere Greenway wrote: >> On 01/01/2014 12:34 PM, Israel wrote: >>> I know this is rather nerdy, but.... >>> >>> >>> >> Israel: >> >> Thank you for the clever graphic, done in characters. It's a "blast >> from the past" like the graphics available to us when I originally >> started programming (in the late 60's). >> >> Since one good turn deserves another, I am contributing my parody on >> Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven", written from the perspective of systems >> programming back in the 70's, working on Univac Exec 8 mainframe >> systems. >> >> "The Blocktimer's >> Lament" >> >> (A parody on Edgar Allen Poe's "The >> Raven") >> >> By Aere Greenway >> >> >> Once upon a mid-shift dreary, while I >> pondered, weak and weary, >> over many a strange and curious listing >> of forgotten core-- >> While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly >> there came a clacking, >> As the printer fiercely tapping-- spewed its >> printout on the floor. >> "Tis my SYSGEN," I muttered, "dumping >> registers and core-- >> only this and nothing more." >> >> Ah, distinctly I remember, it was in >> the Dynamic Allocator, >> and each stupid faulty COR-change wrought >> its errors by the score. >> Hopelessy I watched the panel;-- vainly >> I had read the manuals >> and my PROCS, and still I fail-- >> to allocate the D-bank core-- >> and patch a rare unseemly buffer which >> my expool doth not store-- >> nameless here for evermore. >> >> And each sudden bad uncertain flashing of >> mount-requests outstanding >> on the console; showed a thousand different >> errors I had never seen before; >> So that now to still the beating of my fist, >> I stood repeating: >> 'Tis some interrupt receiving service from >> sub-system 4-- >> Some ESI interrupt queued and waiting from >> sub-system 4. >> This it is and nothing more. >> >> Eventually my fits grew meaner; placing >> cards into the reader, >> "@RUN" said I, "@START a @RUN and >> crash no more; >> But the fact was I was napping, and so >> loudly the printer clacking, >> and so faintly you were S$NAPing-- dumping >> buffer space and core." >> Always now the lights I'm watching-- for a >> flash from channel 4:-- >> Darkness there and nothing more. >> >> Deep into that darkness peering, long >> I stood there wondering fearing, >> routeing, klugeing patches no mortal >> ever dared to patch before; >> But the backlog was unopened, and the >> flashing gave no token, >> and the only words there spoken was >> the run-log phrase "DAMCORE"... >> This I whispered, and the console printed >> back the word: "DALCORE"-- >> merely this and nothing more. >> >> Then back to my manual turning, all I >> ate within me burning, >> Soon again I heard a clacking, a little >> sooner than before. >> "Surely," said I, "surely it is a glitch >> in the control-unit; >> Let us see, then, what there is, and >> this circuitry explore;-- >> 'Tis the disks, and nothing more. >> >> Now out I pulled the ERR$ing module, when, >> with barely a flit and flicker, >> On there popped a shining light from >> the failing channel 4. >> Not the least abberance made it; not >> a moment stopped or changed it; >> But with will of control-unit and processor, >> glowed there from sub-system 4-- >> glows there still, and nothing more. >> >> Then this brilliant kluge beguiling my >> false hopes into smiling, >> at the grave commanding pattern of >> the lights upon the board, >> "Though thy states be badly shaken by >> this PC-card I have taken, surely thou art not mistaken >> ghastly grim and unknown algorithm wandering through >> the ferrite core-- >> Tell me what thy unknown state is far within >> the dormant core! >> Quoth the system, ERR 004. >> >> Much I marveled this ungainly foul machine to >> see discourse so plainly, >> though the error-code little meaning-- little >> relevancy bore; >> For we are reluctant in agreeing that no living human being >> ever yet was cursed with seeing shining >> light from channel 4-- >> Light within the deadlocked panel shining from >> sub-system 4 >> with such a state as ERR 004. >> >> But the system, sitting lonely in that >> big room, printed only >> that one word, as if its reason for existence in that >> one word did deplore. >> Nothing further then it printed; not a >> flashing light it flitted-- >> 'til I scarcely more than booted. >> "System errors I've solved before-- >> On the next load it will be working, as my >> builds have @MAP'ed before." >> Then the thing prints: ERR 004. >> >> Startled at the horror hinted by reply >> so aptly printed, >> "Doubtless," said I, "what it prints is >> its only stock and storage. >> Dumped from some unhappy register >> which reentrant disaster >> swallowed fast and hung much faster til >> its buffers one message bore-- >> Till the control units of its symbionts the melancholy >> message bore, >> of error-- ERR 004. >> >> But the SYSBLD still compiling all my >> changes I'd been trying, >> straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in >> front of machine and console and core; >> Then down in the chair sinking, I reduced >> myself to LINK$ing, thinking >> what this >> cryptic code of yore-- >> What this dim, unweildly, beastly, >> un-commented and monotonous algorithm of yore >> meant in printing ERR 004. >> >> This I sat engaged in guessing, but no >> jump-switch yet depressing >> on the foul machine whose guard-mode light now >> burned into my bosom's core; >> The buffer still devising, my mind >> still searched, reviling >> as I beat upon the table while the lights >> stare always o'er. >> It shall run? No-- ERR 004. >> >> Then methought, the air grew denser,-- >> with ozone told a sensor >> caused by wiring and such whose arcing >> crackles through sub-system 4. >> "Wretch", I cried, "UNIVAC hath rented >> thee-- By these Field Engineers it hath wrecked >> thee! >> Respite-- enter site and set jump-key, from >> all control-units on channel 4! >> Quaff, don't laugh-- but before the coming century, >> let me complete this hopeless chore!" >> Quoth the system, ERR 004. >> >> "Be that word our sign of parting, thing >> .OR. fiend!" I shrieked rebooting-- >> "Test-and-set thee stacked into the darkest regions of the >> smelly hidden core! >> Leave no jammed-printer as a token of >> the lie thy console hath spoken! >> Leave my processors unopened-- Turn >> off light from channel 4! >> Take thy @MARK from off my tapes, and >> take thy plague from off my chore!" >> Quoth the system, ERR 004. >> >> And the system, never flitting, still is >> sitting-- still is sitting. >> Like the groveling ghost of babbage, light still on >> from channel 4; >> And its lights have all the seeming of a >> down-machine that is dreaming, >> and the room lights over it streaming >> cast no shadow on the floor; >> But my dump from out that shadow >> that lies looping in memory 4, >> shall be listed nevermore. >> >> >> P.S. >> >> If you are very familiar with Poe's poem, you will notice that one >> verse is >> missing. You might think of this omission as a 'parody error'... >> >> -- >> Sincerely, >> Aere >> >> > Happy new year to everyone. > > That was rather beautiful, Aere! (Who says geeks can't write poetry?) > > Best wishes, > > Michael >
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