Comments on: TOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!! https://habitablezone.com/2012/10/08/tommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:41:18 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2012/10/08/tommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm/#comment-19260 bowser Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:21:36 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=23555#comment-19260 Over 50 years ago as a Senior in college I had a desk in the computer math department. I knew a couple of grad students and they had a big room with some extra desks. It was a convenient location and the desk I chose allowed me to take a nap along side it without being seen. I just moved in, and most everyone thought I belonged. They had a computer they had scabbed together and were quite competitive about practicing programming with it. A bit like competing for a telescope's time, I'd guess. Well, someone wanted to celebrate a birthday. I don't know what it had for a printer, but they had a sign about 10' long and 2' high which said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVE". The printing was all black, no graphics. That's all. It took that thing all night to print that, with someone babysitting it the entire time. I think it had to calculate every keystroke, running through the entire program each time. It was painful to watch. It was considered a great success, and the fellow who wrote the program was congratulated at some length. Over 50 years ago as a Senior in college I had a desk in the computer math department. I knew a couple of grad students and they had a big room with some extra desks. It was a convenient location and the desk I chose allowed me to take a nap along side it without being seen. I just moved in, and most everyone thought I belonged.

They had a computer they had scabbed together and were quite competitive about practicing programming with it. A bit like competing for a telescope’s time, I’d guess.

Well, someone wanted to celebrate a birthday. I don’t know what it had for a printer, but they had a sign about 10′ long and 2′ high which said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVE”. The printing was all black, no graphics.

That’s all. It took that thing all night to print that, with someone babysitting it the entire time. I think it had to calculate every keystroke, running through the entire program each time. It was painful to watch.

It was considered a great success, and the fellow who wrote the program was congratulated at some length.

]]> By: RobVG https://habitablezone.com/2012/10/08/tommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm/#comment-19238 RobVG Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:17:42 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=23555#comment-19238 Hmm. That title looks like a software test. n/t Hmm. That title looks like a software test. n/t

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