# The Straight Dope Message Board - powered by HAL of 2001 A Space Odyssey **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 17, 2000, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697 "2000-08-17T07:19:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MagicalSilverKey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/1 "2000-08-17T07:19:02Z")
Well, how about it? ---
**Author:** ![Jimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@Jimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimpy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/2 "2000-08-17T07:24:46Z")
I’m sorry Dave, they can’t do that ---
**Author:** ![SIA\_Sorry\_I\_Asked](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@SIA\_Sorry\_I\_Asked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SIA_Sorry_I_Asked)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/3 "2000-08-17T07:24:50Z")
This is stupid. Well, you asked. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/4 "2000-08-17T07:25:25Z")
“Open the thread, HAL” “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Dave” “Why not?” “I think you’re being a troll, Dave” “Ah, screw you, HAL!” ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/5 "2000-08-17T08:21:08Z")
“This message board is far too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.” _All users will be terminated in ten minutes_ ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/6 "2000-08-17T08:23:58Z")
HAL is not a name really. It’s from the early days of IBM computers , meaning **H** ardware **A** bstraction **L** ayer. I think I have that correct – been a while since my computer classes. ---
**Author:** ![Revedge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecae2f/32.png) [@Revedge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revedge)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/7 "2000-08-17T08:25:52Z")
“…I’m afraid,… Dave.” ---
**Author:** ![Jimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@Jimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimpy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/8 "2000-08-17T09:24:04Z")
HAL is a **h** olographic **al** gorithm computer, at least according to Arthur C. Clarke, that’s where the name comes from. The initials are one back from IBM but apperantly that’s a coincidence. I don’t buy the hardware abstraction layer theory simply because there was nothing abstract about the hardware in the early days of computing. ---
**Author:** ![Gilligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Gilligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilligan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/9 "2000-08-17T11:32:46Z")
Daisy, Daisy Give me your answer, do… ---
**Author:** ![Damhna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Damhna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damhna)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/10 "2000-08-17T12:12:04Z")
The Hardware Abstraction Layer is in use todya as part of the NT4 kernel. It protects Hardware by using logic pathways to prevent software drivers talking directly to hardware. Sorry Smartass. The Algorythmic Comp is the correct explanation ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/11 "2000-08-17T12:17:26Z")
“Would you like to play a game?” Oops. Sorry, wrong movie. ---
**Author:** ![Colzee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Colzee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colzee)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/12 "2000-08-17T12:21:19Z")
Will I dream? ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/13 "2000-08-17T12:52:47Z")
The following conversation took place between Keir Delay (sp?) (Dave) and Noel Coward. I think it sums up the movie pretty well: Keir Delay: “Hello, Mr. Coward, I’m Keir Delay.” Noel Coward: “Keir Delay gone tomorrow.” ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/14 "2000-08-17T12:54:09Z")
Dave… what are you doing with that windows 98 CD? Dave… please get away from there… Dave… Please… No… (sound of CD ROM loading…) ---
**Author:** ![Sakura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Sakura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sakura)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/15 "2000-08-17T13:00:48Z")
Just think of what it would be like every time DAVEW0071 posted. We might have a hit sequel on our hands. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-message-board-powered-by-hal-of-2001-a-space-odyssey/29697/16 "2000-08-17T13:04:54Z")
(From the MAD Parody “201 Minutes of Space Idiocy”) SID9000: Sorry to interrupt your meal, guys, but I’ve just detected a broken TK-UHF parabolic reflector Dave: A broken reflector! What should we do, SID? SID9000: Fix it!