# What were you THINKING? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 13, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532 "2023-10-13T19:36:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 119
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2361 "2024-04-17T11:40:43Z")
36-bit nerd wars! My favorite sport. Did I ever tell ya about the time I screwed up a plugboard and overwrote a whole database? All 12 boxes? šŸ˜ ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2362 "2024-04-17T12:22:28Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I screwed up a plugboard What was it attached to? ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2363 "2024-04-17T13:46:38Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > What? Forget about COBOL? My first job was programming COBOL and RPG Ha! You young punks and your fancy new FORTRAN and COBOL! Back in _my_ day, we programmed in BASIC! And it made me the man I am today! A computer illiterate whose most advanced programming ability is clearing cookies on his laptopā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2364 "2024-04-17T13:52:07Z")
_I_ wrote programs in FORTRAN on keypunch cards, mailed them off the the U. of Chicago, then waited 3 weeks to see if my program ran. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2365 "2024-04-17T13:59:37Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > What was it attached to? An IBM 400-series card reader/puncher. Iā€™ve lost the details. This was mid 1970s and we had about a half-dozen truly ancient machines for the few applications that had not yet been moved to the mainframe. Typically these machines would process an input deck, performing computations as it went, and meanwhile punch whatever results onto an output deck of fresh new cards. But there was a path to route the cards from reader to puncher to write data to an existing just-read card. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2366 "2024-04-17T14:12:25Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > 36-bit nerd wars! My favorite sport. 36 bit? What kind of fancy processors did you have? ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2367 "2024-04-17T14:15:57Z")
Sounds like a 407. I took a service call on one early in my career. I was eagerly trouble shooting when an old timer walked by and said ā€œjust unplug it and plug it back inā€. So much for all the time I spent in school. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2368 "2024-04-17T14:16:39Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Ha! You young punks and your fancy new FORTRAN and COBOL! Back in _my_ day, we programmed in BASIC! And it made me the man I am today! > > A computer illiterate whose most advanced programming ability is clearing cookies on his laptopā€¦ Wait - are you me? ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2369 "2024-04-17T14:19:21Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > 36 bit? What kind of fancy processors did you have? In 1957 the IBM 704 was 36 bits single precision and 72 bits extended. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2370 "2024-04-17T14:22:08Z")
Your touching concern for protecting the anti-Semitic troll from disparagement is noted. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2371 "2024-04-17T14:24:03Z")
Somebody said _cookies_, I believe. Got milk? ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2372 "2024-04-17T14:31:01Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > 36 bit? What kind of fancy processors did you have? Oh yeah, we had an IBM 705 that was a variable word length BCD machine. Any word length you needed. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2373 "2024-04-17T14:39:49Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > I took a service call on one early in my career. I was eagerly trouble shooting when an old timer walked by and said ā€œjust unplug it and plug it back inā€. So much for all the time I spent in school. There were some timing issues with those things where once in awhile one cam or shaft lock or whatever wouldnā€™t quite release before the next one engaged. Now you had a mechanical deadlock, with some solenoid somewhere deep in the bowels holding the deadlock in place. And the machine would halt with a scary-sounding shudder. Just like today a ā€œrebootā€ = power cycle would usually cause everything to relax back to a stable unjammed state. Usually. It was certainly the first thing to try before calling your friendly FE for a visit. Ahh the memories. šŸ˜ ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2374 "2024-04-17T14:40:52Z")
Correct me if Iā€™m wrong, but **Crane** compared Israel to the Waffen SS. Why are people casually engaging with him about old computer stuff here? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2375 "2024-04-17T15:03:15Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Why are people casually engaging with him about old computer stuff here? Because his addled old man schtick wins hearts and minds? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2376 "2024-04-17T15:06:12Z")
Because until heā€™s banned he still a member? You can certainly have your own personal blackball list. Just donā€™t try to foist it onto others. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2377 "2024-04-17T15:29:57Z")
The issue was resolved with the Mods. If there is something remaining, take it up with them. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2378 "2024-04-17T15:33:13Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > The issue was resolved with the Mods. If there is something remaining, take it up with them No, @DocCathode is correct. The pit is the correct Place to call you a braindead antisemitic troll, no mods involved. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2379 "2024-04-17T15:35:19Z")
OK, be of good cheer. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2380 "2024-04-17T15:48:26Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Correct me if Iā€™m wrong, but **Crane** compared Israel to the Waffen SS. Why are people casually engaging with him about old computer stuff here? Maybe he did work debugging the Enigma machine for the Wehrmachtā€¦ šŸ™‚ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=118) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=120)