[FRIAM] Points for originality

[Don Begley]

On Jan 24, 2008, at 8:22 AM, James Steiner wrote:

> On Jan 22, 2008 11:14 AM, Don Begley <DonBegley at jjwalker.biz> wrote:
>>
>> On Jan 21, 2008, at 9:13 PM, Steve Smith wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> On Jan 21, 2008, at 2:45 PM, Russell Standish wrote:
>>>
>>>> As I tell my son, you don't really know how to use your computer
>>>> until
>>>> you've mastered the shell.
>>>
>>> You really haven't mastered a computer (or lived, really) until  
>>> you've
>>> toggled programs directly in via register switches.
>>>
>>> Paper tape and card readers are new-fangled tools of the devil.
>>>
>>> -
>>
>> Plus, it's a lot easier to find the bugs when switches are  
>> mechanical.
>>
>> -d-
>
> I don't know if I agree with that, but I'm willing to be convinced. :)
>
> Which is harder: finding the one intermittent cold solder joint among
> hundreds, or finding an incorrect use of "=" (assignment) in place of
> "==" (comparison)?
>

My first reaction was the latter in an era of programs with gazillions  
of lines of code. However, that ignores the reality of modern chips.  
So, I'll bale by saying I was reflecting on the origins of the term  
bugs. <g>

-d-