Re: Help Wanted

[Douglas Handy <dhandy1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Adam,

>so for a couple years this box was
>just humming along doing its job and no one even knew it existed physically.

And just who was running the backups on this machine?

It is amazing how long the machines last.  My local county library used a S/34
until 1999, when it got replaced due to Y2K.  The interactive card catalog was a
collection of four 5251 mod 11 terminals for patrons to use.  The lookups were
done with WSF/34 (Workstation Search Facility), an old PRPQ.

It was comical watching people try and use them.  My kids couldn't understand
how the system was hailed as the easiest system to use, in its day.

What was obnoxious were the 5251-11's at the checkout.  They had a barcode scan
keyboard wedge, and everytime the scan was successful, the keyboard buzzer went
off.  Remember those?  And nobody modified the buzzers either.  This was in a
library mind you...

If it weren't for Y2K, the library would probably still be using the thing.  (If
it ain't broke...)

Doug