Re: is this a hint or what?

[PaulMmn <PaulMmn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim--

Ah, yes.  Punch cards.

I remember the fun we used to have-- As a program developed, a 
program deck would change-- as cards were removed and replaced, 
sections re-arranged, etc.  From time to time we'd duplicate the 
deck, putting a fresh number sequence the proper place.  Then we'd 
draw diagonal lines on the card deck, and label it with the program 
name, date of change, etc.  This state of excellence usually lasted 
about a week, until we had to make changes.

After a while the programmer would be about ready to repunch the 
deck.  So I'd sneakily duplicate the deck before the programmer could 
request a fresh copy.  And, with the old deck in hand, I'd hold the 
whole thing vertical between my two hands (all 18" of it), and ask, 
"This the deck you want duplicated?    OOPS!!!"  and spew the deck 
across the floor.  You could hear the programmer scream for miles! 
(:

 I remember fondly the day we migrated from 96 column cards to 3742 
diskettes.  Gone forever were the days of dropping the deck of cards 
that was the invoicing program.  "Was" being the operative word if 
you didn't have the deck recently number sequenced, or a current 
printout to use to re-sequence the cards.  Of course, the technician 
who installed the machines told us we'd think they were slow in about 
a week.  He was right, of course.

--Paul E Musselman
PaulMmn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


> Jim wrote (in part):

> I want my punch cards back.  At least I could touch them, and they made
> such a great pile when you dropped them.  ...  ;-)  oops, I'm not supposed
> to admit I actually used cards at one time...   BTW, it seems to me we had
> many of the same comments regarding the on line editor vs. cards back then.
>
> Jim