RE: system names

From: http://www.palantir.net/2001/meanings/essay11.html

<Snip>
Having initially been upset by the use of their corporate logo in a film
that featured a computer that killed several people, the company (IBM)
was further angered when they discovered that the letters H, A, and L
are only one letter removed from I, B, and M in the alphabet.

Clarke, who said the letters stood for "Heuristically programmed
Algorithmic computer" spent many years attempting to dismiss the rumor
that this had been done intentionally, claiming as early as 1972, "we
were quite embarrassed by this, and would have changed the name had we
spotted the coincidence."  
</Snip>

Certainly it's not as good a story...

Regards,
 
Scott Ingvaldson
iSeries System Administrator
GuideOne Insurance Group
    

-----Original Message-----
date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 10:48:28 -0400
from: Dan <dan27649@xxxxxxxxx>
subject: Re: system names

On 10/20/05, Harvell, Joel <jbharvell@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Speaking of HAL does anyone else know where Arthur C. Clark got the 
> name "HAL"???


You mean the one letter down from each letter in IBM?

- Dan


------------------------------

message: 2
date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 09:49:18 -0500
from: "Jeff Crosby" <jlcrosby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
subject: RE: system names

> Speaking of HAL does anyone else know where Arthur C. Clark got the 
> name "HAL"???

Political statement regarding IBM.  Take IBM, go backwards in the
alphabet 1 letter each position.

I --> H
B --> A
M --> L

IBM becomes HAL.

--
Jeff Crosby
Dilgard Frozen Foods, Inc.