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Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #160825 > unrolled thread
| Started by | Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> |
|---|---|
| First post | 2016-03-10 15:26 -0800 |
| Last post | 2016-03-11 16:25 -0600 |
| Articles | 7 — 5 participants |
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Re: Lights on Burroughs machines Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2016-03-10 15:26 -0800
Re: Lights on Burroughs machines Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-03-11 04:20 +0000
Re: Lights on Burroughs machines "Charles Richmond" <numerist@aquaporin4.com> - 2016-03-11 16:29 -0600
Re: Lights on Burroughs machines tracymnelson@gmail.com - 2016-03-22 09:44 -0700
Re: Lights on Burroughs machines "Charles Richmond" <numerist@aquaporin4.com> - 2016-03-23 14:26 -0500
Re: Lights on Burroughs machines scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2016-03-11 14:07 +0000
Re: Lights on Burroughs machines "Charles Richmond" <numerist@aquaporin4.com> - 2016-03-11 16:25 -0600
| From | Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2016-03-10 15:26 -0800 |
| Subject | Re: Lights on Burroughs machines |
| Message-ID | <0056fdea-825e-47cc-af67-a4488e1da575@googlegroups.com> |
On Monday, January 15, 1990 at 2:14:17 PM UTC-7, Ken Yap wrote: > Speaking of the Burroughs Fortran compiler, many years ago I happened > to glance at a Burroughs Tech Bulletin (or whatever) and there was a > bug warning stating (something like): > > "If the 25th variable in the 25th common block is named ZZXYZ then the > compiler dies with a spurious error." > > It still boggles my mind how anybody would ever stumble upon a bug like > that. And presumably that is the origin of XYZZY in Colossal Cave Adventure! John Savard
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| From | Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2016-03-11 04:20 +0000 |
| Message-ID | <nbth2k016sq@news4.newsguy.com> |
| In reply to | #160825 |
On 2016-03-10, Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> wrote: > On Monday, January 15, 1990 at 2:14:17 PM UTC-7, Ken Yap wrote: > >> Speaking of the Burroughs Fortran compiler, many years ago I happened >> to glance at a Burroughs Tech Bulletin (or whatever) and there was a >> bug warning stating (something like): >> >> "If the 25th variable in the 25th common block is named ZZXYZ then the >> compiler dies with a spurious error." >> >> It still boggles my mind how anybody would ever stumble upon a bug like >> that. Sounds like a magic cookie. Obscure, but still vulnerable. I learned two things early in my career: 1. Magic cookies are Evil. 2. "Never" (as in "Oh, that'll never happen") is usually about 6 months. > And presumably that is the origin of XYZZY in Colossal Cave Adventure! I once came across a little executable called XYZZY. Whenever you ran it, it said, "Nothing happens." -- /~\ cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid (Charlie Gibbs) \ / I'm really at ac.dekanfrus if you read it the right way. X Top-posted messages will probably be ignored. See RFC1855. / \ HTML will DEFINITELY be ignored. Join the ASCII ribbon campaign!
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| From | "Charles Richmond" <numerist@aquaporin4.com> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2016-03-11 16:29 -0600 |
| Message-ID | <nbvgll$183$1@dont-email.me> |
| In reply to | #160836 |
"Charlie Gibbs" <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> wrote in message news:nbth2k016sq@news4.newsguy.com... > > [snip...] [snip...] > [snip...] > >> And presumably that is the origin of XYZZY in Colossal Cave Adventure! > > I once came across a little executable called XYZZY. > Whenever you ran it, it said, "Nothing happens." > Should it say "Nothing happens here.", or is that what the program "Hello-Sailor" says??? -- numerist at aquaporin4 dot com
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| From | tracymnelson@gmail.com |
|---|---|
| Date | 2016-03-22 09:44 -0700 |
| Message-ID | <4611e712-c4d2-46ab-a084-4ad4e771c8b9@googlegroups.com> |
| In reply to | #160836 |
On Thursday, March 10, 2016 at 11:21:21 PM UTC-5, Charlie Gibbs wrote: > > I once came across a little executable called XYZZY. > Whenever you ran it, it said, "Nothing happens." I have these two lines in my .profile: alias xyzzy="echo Nothing happens." alias plugh="echo You'''re at end of road again."
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| From | "Charles Richmond" <numerist@aquaporin4.com> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2016-03-23 14:26 -0500 |
| Message-ID | <ncuqf0$lt1$1@dont-email.me> |
| In reply to | #161350 |
<tracymnelson@gmail.com> wrote in message news:4611e712-c4d2-46ab-a084-4ad4e771c8b9@googlegroups.com... > On Thursday, March 10, 2016 at 11:21:21 PM UTC-5, Charlie Gibbs wrote: >> >> I once came across a little executable called XYZZY. >> Whenever you ran it, it said, "Nothing happens." > > I have these two lines in my .profile: > > alias xyzzy="echo Nothing happens." > alias plugh="echo You'''re at end of road again." In the Colossal Cave Adventure game, "plugh" does *not* put you at the end of the road. "Plugh" moves you between the well house and Y2. -- numerist at aquaporin4 dot com
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| From | scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) |
|---|---|
| Date | 2016-03-11 14:07 +0000 |
| Message-ID | <iiAEy.40051$8W3.33458@fx10.iad> |
| In reply to | #160825 |
Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> writes: >On Monday, January 15, 1990 at 2:14:17 PM UTC-7, Ken Yap wrote: > >> Speaking of the Burroughs Fortran compiler, many years ago I happened >> to glance at a Burroughs Tech Bulletin (or whatever) and there was a >> bug warning stating (something like): >> >> "If the 25th variable in the 25th common block is named ZZXYZ then the >> compiler dies with a spurious error." >> >> It still boggles my mind how anybody would ever stumble upon a bug like >> that. > >And presumably that is the origin of XYZZY in Colossal Cave Adventure! The burroughs compiler group was in southern california. As is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zzyzx,_California Which I suspect was the origin of the name in the Fortran compiler. Everyone driving to vegas from la sees the zzyzx rd sign.
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| From | "Charles Richmond" <numerist@aquaporin4.com> |
|---|---|
| Date | 2016-03-11 16:25 -0600 |
| Message-ID | <nbvgel$i5$1@dont-email.me> |
| In reply to | #160825 |
"Quadibloc" <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> wrote in message news:0056fdea-825e-47cc-af67-a4488e1da575@googlegroups.com... > On Monday, January 15, 1990 at 2:14:17 PM UTC-7, Ken Yap wrote: > >> Speaking of the Burroughs Fortran compiler, many years ago I happened >> to glance at a Burroughs Tech Bulletin (or whatever) and there was a >> bug warning stating (something like): >> >> "If the 25th variable in the 25th common block is named ZZXYZ then the >> compiler dies with a spurious error." >> >> It still boggles my mind how anybody would ever stumble upon a bug like >> that. > > And presumably that is the origin of XYZZY in Colossal Cave Adventure! > ISTM that there are many stories concerning the origin of XYZZY. See: http://rickadams.org/adventure/c_xyzzy.html -- numerist at aquaporin4 dot com
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