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Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #162907

Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)?

From Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net>
Newsgroups alt.folklore.computers
Subject Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)?
Date 2016-04-23 18:12 -0400
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <nfgrpn$spu$2@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References (8 earlier) <nfbgrp$5en$1@dont-email.me> <d7412294-21a0-4603-a995-ddaf7ee17b92@googlegroups.com> <nfg1fi$2eu$1@dont-email.me> <93ab6c8f-e611-4d04-a66e-763c36d7a029@googlegroups.com> <1695425110.483135523.093463.peter_flass-yahoo.com@news.eternal-september.org>

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Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> writes:

> <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:
>> On Saturday, April 23, 2016 at 10:43:13 AM UTC-4, D_J_E wrote:
>> 
>>>> Management likes control and predictability, and they had more
>>>> of that in the tab world than with electronic computers.
>>> 
>>> Sounds like you're making excuses for those idiots.
>> 
>> Certainly, many managers are idiots.  However, managers do
>> have a different perspective--and responsibility--on the 
>> situation than the workers, so it is understandable they
>> would make different decisions.
>> 
>> 
>>> Your argument about disk being unpredictable (especially
>>> compared to card systems) is clearly wrong.
>> 
>> Computer mainframe hardware was significantly less reliable 
>> than it is today.  Today, it is extremely rare for our 
>> mainframe and CICS applications to be unavailable.  Forty
>> years ago, outages (for various reasons) were common.  The
>> 360-40, 158 and supporting peripherals and operating systems
>> did not have the reliability as today's systems.
>> 
>> If you go back to pre-S/360 days, the hardware was even less
>> reliable.  Yes, an electronic computer had advantages over
>> electro-mechanical card machines, but in those days it was
>> understandable for a manager to be nervous.
>> 
>> Also, in those days, there was a shortage of competent qualified
>> programmers.  Histories (various books by MIT Press) report
>> that sometimes industry got stuck with academics who developed
>> notoriously poor systems, that didn't have good controls nor 
>> backup, and proved to be a mess in actual service.  Author
>> Alvin Townsend (Up the Organization) also wrote about this.
>> 
>> Unfortunately, back then many managers were at the mercy
>> of the new fellows--it was so new then few had the experience--
>> and managers weren't equipped to accurately judge if someone
>> was just bullsh** or not.
>>  
>>> All of my experience showed new, well designed automation
>>> could be error proof compared to card shuffling EAM based
>>> systems.
>> 
>> The key word was "well designed".  
>> 
>> Our first assignment in my college computer class was to 
>> bring in an example of a poor computer system.  Every
>> kid brought in not one, but multiple examples of systems
>> that they personally had trouble with.  Clearly, there were
>> lots of systems out there that, for whatever reason, were
>> not "well designed".
>> 
>> Fast forward to the present, I know of an expensive Oracle 
>> system that was supposed to replace a mainframe system.  Ten 
>> years later, the mainframe app remains in service in parallel 
>> since certain sub-functions were never developed, and 
>> certain things still do not work properly.
>
> Also, take  look at a lot of web applications.  It doesn't take long to
> find numerous examples of atrocious design - lack of appropriate help,
> impenetrable navigation, sites that force you to go back several steps to
> make a simple correction, etc.

Just ran into one the other day.
I attempted to register a new account.
Had to use my SS as an identifier.
My brain slipped out of gear and I typed my email 2x
as .com instead of .net.

Now I'm stuck with an account that is trying to email me
the verification code but can't.  No way on the site to
fix the email.  Hopefully they have a timeout period where
I can start over, but right now all it tells me is that
the account is already there.

The worst thing I find on the web are tiny fonts and low contrast
between foreground and background.  If you can't see it, what good is it?

-- 
Dan Espen

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Thread

Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2016-04-15 07:16 -0700
  Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2016-04-15 17:16 +0200
    Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2016-04-21 19:55 +1000
      Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Stephen Wolstenholme <steve@easynn.com> - 2016-04-21 11:10 +0100
        Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? "J. Clarke" <j.clarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2016-04-21 22:17 -0400
  Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-15 14:03 -0700
  Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Walter Bushell <proto@panix.com> - 2016-04-17 10:36 -0400
    Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Stephen Wolstenholme <steve@easynn.com> - 2016-04-17 15:46 +0100
      Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Dave Pitts <dpitts@cozx.com> - 2016-04-17 09:52 -0600
    Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Gerard Schildberger <gerard46@rrt.net> - 2016-04-17 17:18 -0700
      Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Walter Bushell <proto@panix.com> - 2016-04-22 11:01 -0400
        Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2016-04-26 08:22 +0100
        Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2016-04-26 08:20 +0100
    Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-19 11:44 -0700
      Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-04-20 01:36 +0000
        Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-20 16:58 -0700
          Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-04-21 03:52 +0000
            Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-21 12:37 -0700
            Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2016-04-21 16:25 -0400
              Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-04-21 17:35 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-04-21 21:51 +0000
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-04-21 20:58 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2016-04-22 11:34 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-22 12:53 -0700
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-22 12:45 -0700
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2016-04-22 11:34 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-22 12:55 -0700
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-04-22 22:18 +0000
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-22 12:38 -0700
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? "Joe Morris" <j.c.morris@verizon.net> - 2016-04-21 21:21 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-04-21 22:21 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2016-04-21 21:53 -0700
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-04-22 15:22 +0000
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2016-04-22 17:55 +0000
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-22 12:31 -0700
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-04-23 10:43 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-23 12:48 -0700
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2016-04-23 16:21 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-04-23 18:12 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? JimP <solosam90@gmail.com> - 2016-04-23 20:44 -0500
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-04-24 09:09 +0000
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-04-25 15:08 +0000
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-25 13:39 -0700
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-04-23 18:07 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-25 13:48 -0700
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-04-25 17:33 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? "Joe Morris" <j.c.morris@verizon.net> - 2016-04-25 19:47 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-04-25 22:56 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Jon Elson <jmelson@wustl.edu> - 2016-04-26 17:51 -0500
              Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-04-21 21:40 +0000
              Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Walter Bushell <proto@panix.com> - 2016-04-21 22:31 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-04-22 15:22 +0000
              Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Stephen Wolstenholme <steve@easynn.com> - 2016-04-22 07:15 +0100
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2016-04-22 14:44 +0000
              Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-22 12:16 -0700
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2016-04-22 17:10 -0400
              Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net> - 2016-04-22 22:38 -0700
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-04-23 16:28 +0000
          Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2016-04-21 12:35 -0400
            Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-21 12:41 -0700
              Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2016-04-21 16:25 -0400
                Re: IBM's 96 column punch card (was System/3)? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-04-22 12:18 -0700

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