Re: Bugs or Mistakes?

[Richard D Riehle <laoXhai@ix.netcom.com>]

In article <382DBE57.97B04F1E@callnetuk.com>,
	Nick Roberts <nickroberts@callnetuk.com> wrote:

>Occasionally, it is held, a bug would fall into the circuitry, causing
>sporadic anomalous misbehaviour. Naturally, this became the simplest way
>to explain any and all incorrect program behaviour to the (then utterly
>clueless) management.

Sometimes the "bug" is the manager who keeps you from getting the
work done necessary to correct a problem, someone who bugs you
until you do something even more extreme.

Hickam AFB, circa 1967:

A forty-eight bit word Honeywell 800 was an important part of
the computer center.  There was  problem with it, clearly 
hardware-related.  One Colonel kept interrrrrrrupting the 
technician, asking questions about the problem.

Honeywell had to send in a tech rep from the U.S. Mainland to help
solve it.  He had been warned about the inquistive Colonel.  

"Well, Colonel, this is a sophisticated Honeywell 800 with a
48 bit word.  Somehow a forty-ninth bit is showing up.  We 
need to eradicate that 49th bit and everything will be OK."

Long after the problem was fixed, the Colonel could be heard showing
off his computer expertise by telling people about the 49th bit. 

Richard Riehle