Comments on: F. Fortesque Fingerhut http://bit-player.org/2008/f-fortesque-fingerhut An amateur's outlook on computation and mathematics. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:01:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Jim Ward http://bit-player.org/2008/f-fortesque-fingerhut#comment-1739 Jim Ward Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:12:03 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=154#comment-1739 Spam screening: Please enter the next element of the sequence shown. 1, 6, 21, 107, ...? Spam screening: Please enter the next element of the sequence shown.

1, 6, 21, 107, …?

]]> By: Jim Ward http://bit-player.org/2008/f-fortesque-fingerhut#comment-1738 Jim Ward Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:07:43 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=154#comment-1738 I hope it was like an ASCII BEL. If it were built by the Japanese, they might include a shock to punish programmer error. "You have dishonored the software!" I hope it was like an ASCII BEL. If it were built by the Japanese, they might include a shock to punish programmer error. “You have dishonored the software!”

]]> By: Barry Cipra http://bit-player.org/2008/f-fortesque-fingerhut#comment-1737 Barry Cipra Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:08:55 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=154#comment-1737 “It is sometimes convenient to have some means of attracting the attention of the operator... This is done by means of ... a buzzer...." Do you suppose this was a buzzer that made a loud sound, or one that delivered an electrical shock? “It is sometimes convenient to have some means of attracting the attention of the operator… This is done by means of … a buzzer….”

Do you suppose this was a buzzer that made a loud sound, or one that delivered an electrical shock?

]]> By: Jim Ward http://bit-player.org/2008/f-fortesque-fingerhut#comment-1736 Jim Ward Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:34:09 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=154#comment-1736 http://www.alanturing.net/turing_archive/archive/l/l13/L13-008.html suggests that the first stored program computed the square of the natural numbers. Remind me of my first BASIC program. Further on: "It is sometimes convenient to have some means of attracting the attention of the operator during the course of the computation. This is done by means of (destination gate) D29 which operates a buzzer whenever a non zero number is transferred to it from any source. It may be used to indicate that an arithmetic check has not been satisfied ..." http://www.alanturing.net/turing_archive/archive/l/l13/L13-008.html

suggests that the first stored program computed the square of the natural numbers. Remind me of my first BASIC program. Further on:

“It is sometimes convenient to have some means of attracting the attention of the operator during the course of the computation. This is done by means of (destination gate) D29 which operates a buzzer whenever a non zero number is transferred to it from any source. It may be used to indicate that an arithmetic check has not been satisfied …”

]]> By: Barry Cipra http://bit-player.org/2008/f-fortesque-fingerhut#comment-1734 Barry Cipra Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:03:50 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=154#comment-1734 "I wonder what that first program did." Perhaps the answer is buried somewhere in the paperwork made available at http://www.alanturing.net/turing_archive/archive/index/aceindex.html “I wonder what that first program did.”

Perhaps the answer is buried somewhere in the paperwork made available at

http://www.alanturing.net/turing_archive/archive/index/aceindex.html

]]> By: Jim Ward http://bit-player.org/2008/f-fortesque-fingerhut#comment-1733 Jim Ward Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:27:59 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=154#comment-1733 Here's a picture of the Pilot ACE: http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/50th/ace.jpg I wonder what that first program did. Here’s a picture of the Pilot ACE:

http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/50th/ace.jpg

I wonder what that first program did.

]]> By: Jim Ward http://bit-player.org/2008/f-fortesque-fingerhut#comment-1732 Jim Ward Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:15:46 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=154#comment-1732 Had to be an August fool, the men's final was played on July 5. Had to be an August fool, the men’s final was played on July 5.

]]> By: rms http://bit-player.org/2008/f-fortesque-fingerhut#comment-1731 rms Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:17:03 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=154#comment-1731 p.s. see also the "computer humor" section on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datamation p.s. see also the “computer humor” section on

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datamation

]]> By: rms http://bit-player.org/2008/f-fortesque-fingerhut#comment-1730 rms Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:03:50 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=154#comment-1730 If the following bibliographic reference is correct (google dixit): Sojka, Deborah and Dorn, Philip H. Magic Moments in Software. Datamation 27:9 (1981 August 25), 8. then it is more a kind of august fool joke. unless the paper were submitted by april 1st.. If the following bibliographic reference is correct (google dixit):

Sojka, Deborah and Dorn, Philip H. Magic Moments in Software. Datamation 27:9 (1981 August 25), 8.

then it is more a kind of august fool joke. unless the paper were submitted by april 1st..

]]> By: Jim Ward http://bit-player.org/2008/f-fortesque-fingerhut#comment-1729 Jim Ward Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:59:38 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=154#comment-1729 http://www.pierretristam.com/Bobst/07/wf070807.htm suggests that the 1981 Wimbledon chair umpire, Bob Jenkins, famously overruled a linesman and called a John McEnroe ace out. http://www.pierretristam.com/Bobst/07/wf070807.htm

suggests that the 1981 Wimbledon chair umpire, Bob Jenkins, famously overruled a linesman and called a John McEnroe ace out.

]]> By: Seb http://bit-player.org/2008/f-fortesque-fingerhut#comment-1728 Seb Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:32:52 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=154#comment-1728 Do you know what the first F stands for? Do you know what the first F stands for?

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