Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!mcsun!ukc!sys.uea!cmp8118
From: cmp8118@sys.uea.ac.uk (D.S. Cartwright)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers
Subject: Re: Lights on Burroughs machines
Message-ID: <1065@sys.uea.ac.uk>
Date: 17 Jan 90 11:43:07 GMT
References: <1990Jan15.173434.5792@virtech.uucp> <6454@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>
Organization: UEA, Norwich, UK
Lines: 36

gis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Brian L. Stuart) writes about flashing lights;

I and my friends have developed many mini-theories about these items:

1. The speed of any machine is inversely proportional to the number of
   flashing lights.

2. The cost of any machine is proportional to the cube of the number of
   flashing lights.

3. The first item to malfunction on any piece of machinery is the flashing
   lights.

4. Any fault detection system which uses flashing lights is incapable of
   detecting faults in the flashing lights.

5. Any flashing light which detects the presence of mains power will fail to
   go off when the power is turned off.

6. Any light intended as any sort of 'Disk In Use' indicator will be rendered
   unnecessary by the very loud grinding noise of the disk drive; people will
   hear the drive being used and will never look at the flashing light.

7. Though machines are designed with the intention of avoiding redundancy in
   all circumstances, this practice does not extend to redundancy of flashing
   lights.

8. Problems will be encountered when trying to expand machines with extra disk
   drives, etc, as the front panel is full of flashing lights.

9. The peripheral support industry of the 1990's will me in the maintenance of
   flashing lights.

10. Flashing lights are a pain in the bum.

	Dave C, UEA, Norwich, ENGLAND.