Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!think!linus!eachus From: eachus@aries.mitre.org (Robert I. Eachus) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: FOOBAR (aka FUBAR) Message-ID: Date: 17 Jan 90 23:44:04 GMT References: <8259@nigel.udel.EDU> <1988@texsun.Central.Sun.COM> Sender: news@linus.UUCP Organization: The Mitre Corporation, Bedford, MA Lines: 39 In-reply-to: lupe@alanya.Sun.COM's message of 16 Jan 90 17:34:57 GMT I believe that the FOO (actually F00) originated at the TMRC (Tech Model Railroad Club) at MIT. TMRC had an HO layout controlled by more phone equipment than in many phone company central offices. If you were at a control location you could dial in (yes rotary telephone dials) to any currently idle train on the layout, then run it around the layout. The telephone switching equipment automatically kept your controller connected to your train. Turnouts (switches) could be switched by dialing their numbers as well. There was a large status board on the wall which displayed the state of the system, with indicators for positions of switches and which track blocks were currently powered. It also had a letter and two digit display for the current incomming call status. If the network couldn't figure out what move to make next it would drop some "call" (train to controller connection) and display an error code. If it was really confused, usually several trains approaching each other all trying to grab the same section of track, the board would display "F00" and hang. Someone would then have to reset the system and all current conections would usually be lost. (Fouled up beyond all recogition.) Since all computer hackers at MIT were required to be members, the new spelling spread rapidly. I don't know when the "F00" message was installed, but I think it was early sixties. It was certainly old news by 1964. Robert I. Eachus with STANDARD_DISCLAIMER; use STANDARD_DISCLAIMER; function MESSAGE (TEXT: in CLEVER_IDEAS) return BETTER_IDEAS is... -- Robert I. Eachus with STANDARD_DISCLAIMER; use STANDARD_DISCLAIMER; function MESSAGE (TEXT: in CLEVER_IDEAS) return BETTER_IDEAS is...