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From: psc@lzwi.UUCP (Paul S. R. Chisholm)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: "Press Enter _" by John Varley; computer-related names
Message-ID: <330@lzwi.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 1-Oct-85 13:49:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: lzwi.330
Posted: Tue Oct  1 13:49:07 1985
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In article <310@proper.UUCP>, carl@proper.UUCP (Carl Greenberg) writes:
> The characters in there all had computer-related names in common.  You all
> must know what "foo" is as in "Lisa Foo" and "foobar".  Furthermore, we have
> a guy called Hal- and you all must remember 2001: A Space Odyssey.  And Kludge
> is explained, and of course we have an Osborne in there.  It's quite
> intentional, I think...  Carl Greenberg

Geez, do I feel dense.

Detective Osborne:  If you've never heard of Adam Osborne or Osborne
Computers, none of this is going to mean a lot to you!

Lisa Foo:  Steve Jobs' mostly-ex-girlfriend had a baby daughter named
Lisa.  Jobs said the child wasn't his; the courts disagreed.  Roughly
a year later, Apple Computer announced the Lisa (forerunner of the
Macintosh).  "Foo", as in "foobar" or "fubar", is a common noise word
among hackers.

Victor Apfel:  There was a computer called the Victor 9000 (I think it
was called the Sirius 1 or some such in Britain and Europe.)  As for
"Apfel" - that isn't German for "Apple", is it?

Hal Lanier:  2001's HAL 9000, and Lanier word processors.

Charles Kludge:  "Kludge" is explained.  I can't make any plays on
either "Charles" or "Patrick William Gavin".

None of the minor characters seem to have computer-derived names.


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