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From: bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: What the world needs now [ is an exploding computer ]
Message-ID: <8252@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: Sun, 31-May-87 23:59:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: bu-cs.8252
Posted: Sun May 31 23:59:12 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 2-Jun-87 03:24:04 EDT
References: <12067@topaz.rutgers.edu> <910@killer.UUCP> <15@gordon.UUCP> <2725@phri.UUCP>
Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci.
Lines: 21
In-reply-to: roy@phri.UUCP's message of 25 May 87 18:41:36 GMT

Posting-Front-End: GNU Emacs 18.41.4 of Mon Mar 23 1987 on bu-cs (berkeley-unix)



I can't verify it but I remember a person from the Multics development
group claiming that when they installed a highly optimized disk head
algorithm (a modified topological sort if memory serves me) the heads
just banged back and forth till they blew a disk drive, too optimal.

Another similar story referred to the installation (on a different
early system) of "high" density tape drives (something like 300BPI)
which, when used by programs which did direct access to tapes,
eventually stretched and broke the tapes, or melted them to the head
or something horrible like that (the programs had been developed for
the lower density tapes.)

On an opposite note I remember stories of programs which would be run
in the background to exercise core memories, that long unused areas
tended to go bad.

This may all be bar talk but I'd be interested if anyone has any
verification.

	-Barry Shein, Boston University