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From: nu070156@ndsuvm1.bitnet.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: What the world needs now [ is an exploding computer ]
Message-ID: <200NU070156@NDSUVM1>
Date: Thu, 28-May-87 22:06:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: NDSUVM1.200NU070156
Posted: Thu May 28 22:06:55 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 6-Jun-87 04:28:50 EDT
References: <12067@topaz.rutgers.edu> <910@killer.UUCP> <15@gordon.UUCP> 2725@phri.UUCP
Organization: Bit Buckets Unlimited
Lines: 17

In article <2725@phri.UUCP>, roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) says:
>        On a more esoteric note, I remember having a conversation with
>somebody (Alan Lappin?) many years ago about writing a program to seek a
>disk arm in such a way as to set up harmonic vibrations in the drive and
>cause it to blow up; sort of an electronic Galloping Girdie.
     
A friend of mine tells a story about our old PDP 11/45 rocking when somebody
copied a man page (near the outside of the disk) to his directory (near the
middle of the almost-full disk).  It gives another meaning to the term
'system crash'!
     
Later in its life, this machine would crash if more than 2 compilations
were underway at one time, so a 'pop-can' semaphore was implemented. You
had to have one of the 'official' cans before you start your compilation.
     
Glen Overby
Bitnet: nu070156@ndsuvm1