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From: rlr@pyuxe.UUCP
Newsgroups: talk.bizarre,comp.misc
Subject: Re: What the world needs now
Message-ID: <340@pyuxe.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 4-Jun-87 12:31:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: pyuxe.340
Posted: Thu Jun  4 12:31:45 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 6-Jun-87 11:35:30 EDT
References: <12067@topaz.rutgers.edu> <408@rlvd.UUCP>
Distribution: world
Organization: RLRCLC
Lines: 40
Keywords: Paranoid computers
Xref: utgpu talk.bizarre:1988 comp.misc:603

In article <408@rlvd.UUCP>, nbc@rlvd.UUCP writes:
> In article <12067@topaz.rutgers.edu> trudel@topaz.rutgers.edu (Jonathan D.) writes:
>>... is a piece of software that actually makes a computer blow up just
>>like in the movies.  This is long overdue.  "Lay" people are extremely
>>disappointed when a program or system grinds/wheezes to a halt with some wimpy
>>message like "B037X: USER ERROR IN GAPX TABLE" or "CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE:
>>BUFFER OVERFLOW INDICATOR OVERFLOW" or "Bus error - core dumped".  They want
>>to see explosions!  
> 
> Of course this computer should also be impossible to turn off, so that when
> it 'decides' to launch a missile attack or 'instructs' all the robots in a
> factory to turn homicidal, everyone just stands around goggled-eyed, panics
> or tries to sound convincing when they have to explain exactly why they
> cannot hit the off-switch. Then it really would be like in the movies.
> -- 
> Neil Calton                                  UUCP:   ..!mcvax!ukc!rlvd!nbc

Good, good!!  You've got the idea!  This input will be very useful in the
design process.  Let me write this down:  "Hardware should be unhaltable
by outside forces during explosion processing or catastrophe management
functions.  Attempts to shut down system hardware during such processing must
be detected and terminated by the system at the source, preferably using
lasers or other ray-gun devices, though cattleprod-style electric shock will
do in a pinch."

Another example showing the necessity of design reviews.

(I personally think that there should be console messages that say
 "EXP1029 - WARNING: SYSTEM EXPLODING" or "CCH22@X - DANGER: PROBLEM PROGRAM
 MAY CORRUPT THE INTEGRITY OF THE DATABASE AND CAUSE RANDOM DAMAGE TO HUMAN
 LIFE AND PRIVATE PROPERTY; PLEASE ISSUE SHUTDOWN COMMAND NOW".  Of course, any
 effort to issue that command turns the operator into liquid/gas/both.
 However, the system may detect its own confusion in a blatant act of
 self-awareness and attempt to shut itself down.  But then again, if the
 computer has developed free will...)

KYAG729I - INTERNAL SYSTEM INCONSISTENCY DETECTED:  UNABLE TO EXECUTE
           AUTOSHUTDOWN FUNCTION (WATCHOUT)
-- 
"Mrs. Peel, we're needed..."		Rich Rosen    bellcore!pyuxe!rlr