Xref: utzoo rec.humor:19095 comp.misc:5193
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!island!robert
From: robert@island.uu.net (Robert Leyland)
Newsgroups: rec.humor,comp.misc
Subject: Re: Looking for Computer Folklore
Message-ID: <614@island.uu.net>
Date: 17 Feb 89 17:47:58 GMT
References: <530@tcsc3b2.UUCP> <2491@cuuxb.ATT.COM> <89959@sun.uucp> <6375@saturn.ucsc.edu>
Reply-To: robert@island.uu.net (Robert Leyland)
Followup-To: rec.humor
Organization: Island Graphics, Marin County, California
Lines: 38

In article <6375@saturn.ucsc.edu> haynes@ucscc.UCSC.EDU (Jim Haynes) writes:
>One version of the operating system for the late Burroughs 5500 had a
>procedure named OLDWEIRDHAROLD     
>
>Both versions had an array for multiprogramming, called the FORK QUEUE
>and a procedure FORKQUE to operate on it.
>haynes@ucscc.ucsc.edu
>haynes@ucscc.bitnet
>..ucbvax!ucscc!haynes
>
>"Any clod can have the facts, but having opinions is an Art."
>        Charles McCabe, San Francisco Chronicle


A friend of mine, working in New Zealand on Burroughs 6700 and 6800 systems
had a main processing task that had to create a number of sub task for message
handling. This was a banking system with hundreds of terminals, all sending
transactions to a central system of 3 B6700s (maybe B7700s I forget). Anyway
he named this task (of course) MotherForker, and messages would appear on the
SPO (system operators console) that said:

	Mother Forker running.
	Mother Forker killed.

etc... Well one day while the Banks president was conducting a tour of big-wigs
through the computer center, yes, the message appeared. The Bank prezzy saw it,
kept his cool, and breezed right by the SPO, not allowing the visitors to get 
a good look, as was his usual mode on these jaunts. Later he got a little warm
under the collar, and the message was changed to something less inflammatory.

robert...




-- 
Robert Leyland - Island Graphics, 4000 Civic Ctr Dr #400, San Rafael, CA 94903 
{uunet|sun}!island!robert - (415) 491-1000 - GEnie: r.leyland - std disclaimers