Burroughs & adding machines

From: Glen Goodwin <acme_ent_at_bellsouth.net>
Date: Mon Jan 7 22:43:12 2002

> From: John Lawson <jpl15_at_panix.com>

> I have (somewhere) a Burroughs internal publication that outlines
points
> of company history, in there is the article I'm refering to. It is packed
> away just now, but in a couple of months I'll have my library out of the
> boxes and back on the shelves, Insh'Allah!

I'll gladly pay for copies of this material, if it's copyable.
 
> Well, okay, I think we're describing the same symptom from slightly
> different viewpoints. My reference specifically mentions machine damage
> as a result of improper crank use; it is undoubtedly also the case that
> inaccurate results would also devolve from this; and in fact that would
be
> far more serious a situation, since, in the case of gross mechanical
> failure, you at least know to check your results - because your desk is
> suddenly littered with oily springs and bent levers...
>
> crunch sproingggg (turn-of-last-century expletives deleted)

Yeah, what good is a calculator if you have to double-check the results?

> > No shit, this list is a real shark tank these days when it comes to
> > precision in expression ;>)
> >
>
> And I must place myself in that Group; faddish moronic mangling of
> English evokes my very strong underlying concern over the precipitous
> slide of overall American educational standards, the fact that
> ever-more-stupid teachers continue the downward spiral, and the
> market-driven grotesque Deification of vulgar pop-culture fueled by
> billions of indiscriminate young dollars. Most often I just delete %99 of
> the Beavis-and-Butthead stuff I see, but occasionally I simply wish to
> raise a little flag in the gathering Storm of Dumb.

I'm with you 100 percent.
 
> Now: contrast the above with the fact that, as my years advance (nearly
> 50) I find it increasingly more difficult to type without falling into
> egregious and repeated errors, mainly right-left handed letter
> transposition errors, and spelling errors that go undetected because I
> 'see' the word I *meant* to type instead of what actually came off the
> keyboard. I am using Pine under a Unix shell, (and have turned off my
> main wordprocessor spell checkers) in an effort to force myself to pay
> more attention. As well, I don't touch-type, I use four or five fingers
> and watch the keys, not the screen. I've tried several time to *learn*
> touch-typing; all that generates is smashed keyboards and frustration.

My typing skills are about the same as yours, and, to complicate things, my
eyes are going, making it much harder to catch errors.

Getting old is hell, but it beats the alternative ;>)

Glen
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Received on Mon Jan 07 2002 - 22:43:12 GMT