Comments on: This Day In Science Fiction History: The Birth of Blinkenlights http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/03/31/this-day-in-science-fiction-history-the-birth-of-blinkenlights/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:57:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Gray Gaffer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/03/31/this-day-in-science-fiction-history-the-birth-of-blinkenlights/#comment-1913 Gray Gaffer Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:18:33 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/03/31/this-day-in-science-fiction-history-the-birth-of-blinkenlights/#comment-1913 "how the frack could someone possibly know what each and everyone of those buttons do" You absorbed it by osmosis from your peers and predecessors. And by repeated association (for the blinkenlights) with what they were doing when the bug hit, and what the bug turned out to be. Contrary to popular opinion, early computing was more of a seat-of-the-pants exploration of ideas than a precision science. Inspiration first, reasoned rationalization afterwards. My first computer that I worked on had approx 1000 neon blinkenlights. And a speaker wired into the micro-code engine. My job was to fix them. A life-changing/setting experience. “how the frack could someone possibly know what each and everyone of those buttons do”

You absorbed it by osmosis from your peers and predecessors. And by repeated association (for the blinkenlights) with what they were doing when the bug hit, and what the bug turned out to be.

Contrary to popular opinion, early computing was more of a seat-of-the-pants exploration of ideas than a precision science. Inspiration first, reasoned rationalization afterwards.

My first computer that I worked on had approx 1000 neon blinkenlights. And a speaker wired into the micro-code engine. My job was to fix them. A life-changing/setting experience.

]]> By: Fernando http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/03/31/this-day-in-science-fiction-history-the-birth-of-blinkenlights/#comment-1912 Fernando Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:14:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/03/31/this-day-in-science-fiction-history-the-birth-of-blinkenlights/#comment-1912 I always hated those things in sci fi, they always put me off. I would see a computer filled with hundreds of little lights and buttons without any kind of indicative of their functions and think "how the frack could someone possibly know what each and everyone of those buttons do?". I always hated those things in sci fi, they always put me off. I would see a computer filled with hundreds of little lights and buttons without any kind of indicative of their functions and think “how the frack could someone possibly know what each and everyone of those buttons do?”.

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