Re: Subject: Re: Kinda fun
Diagonal line, I never thought of that! But I only just now realized why a dropped deck was never much of an issue for me. (I'm slow.) I was, as I said, a $HASP operator - but a) the social-scientist geeks who brought in large boxes of cards didn't care about the order, and anyway I never happened to drop a box. And b) whatever I wrote myself was as a student, and student assignments just don't get that long - 50 cards at most, unlike the stuff I write professionally. I'm just not old enough to have used cards on the post-college jobs. --- Bob Bridges, robhbrid...@gmail.com, cell 336 382-7313 /* Wear your learning, like your watch, in a private pocket, and do not pull it out and strike it merely to show you have one. If you are asked what o'clock it is, tell it, but do not proclaim it hourly and unasked, like the watchman. -Lord Chesterfield */ -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List On Behalf Of billogden Sent: Friday, November 10, 2023 16:51 I used 026, 029, and 129 machines. (And the 010 machines; remember those!) Never bothered me, but I agree with the comment that their use (and punched cards in general) encouraged me to be much more careful with my "on paper" programming before starting to punch cards. Dunno how to translate this "feeling" into the modern world where we start typing (on a graphics screen) before we have finished deciding how the program "should" work. Times certainly change. Also as mentioned, I quickly found it was better to do my own keypunching! I had lots of "hands on" on 1620s, 1401s, 1410s, and 7040s. (I used 7090s and 7094s, but not "hands on"!) Being ancient and over the hill, I cannot remember how I worked with our 1130s and 1800s (and 1500s, if you remember those). I remember paper tape on one of the 1620s and I hated it! Trying to make modern sense of this discussion (if possible) I can see where starting to type before most of the thinking process is complete can lead to a "liking" for interpreted languages --- where at least some of the error messages occur at the typing stage --- instead of much later times that occur long after the keypunching stage! In a sense, it often seems that some of our "modern" techniques have eliminated inspecting compiler listings. ... Why sequence numbers? Like many of us, I used a carefully drawn diagonal line (with a "magic marker") across the top of the card deck as a useful restoration tool when I dropped the deck! -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
Re: Subject: Re: Kinda fun
When I was at IBM, circa 1964, we had a keypunch department because ran other businesses' work. The keypunch ladies were infinitely faster, did the verification step and always added the sequence numbers so any oddities were generally on you. John T. Abell Tel:800-295-7608Option 4 President International: 1-416-593-5578 Option 4 E-mail: john.ab...@intnlsoftwareproducts.com Fax:800-295-7609 International: 1-416-593-5579 International Software Products www.ispinfo.com This email may contain confidential and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). Any review, use, retention, distribution or disclosure by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient (or authorized to receive on behalf of the named recipient), please contact the sender by reply email and delete all copies of this message. Also,email is susceptible to data corruption, interception, tampering, unauthorized amendment and viruses. We only send and receive emails on the basis that we are not liable for any such corruption, interception, tampering, amendment or viruses or any consequence thereof. -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of billogden Sent: Friday, November 10, 2023 4:51 PM To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU Subject: Subject: Re: Kinda fun I used 026, 029, and 129 machines. (And the 010 machines; remember those!) Never bothered me, but I agree with the comment that their use (and punched cards in general) encouraged me to be much more careful with my "on paper" programming before starting to punch cards. Dunno how to translate this "feeling" into the modern world where we start typing (on a graphics screen) before we have finished deciding how the program "should" work. Times certainly change. Also as mentioned, I quickly found it was better to do my own keypunching! I had lots of "hands on" on 1620s, 1401s, 1410s, and 7040s. (I used 7090s and 7094s, but not "hands on"!) Being ancient and over the hill, I cannot remember how I worked with our 1130s and 1800s (and 1500s, if you remember those). I remember paper tape on one of the 1620s and I hated it! Trying to make modern sense of this discussion (if possible) I can see where starting to type before most of the thinking process is complete can lead to a "liking" for interpreted languages --- where at least some of the error messages occur at the typing stage --- instead of much later times that occur long after the keypunching stage! In a sense, it often seems that some of our "modern" techniques have eliminated inspecting compiler listings. ... Why sequence numbers? Like many of us, I used a carefully drawn diagonal line (with a "magic marker") across the top of the card deck as a useful restoration tool when I dropped the deck! Bill Ogden -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
Subject: Re: Kinda fun
I used 026, 029, and 129 machines. (And the 010 machines; remember those!) Never bothered me, but I agree with the comment that their use (and punched cards in general) encouraged me to be much more careful with my "on paper" programming before starting to punch cards. Dunno how to translate this "feeling" into the modern world where we start typing (on a graphics screen) before we have finished deciding how the program "should" work. Times certainly change. Also as mentioned, I quickly found it was better to do my own keypunching! I had lots of "hands on" on 1620s, 1401s, 1410s, and 7040s. (I used 7090s and 7094s, but not "hands on"!) Being ancient and over the hill, I cannot remember how I worked with our 1130s and 1800s (and 1500s, if you remember those). I remember paper tape on one of the 1620s and I hated it! Trying to make modern sense of this discussion (if possible) I can see where starting to type before most of the thinking process is complete can lead to a "liking" for interpreted languages --- where at least some of the error messages occur at the typing stage --- instead of much later times that occur long after the keypunching stage! In a sense, it often seems that some of our "modern" techniques have eliminated inspecting compiler listings. ... Why sequence numbers? Like many of us, I used a carefully drawn diagonal line (with a "magic marker") across the top of the card deck as a useful restoration tool when I dropped the deck! Bill Ogden -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
