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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!lll-crg!dual!qantel!proper!judith
From: judith@proper.UUCP (Judith Abrahms)
Newsgroups: net.jokes
Subject: Re: I need a joke.
Message-ID: <202@proper.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 12-Aug-85 08:22:23 EDT
Article-I.D.: proper.202
Posted: Mon Aug 12 08:22:23 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 06:11:35 EDT
References: <>
Reply-To: judith@proper.UUCP (Judith Abrahms)
Organization: Proper UNIX, Oakland CA
Lines: 36
Summary: It's a true computer story!

In article <> steves@tektools.UUCP (steve shellans) writes:
>I need a joke to illustrate a point I am making in a report.
>I only remember the punch line and a couple of other fragments...
>Person A hires person B to perform some services.
>Person B comes around and fixes the problem in a couple of minutes.
>Person A receives a bill for $1000 and is outraged at the amount...
>He receives the following explanation:
>    "For services:
>         $1.00 for time spent on the job.
>       $999.00 for knowing which button to push.
>     ---------
>      $1000.00 Total Due"

That's an actual story about Steinmetz.  He was called in to find a problem
with a mainframe.  He moved into the machine room, set up a cot there, and
slept next to the machine for three days.

At the end of this time, he chalked a large "X" on one panel, called someone
over, and remarked, "Your problem's in there."  Sure enough, it was...

The bill was for $10,000, I recall (and this was over 20 years ago).  It was
the accounting dept. that wrote Steinmetz, rather politely actually, to inform
him that they couldn't authorize that kind of expenditure without an *itemized*
bill.  Steinmetz's revised bill read:

	Chalking "X" on computer........  $       .05
	Knowing where to chalk "X"......     9,999.95
					  -----------
                   TOTAL:                 $ 10,000.00

Judith Abrahms
{ihnp4,ucbvax}!dual!proper!judith

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