Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.7.0.8 $; site trsvax
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!lll-crg!dual!qantel!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!convex!trsvax!wkb
From: wkb@trsvax
Newsgroups: net.jokes
Subject: Re: Request for computer science bloope
Message-ID: <53100120@trsvax>
Date: Tue, 6-Aug-85 10:19:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: trsvax.53100120
Posted: Tue Aug  6 10:19:00 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 04:56:57 EDT
References: <115@uw-june>
Lines: 28
Nf-ID: #R:uw-june:-11500:trsvax:53100120:000:1417
Nf-From: trsvax!wkb    Aug  6 09:19:00 1985


> I've been telling my 211 class some of the classic computer science bugs --
> like the one about the typo in the FORTRAN DO loop that crashed a Venus
> probe, or the one about the payroll programmer who shaved the roundoff from
> salaries into his own account.  If any of you know any more classic, or
> even any non-classic clever hacks or major stupidities involving computers
> please tell me.  They liven up otherwise dreary lectures.
>
>					Michael

   Two of my favorite computer "bloopers" are the naming of certain computer
programming languages.  (Don't quote me on any of these facts, but this is the
way I heard them)...

   After FORTRAN (short for FORmula TRANslation) became popular, the University
of Waterloo decided to write their own version, calling it "WATFOR" presumably
meaning "WATerloo FORmula translation".  When they came out with a revision of
the compiler, it was naturally called WATFIV.

   The language BCPL was used as the model for a language called simply "B".
You guessed it, this language was used as the basis for the now popular
language "C".  Makes sense somehow...

                                                            - wkb

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
>   "History repeats itself.  That's one of the things wrong with history."   <
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+