Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!nbires!ncar!ames!pioneer!eugene
From: eugene@pioneer.arpa (Eugene N. Miya)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Benchmark names: origins
Message-ID: <8534@ames.arc.nasa.gov>
Date: 10 May 88 00:34:57 GMT
References: <30528@linus.UUCP> <1087@mcgill-vision.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Reply-To: eugene@pioneer.UUCP (Eugene N. Miya)
Distribution: na
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Lines: 20

There are several popular (read Common) derivations.  The best thing to
do is ask Brian Wichmann (at NPL).  The NPL is not far from Wheatstone,
England (hey it's an island after all).  The relation to the
Wheatstone Bridge or other similar puns as a benchmark (self-correcting)
might or might not be intended.  (Unlike the Multics/Unix pun, this one
has not been elaborated).  Brian Randell (also in the UK and who also
reads comp.arch) might also best be approached to ask Wichmann.

Hope you saw the recent Saturday Night Live skit (Common Knowledge:
hence my use of the word Common).  If you have a turkey who thinks he
knows what a Whetstone is, ask him how many tests there are inside the thing.

Another gross generalization from

--eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@ames-aurora.ARPA
	resident cynic			soon to be aurora.arc.nasa.gov
at the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers:
  "Mailers?! HA!", "If my mail does not reach you, please accept my apology."
  {uunet,hplabs,hao,ihnp4,decwrl,allegra,tektronix}!ames!aurora!eugene
  "Send mail, avoid follow-ups.  If enough, I'll summarize."