On Tue, 2006-11-21 at 10:05 -0800, George Arseneault wrote: > --- Tim <ignored_mailbox@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > On Mon, 2006-11-20 at 10:49 -0800, George Arseneault > > wrote: > > > Actually 'real' debugging was when they ran > > distilled > > > water over the circuits to remove the dead bugs. > > (Back > > > when computers took up their own building) > > > > Hmm, just water? > > > > It's years since I've actually seen a real > > mainframe, though this was a > > transistorised one. Great big metal cabinets, where > > you opened up the > > doors to a rat's nest of wire-wrap, and it used > > water-cooling through > > the doors as well as the rest of the cabinet. > > Theoretically, pure water does *not* conduct > electricity. It's the other particles (ions, > whatever) that allow it to conduct. So, it *should* > be safe to run the water over running circuits. > > Of course, any contaminants (oil, grease, dust, > whatever) *could* cause a short-circuit. > > But, I read somewhere that they did precisely that, > long ago. And, that the reason we call the > abnormal/strange occurrences in programs, bugs, is > that they were often caused by bugs, rodents, etc. > shorting out or chewing through the computer's circuits > The first 'bug' in a computer program was found in eniac (sp). The system did not do what was expected and the cause was a real bug between the contacts of a mechanical relay in the machine. The problem was a literal "bug" in the program. > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > Sponsored Link > > Mortgage rates near 39yr lows. $510k for $1,698/mo. > Calculate new payment! www.LowerMyBills.com/lre >
