Pong Turns 40!!

GCM 2

New member
Also, Eddie you made me remember this from a few weeks ago. I know this is not video game related, but computer related and very much along the lines of "First". Did you ever wonder where the term computer bug got its handle from? Well here ya go, form Wired magazine-

"We hold a special place in our Wired hearts for all of these machines. But if we were forced to choose one seminal moment from the 1940s, we can't help but pick the arrival of the world's first computer bug.

The bug is one of computing's great metaphors. But in the beginning, it wasn't a metaphor. It was the real thing.

At Harvard, in the late 1940s, the Mark 1 was succeeded by two other machines, known -- appropriately enough -- as the Mark II and the Mark III. One fateful day, the Mark II stopped working, and an operator named Bill Burke traced the glitch to a moth stuck in one of the machine's relays. The term bug had been used in the past with other devices, but Grace Hopper -- the US Naval officer who was one of the Mark I's first programmer -- took the word and ran with it. When she wrote up the incident in her log, she included the moth.

"First actual case of bug being found," the log read. And computing would never be the same."
 

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JKAnimal

Caught the Bug
Also, Eddie you made me remember this from a few weeks ago. I know this is not video game related, but computer related and very much along the lines of "First". Did you ever wonder where the term computer bug got its handle from? Well here ya go, form Wired magazine-

"We hold a special place in our Wired hearts for all of these machines. But if we were forced to choose one seminal moment from the 1940s, we can't help but pick the arrival of the world's first computer bug.

The bug is one of computing's great metaphors. But in the beginning, it wasn't a metaphor. It was the real thing.

At Harvard, in the late 1940s, the Mark 1 was succeeded by two other machines, known -- appropriately enough -- as the Mark II and the Mark III. One fateful day, the Mark II stopped working, and an operator named Bill Burke traced the glitch to a moth stuck in one of the machine's relays. The term bug had been used in the past with other devices, but Grace Hopper -- the US Naval officer who was one of the Mark I's first programmer -- took the word and ran with it. When she wrote up the incident in her log, she included the moth.

"First actual case of bug being found," the log read. And computing would never be the same."


That's a really good story. Thanks for sharing. It's always cool to find out where terms originate.

I want to know about Barber Pole? In the Carnage thread Eddie says someone Barber poled their drive shaft...I think that's what it
was... :thinking:

I just turned 40 this year... damn I'm getting old :shock: :cheesy:
 

GCM 2

New member
That's a really good story. Thanks for sharing. It's always cool to find out where terms originate.

I want to know about Barber Pole? In the Carnage thread Eddie says someone Barber poled their drive shaft...I think that's what it
was... :thinking:

I just turned 40 this year... damn I'm getting old :shock: :cheesy:

Haha! I got you by 5 years, whippersnapper! The Barber Pole reference is because the driveshaft twisted, kind of like the twisted stripes on an old barber pole.

Maybe we should start an "I did not know that thread" for all the trivia geeks amongst us. But, only facts would be posted!
 

RockyJk

Active Member
Haha! I got you by 5 years, whippersnapper! The Barber Pole reference is because the driveshaft twisted, kind of like the twisted stripes on an old barber pole.

Maybe we should start an "I did not know that thread" for all the trivia geeks amongst us. But, only facts would be posted!

Thats a good idea for a thread i didnt know that barber pole thing either
 

JKAnimal

Caught the Bug
Haha! I got you by 5 years, whippersnapper! The Barber Pole reference is because the driveshaft twisted, kind of like the twisted stripes on an old barber pole.

Maybe we should start an "I did not know that thread" for all the trivia geeks amongst us. But, only facts would be posted!

LOL That would be a great thread! Jeep trivia and terminology.

WIPRSNPR is gonna be my new personalized plate!! :cheesy:is that too many letters... :thinking:

Ok the barber pole makes total sense now! I hope I never do that!:doh:

Old is a state of mind anyway so most days I still feel 22ish. :rock:
 

OverlanderJK

Resident Smartass
Also, Eddie you made me remember this from a few weeks ago. I know this is not video game related, but computer related and very much along the lines of "First". Did you ever wonder where the term computer bug got its handle from? Well here ya go, form Wired magazine-

"We hold a special place in our Wired hearts for all of these machines. But if we were forced to choose one seminal moment from the 1940s, we can't help but pick the arrival of the world's first computer bug.

The bug is one of computing's great metaphors. But in the beginning, it wasn't a metaphor. It was the real thing.

At Harvard, in the late 1940s, the Mark 1 was succeeded by two other machines, known -- appropriately enough -- as the Mark II and the Mark III. One fateful day, the Mark II stopped working, and an operator named Bill Burke traced the glitch to a moth stuck in one of the machine's relays. The term bug had been used in the past with other devices, but Grace Hopper -- the US Naval officer who was one of the Mark I's first programmer -- took the word and ran with it. When she wrote up the incident in her log, she included the moth.

"First actual case of bug being found," the log read. And computing would never be the same."

That is cool trivia!!

And I won't tell you old timers how young I am. Lol but you have me by around 18 years. Lol:icon_crazy:
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Haha! I got you by 5 years, whippersnapper! The Barber Pole reference is because the driveshaft twisted, kind of like the twisted stripes on an old barber pole.

what he said, twisted like the strips on an old barber pole.

Maybe we should start an "I did not know that thread" for all the trivia geeks amongst us. But, only facts would be posted!

hmmm, that would be fun!! :thumb:
 

dahreno

Banned
pong

Pong pretty well started the video game craze before home video games were around , and it lead to many other types of coin op. games in that time. I actually owned a coin op. pong game back then as I was a sevice man for video games for years back then. By the way , you all would be surprised as to how much money these games brought in back then !
 
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