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And that, kids, is why we call it a “Patch”

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Re: And that, kids, is why we call it a “Patch”

#11

Post by [deleted] »

logicallee wrote: post #10
arnarbi wrote: post #2

My favorite is "log", named after logbooks. Logbooks have maritime origins, where the ships speed is recorded. Even today, speedometer on ships are in many languages called "a log" since the original method consists of throwing an actual log overboard with a string attached to it. The string would have knots with regular intervals. To determine the speed, you count how many knots pass through your hand in a certain t…

> To determine the speed, you count how many knots pass through your hand in a certain time. But how did they count "a certain time"? (Before stopwatches).

[deleted]

Re: And that, kids, is why we call it a “Patch”

#12

Post by grymoire1 »

saycheese wrote: post #7

Here's a photo of the first computer "bug" from 1947: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13404211

Incorrect. It was the first case of a software bug being an actual bug. In other words - a true pun. The first computer bug was found in 1843 by Ada Lovelace. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_bug#History Thomas Edison used the term bug to indicate a flaw in 1873 http://theinstitute.ieee.org/tech-history/technology-history...

Re: And that, kids, is why we call it a “Patch”

#13

Post by iainmerrick »

MrBuddyCasino wrote: post #8
ptasci67 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I am with you here. Why would you not want management to know you have an educational punch card?

Maybe just to make the desks look clean? But yeah, HR... everyone's favourite department, it seems.

HR's function at a large company is to defend the company against you.

Re: And that, kids, is why we call it a “Patch”

#14

Post by raldi »

jzwinck wrote: post #3

Things like this are great to remind ourselves of some of the rationale for the ways things are. When I worked at a company which used a lot of Fortran, I kept a punch card at my desk. Among other things this made it easier to explain to new people why there was a column limit for code. Eventually an HR person came around and told me to remove the card because the top management was coming to visit soon. Among other…

What prop did you use to explain pekludge_()?

Re: And that, kids, is why we call it a “Patch”

#15

Post by ebbv »

logicallee wrote: post #10
arnarbi wrote: post #2

My favorite is "log", named after logbooks. Logbooks have maritime origins, where the ships speed is recorded. Even today, speedometer on ships are in many languages called "a log" since the original method consists of throwing an actual log overboard with a string attached to it. The string would have knots with regular intervals. To determine the speed, you count how many knots pass through your hand in a certain t…

> To determine the speed, you count how many knots pass through your hand in a certain time. But how did they count "a certain time"? (Before stopwatches).

Mechanical pocket watches or ship's clocks. They were expensive but accurate enough.

Re: And that, kids, is why we call it a “Patch”

#16

Post by Isamu »

logicallee wrote: post #10
arnarbi wrote: post #2

My favorite is "log", named after logbooks. Logbooks have maritime origins, where the ships speed is recorded. Even today, speedometer on ships are in many languages called "a log" since the original method consists of throwing an actual log overboard with a string attached to it. The string would have knots with regular intervals. To determine the speed, you count how many knots pass through your hand in a certain t…

> To determine the speed, you count how many knots pass through your hand in a certain time. But how did they count "a certain time"? (Before stopwatches).

Sandglasses were around for a long time.

Re: And that, kids, is why we call it a “Patch”

#18

Post by taneq »

Isamu wrote: post #16
logicallee wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> To determine the speed, you count how many knots pass through your hand in a certain time. But how did they count "a certain time"? (Before stopwatches).

Sandglasses were around for a long time.

Well, we assume it was a long time but maybe sandglasses were really inaccurate.

Re: And that, kids, is why we call it a “Patch”

#19

Post by xyclos »

arnarbi wrote: post #2

My favorite is "log", named after logbooks. Logbooks have maritime origins, where the ships speed is recorded. Even today, speedometer on ships are in many languages called "a log" since the original method consists of throwing an actual log overboard with a string attached to it. The string would have knots with regular intervals. To determine the speed, you count how many knots pass through your hand in a certain t…

And I suppose that's also the origin of measuring speed in "knots" (?)

Re: And that, kids, is why we call it a “Patch”

#20

Post by [deleted] »

logicallee wrote: post #10
arnarbi wrote: post #2

My favorite is "log", named after logbooks. Logbooks have maritime origins, where the ships speed is recorded. Even today, speedometer on ships are in many languages called "a log" since the original method consists of throwing an actual log overboard with a string attached to it. The string would have knots with regular intervals. To determine the speed, you count how many knots pass through your hand in a certain t…

> To determine the speed, you count how many knots pass through your hand in a certain time. But how did they count "a certain time"? (Before stopwatches).

[deleted]
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