Difference between revisions of "Topic:Interesting Documents"
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== Computer History == | == Computer History == | ||
| − | [https://archive.org/details/dual-rolm | + | [https://archive.org/details/dual-rolm ...What The Heck is a Dual-ROLM?] is an absolutely fascinating read, even if you have no deep knowledge of any of the subjects. The writer, a William E. Richardson, was in charge of process control at International Paper, a gigantic player in the paper business to this day, and he goes into detail on an amazing project; computer-automating a paper production plant for (in his belief) the first time in history. |
Any historical tale of this type carries immense value to the modern world: it shows that engineers of past eras understood the importance of distrusting computer systems; it shows the value of cross-disciplined engineers designing computer systems to control processes they ''fully understand''; and it shows that despite their careful planning up-front, it was nearly impossible even for this highly specialized team to actually understand the significance of what they were doing. | Any historical tale of this type carries immense value to the modern world: it shows that engineers of past eras understood the importance of distrusting computer systems; it shows the value of cross-disciplined engineers designing computer systems to control processes they ''fully understand''; and it shows that despite their careful planning up-front, it was nearly impossible even for this highly specialized team to actually understand the significance of what they were doing. | ||
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At least one vignette describes an incident where a programmer started making significant changes to a live system without making any attempt to check in on the people at the other end, resulting in the system catastrophically failing. Stories like these are crucial for anyone working in tech who may be tasked with automating complex or life-critical systems. | At least one vignette describes an incident where a programmer started making significant changes to a live system without making any attempt to check in on the people at the other end, resulting in the system catastrophically failing. Stories like these are crucial for anyone working in tech who may be tasked with automating complex or life-critical systems. | ||
| − | [https://archive.org/details/TheUnixHatersHandbook | + | [https://archive.org/details/TheUnixHatersHandbook The UNIX Hater's Handbook] is a virtually Shakespearean work within the computer world. If you haven't read it, you ought to. It's been available all over for years, but IA has a good copy. |
Revision as of 20:38, 6 February 2019
Computer History
...What The Heck is a Dual-ROLM? is an absolutely fascinating read, even if you have no deep knowledge of any of the subjects. The writer, a William E. Richardson, was in charge of process control at International Paper, a gigantic player in the paper business to this day, and he goes into detail on an amazing project; computer-automating a paper production plant for (in his belief) the first time in history.
Any historical tale of this type carries immense value to the modern world: it shows that engineers of past eras understood the importance of distrusting computer systems; it shows the value of cross-disciplined engineers designing computer systems to control processes they fully understand; and it shows that despite their careful planning up-front, it was nearly impossible even for this highly specialized team to actually understand the significance of what they were doing.
At least one vignette describes an incident where a programmer started making significant changes to a live system without making any attempt to check in on the people at the other end, resulting in the system catastrophically failing. Stories like these are crucial for anyone working in tech who may be tasked with automating complex or life-critical systems.
The UNIX Hater's Handbook is a virtually Shakespearean work within the computer world. If you haven't read it, you ought to. It's been available all over for years, but IA has a good copy.
