Computer Proverbs

[James A. Landau]

>From an apa (that's a pre-electronic mailing list) contribution I wrote in
1984:

"High-tech grafitti:
        Real programmers don't play video games; they write them.
        Those who go to college and never get out are called professors.
        The road to Hell is paved with user interfaces.
        Loop: see Loop."

All I can tell you at this late date is that I either saw them or heard them
at Headquarters,  Army Corps of Engineers, where I then worked.  The last one
was probably a grafitto; the rest may have been verbal.

In the same apa I quoted someone's typo: "reel-time systems" and also quoted
a posting on a electronic bulletin-board system:

MSG 04611 IS 96 LINE(S) ON 12/09/83 FROM CABLE PAIR TO HACKERS RE: WORMS

   LOOKING FOR WORM TYPE PROGRAMS.  SPECIFICALLY VIRUS5 AND
   LUCIFER.  DO NOT LEAVE MESSAGE HERE.  CALL 313-538-8444.  THANKS,
                                    CABLE PAIR
   P.S.  IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT, THEN DON'T ASK...

The above message provides citations for the computer usage of "worm",
"hacker", and possibly "virus".

                    - Jim Landau

P.S. for a jarring juxtaposition, I also wrote in the same apa "A produce
dealer advertises "large naval oranges" which wouldn't bother me so much
except that the sign appeared the day after the [battleship] New Jersey shot
its way into the headlines."