Funny Story - Fire in the hole (computer room actually)
bobf...@gmail.com
drives. Ran like a champ. Everyone loved it vs. the previous punched
card system.
One day the CIA called for a reference on the Reality system. Yes,
that CIA. I was on the phone in a conference call to the headquarters
in Virginia I believe. My office location enabled me to see into the
computer room through a window.
While speaking to them and researching some logs, I was bragging about
our up time. It was over 99%. Just then I heard a blood curtailing
scream followed by the loud word FIRE. We had just had an expensive
fire system installed that would either automatically or manually shut
off all the power in the room and then spray some kind of fire
retardant. I saw my female programmer/analyst/operator heading for the
big RED button on the wall. I noticed that the computer was not on
fire. Little flames and smoke were coming out of the printer only. I
put the phone down without saying a word and ran to the window to
order her NOT to hit that button. I yelled at her to disconnect the
line printer from the power source...
I ran back to my desk and picked up the phone. They were still
discussing the topic and did not even know what happened. I did not
tell them about the printer, after all it was OEM and not manufactured
by Microdata.
My BAD, but they did wind up buying 3 systems. They talked to me the
following year and they were well pleased with their systems.
Oh well, sh*t happens and then you die !