HUMAN-NETS Digest V3 #106
DERWAY@mit-ml
HUMAN-NETS AM Digest Monday, 25 May 1981 Volume 3 : Issue 106
Today's Topics:
Correction - Fortran Speed Queues Query & ESS Name Change,
Query Replies - Holographic Printer,
Communicating via Network - Impacts on Language,
FYI - Xerox STAR,
Computers and the Handicapped - Color Blindness,
Humor - SubGenius Foundation & OREMA
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Date: 24 MAY 1981 0834-PDT
From: TCWCSS at I4-TENEX
Subject: Fortran Speed Ques.
The reprint of message regarding Fortran speed 5May81
resent 24May to Humnet readers ought be recinded since
dialog has concluded and ends served. Thanx to those
readers that did respond.
thx,tcw
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Date: 20 May 1981 0900-PDT
From: Ian H. Merritt <MERRITT at USC-ISIB>
Subject: ESS & the feminists
It seems to me that there IS no #5 ESS. However, 'They' have been
calling these things by their numbers for years. Try again.
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Date: 20 May 1981 1033-PDT
From: Richard Pattis <REP at SU-AI>
Subject: If Bell really wants to purge its sexist language...
...it should rename UNIX. I resent the fact that UNIX is billed as
the operating system with everything that a programmer needs.
Rich
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Date: 23 May 1981 2318-PDT
From: Les Earnest <LES at SU-AI>
Subject: Holographic laser printer
The General Optronics laser printer mentioned in the Wall Street
Journal article (Ed Gilbert in HN V3 #105) uses a rotating hologram to
deflect a laser beam in a sawtooth fashion across a xerographic drum
so as to function as a raster printer. A solid state laser is used,
which is modulated directly by a computer/controller.
Functionally, the rotating hologram is equivalent to a rotating
mirror, but G.O. claims that it can be manufactured at lower cost than
the usual spinning octagonal mirror. Don't be misled by the quoted
$4,000 price, however -- that is for purchases in quantities of 5,000
or more and does not include the controller.
In order for this device to function as a computer printer, the
controller must synthesize digital video at a rate of about 3 million
bits/second, which requires a lot of computing with fairly fancy
hardware. When and if printing systems based on this technology
appear, they are likely to be introduced at end user prices in the
vicinity of $20-30k.
Les Earnest
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Date: 05/24/81 22:38:40
From: TK@MIT-AI
Subject: Optronics Laser printer
The Optronics laser printer doubtless is using an acousto-optic
modulator for beam deflection. This is a piezoelectric material
(lithium niobate is common, as is ammonium dihydrogen phospate)
through which high frequency (tens of megahertz) sound waves are
propagated. The sound waves distort the surface flatness of the
crystal, which is used as a mirror. The wavelength of the sound waves
is comparable to light wavelengths, setting up an diffraction grating.
The angle of deflection of light from the surface is controlled by the
precise frequency of the sound waves in the crystal, and thus can be
controlled electronically. Now one could claim that this was a
hologram, and I suppose it is (you can even send two different
frequency signals in and get two reflections out), but that sounds
like a piece of advertising hype for a basically simple and
off-the-shelf piece of opto-electronics. Those of you with Xerox
laser printers have these devices in your printer: they are used to
modulate the beam, essentially by deflecting it through an aperture or
not. There are problems associated with using these devices as a
deflector, related to the effective resolution. This is limited by
two factors, one, the larger the spot, the better diffraction
focussing (more wavelengths of mirror), but the larger the spot, the
slower the device is to respond, since to change the frequency now
requires that the sound wave's change in frequency propagate across
the width of the spot.
------------------------------
Date: 18 May 1981 1236-PDT
From: Kleiser via <Daul at OFFICE>
Subject: Telecommunications doesn't have this problem (yet)
PRONOUNCER'S BOO-BOOS TURN HIM OFF
from the san jose news by syndicated columnist Sydney J. Harris
(reproduced here exactly as printed -sgk)
MEMO to TV and radio announcers, newscasters and commentators:
* There is no "boat" in "boutique." (Johnny Carson is a chronic
offender with this word.)
* There are only two syllables, not three, in "hindrance." (It is
not "hinderance" any more the "suffrance" is "sufferance.")
* For the 10th time is as many years, be reminded that there is no
"ray" at the end of "lingerie." (and the word doesn't mean in
French what it has come to mean in English.)
* That, speaking of French, the fish called "turbot" should be
rhymed with "sherbet" and not give a phony Gallic pronunciation of
"turbo". (An excusable solecism only in an untrained waiter.)
* That "flaccid," meaning limp or flabby, does not rhyme with
"placid," but with "crack Syd."
* A man who runs a restaurant is a "restaurateur" without the "n."
(It's astonishing how many announcers seem unaware of this.)
* That while "frequent" as an adjective takes the accent on the
first syllable, "frequent" as a verb takes it on the second.
* There is no such word as "accompanyist"; a pianist who plays for
a singer is an "accompanist."
* That "tortuous" means winding or twisting, and has nothing to do
with pain or anguish, which is "torturous."
* Perhaps the ugliest vulgarism of all is "Mayder D" for the maitre
d'hotel who takes your reservation and shows you to your table. (If
one's French is so lamentable, what's wrong with "head waiter"?)
* Incidentally, "lamentable" is properly accented on the first
syllable, not on the second. (This common shift is called
"recessive accent" in English, as "hospitable" and "formidable"
have no "spit" or "mid" in them.)
* Hard though is is to believe, highly-paid and presumably tested
announcers still put an extra syllable in "mischievous," calling is
"mischievious." (They also put an extra "a" in "rigmarole."
* Once again into the breach: Commentators should know that the
famed "Elgin marbles" were taken from Greece by Lord Elgin, whose
name does not sound like the Illinois city or the watch, but has a
hard "g" as in Edward Elgar.
* That "genealogy," the study of ancestors, is not an "ology," any
more than the study of minerals, "mineralogy."
* If you like rum, be advised that there is no "dak" in a
"daiquiri" (which is easier to pronounce than to spell).
------------------------------
Date: 20 May 1981 14:21:20-PDT
From: ARPAVAX.ghb at Berkeley
Subject: Random Mutterings about dead issues.
Due to some administrative hiccupping, I have gotten a bit out
of phase with the Human-nets discussions, so I will now put in my two
cents on some things which no one else wants to hear any more about.
About 3-d technology: When in high-school (nay, junior high
school), a friend of mine (name of Steve Summit, currently hiding
somewhere at MIT), came up with an interesting 3-d plotter. The basic
idea is that of a large cube (walled with glass or something) filled
with Vaseline petroleum jelly (or something more transparent). In the
cube, there is a series of arms which can move to any position in the
cube. The arms is capable of ejecting purple ink as they move. Thus
you get a cube containing the graph in full three-dimensions. (The
problem is either cleaning the ink out of the Vaseline, or a huge
budget for new Vaseline.)
About the Onyx system: (For some reason, Lauren mentioned one
some issues back). The onyx is a fairly powerful Unix (blah trademark
blah blah Bell blah) system (at least in terms of the programs it
has), but is REAL slow. Current record (unofficial) is two and a half
minutes to run the w program (tells who is on, and what they are
doing), with only one person logged on. By the way, it is possible,
although not necessarily easy, to get sources, as we recently got the
sources sent to us.
I'll go back into my cave and leave you all alone now...
--george bray
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Date: 05/23/81 01:46:03
From: PHOTOG@MIT-MC
Subject: interesting trivia about the XEROX star
Recently, a few of us at TANDEM were discussing the XEROX star
network. As a msg from someone at XEROX-PARC demonstrated, the STAR
can acess other systems (i.e. act like a gateway), the question is: is
that a toy at PARC like many other things, or is that a real feature
('dial-up server' in ethertalk) that will be available to STAR owners,
or a long-time-off thing?
Also, note that the STAR system cannot be networked in a star
(lowercase) network topology. I guess that is why a group of stars on
an ethernet are called a 'CONSTELLATION'. I wonder how CORVUS Systems
feels about that. Is not 'constellation' a trademark for the corvus
disc controller-level multi-port multiplexor (otherwise know as the
poor-man's local area network??)
p.s. i just got my demo 'compuserve' account and I cannot believe they
charge folks to use that system. it is junk!! the 'rubberbanding' of
many disjoint programs into a menu-driven package is the worst job i
have ever seen, from a human-use point of view to exit from one mode
to another often takes different commands even if exiting to the same
common mode (environment). And the electronic mail system is very
primitive. Any other compuserve offenders (or maybe DEFENDERS) around
on human-nets?
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Date: 05/15/81 07:42:21
From: LLOYD@MIT-AI
Subject: Xerox 'Star'
I had the "pleasure" of getting the Xerox pitch at NCC '81. "Yes",
they said, "Star is only $16,300!"
Me: "That's all?!?"
Them: "That's right! Only $16,300."
Me: "Great! Here is my check for $16,300. Please deliver my 'Star'
to. . ."
Them: "Well...Uh... You have to buy a file server too."
Me: (eyebrows up) "How much is that?"
Them: "$20,000"
Me: "What about hard copy?"
Them: "A printer server is $25,000."
Me: "Good bye."
Well, it was a great idea, but I don't think it will sell too well.
$16K is one thing, but $60K is quite another, "mouse" or no "mouse".
Brian Lloyd
P.S. Please forgive me if the prices weren't exactly right. They were
on that order tho'.
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Date: 15 May 1981 22:44:17-PDT
From: decvax!duke!duke34!chris at Berkeley
Subject: Color blindness ( HN V3, #98)
I am seem to be minorly red-green color blind in my left eye. The
shades I see with that I are more blue. I discovered this while
reading under a high intensity lamp. My father claims to have the
same problem. Interestingly enough, I can pass the color tests.
However, I have always done them with both eyes. Does anybody know if
there are many people with a similar type of color blindness? How
common is it? The color blindness has never been a major problem so
I've never bothered to look into it but this discussion has raised my
curriousity.
Chris Woodbury
Duke University
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Date: 05/15/81 11:11:39
From: TRB@MIT-MC
Subject: The SubGenius Foundation
The SubGenius Foundation
Box 140306
Dallas TX, 75214
TSGF is a cult, but they won't hassle you. They are devo-esque, and
extremely humorous. Founded by J.R. "Bob" Dobbs, the creed of the
SubGenius is: The SubGenius must have SLACK. Send a buck (and your
address, of course) and they'll send you some clever literature.
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Date: 18 May 81 8:33:32-EDT (Mon)
From: Bob Rahe <rahe@udel-ee>
Subject: OREMA - plagiarism???
That 'local electronics firm' had better watch out. They have
apparantly plagiarized that software. That particular OS was
announced by a 'Los Angeles electronics firm' in early 1966, and the
announcement was duly reported in the \SDS USER'S NEWS/ dated March
1966.
(SDS = Scientific Data Systems, which was later XDS (Xerox Data
Systems), which was later defunct although I have heard
that the name has been resurrected.)
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End of HUMAN-NETS Digest
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