4 Sep
1999
4 Sep
'99
3:36 a.m.
The Seattle Times ran this in the Aug. 30th edition.
http://www.seattletimes.com/news/technology/html98/muse_19990830.html
I noted, with some amusement, that the author of the article doesn't seem
to understand the difference between drum and disk storage. His use of the
term "drum memory disk" was a bit of an eyeball-roller.
Other than that, it's a decent article. Enjoy.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
http://www.bluefeathertech.com // E-mail: kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com
Amateur Radio: WD6EOS since Dec. '77
"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our
own human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
4 Sep
4 Sep
6:37 a.m.
Bruce Lane wrote:
The Seattle Times ran this in the Aug. 30th edition.
http://www.seattletimes.com/news/technology/html98/muse_19990830.html
I noted, with some amusement, that the author of the article doesn't seem
to understand the difference between drum and disk storage. His use of the
term "drum memory disk" was a bit of an eyeball-roller.
Other than that, it's a decent article. Enjoy.
It's a bit lacking in substance, but you're right, it is decent. At least
it doesn't make wild claims.
I was trying to think of some strange excuse that could make the phrase
"drum memory disk" meaningful. (Some UNIXes have a /dev/drum which is really
a disk; I also have an article from alt.folklore.computers which describes
one system's "firehose drum" which is really a disk, or maybe it's the
other
way around.)
But I think the computer in question (made by Royal Precision -- is that the
same as Royal McBee?) really does have a drum.
The part I liked was this:
A display case shows the progression of storage disks, starting with
one from 1965 that's the size of a tractor-trailer tire. It held 2.5
megabytes of data and had to be sandblasted to be erased.
Had to be sandblasted to be erased? Huh??
-- Derek
10:29 a.m.
New subject: evolution of misinformation (was: Computer Museum opens in San Diego
A display case shows the progression of storage
disks, starting with
one from 1965 that's the size of a tractor-trailer tire. It held 2.5
megabytes of data and had to be sandblasted to be erased.
Had to be sandblasted to be erased? Huh??
Obviously, any sort of read/write device can be erased through writing of
different content. Only a "write-once" device would require destructive
erasure.
We've seen that particular bit of silliness before. Once an authoritative
statement of wrong information is made, others will follow, and if/when
challenged merely refer to the authority.
Quite a while back, we discussed some systems for LONG-term data storage.
Stonehenge was [jokingly] mentioned as being a hard-sectored long term
data storage device. (probably stationary media with moving head)
Assuming a high data density stored as surface markings or pitting,
sandblasting WOULD be the needed method for erasing surface data. How
long before our silly speculation finds its way into the computer
histories, and later generations are told that the druids invented
hard-sectored disks?
5:47 p.m.
New subject: evolution of misinformation (was: Computer Museum opens in San Diego
I wrote, and Fred Cisin replied:
> A display case shows the progression of
storage disks, starting with
> one from 1965 that's the size of a tractor-trailer tire. It held 2.5
> megabytes of data and had to be sandblasted to be erased.
> Had to be sandblasted to be erased? Huh??
We've seen that particular bit of silliness
before. Once an authoritative
statement of wrong information is made, others will follow, and if/when
challenged merely refer to the authority.
I assumed that by "particular bit of silliness" you meant "the 'erased
by
sandblasting' idea" but after a little thought, I realized that maybe you
just meant "the spreading of a patently false statement".
I wonder how such a ridiculous idea (about sandblasting, I mean) could have
gotten started in the first place. Do you have any details?
Quite a while back, we discussed some systems for
LONG-term data storage.
Stonehenge was [jokingly] mentioned as being a hard-sectored long term
data storage device. (probably stationary media with moving head)
Assuming a high data density stored as surface markings or pitting,
sandblasting WOULD be the needed method for erasing surface data. How
long before our silly speculation finds its way into the computer
histories, and later generations are told that the druids invented
hard-sectored disks?
Well, you either want to prevent the correct information from disappearing,
or prevent the incorrect information from spreading. It's too late to
retract the joke, so you have to vigorously insist that it was a joke and
hope that your correction lasts longer than the joke itself.
-- Derek
5 Sep
5 Sep
5:45 a.m.
New subject: evolution of misinformation (was: Computer Museum opens in San Diego
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7:45 a.m.
New subject: evolution of misinformation (was: Computer Museum opens in San Diego
On Sun, 5 Sep 1999, Tony Duell wrote:
Good point by Allison and by Tony. The sandblasting to erase could,
instead, mean that it had to be sandblasted to DESTROY it before releasing
to a third party. Certainly that could erase it.
I assumed that
by "particular bit of silliness" you meant "the 'erased by
sandblasting' idea" but after a little thought, I realized that maybe you
just meant "the spreading of a patently false statement".
I wonder if
this disk came from a secure (military, possibly)
installation, and the platter had to be sandblasted before it could be
given to the museum. To prevent any possibility of future data recovery. Of course the implication is that the disk was
sandblasted in normal use,
which appears to be absurd.
THAT is the "particular bit of silliness" to which I referred. Hmmm. on
the head carriage there would be an extra nozzle assembly to sand blast?
And maybe a vacuum sand recovery system for reuse?
6 Sep
6 Sep
9:01 a.m.
New subject: evolution of misinformation (was: Computer Museum opens in San Diego
I just watched a fun but somewhat silly program about Stonehenge, narrated
by Leonard Nimoy. It was claimed that Stonehenge preceded the druids.
If so, did the previous owners sandblast it to erase their data before
they handed it over to the druids?
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com
> A
display case shows the progression of storage disks, starting with
> one from 1965 that's the size of a tractor-trailer tire. It held 2.5
> megabytes of data and had to be sandblasted to be erased.
> Had to be sandblasted to be erased? Huh??
Quite a while back, we discussed some systems for
LONG-term data storage.
Stonehenge was [jokingly] mentioned as being a hard-sectored long term
data storage device. (probably stationary media with moving head)
Assuming a high data density stored as surface markings or pitting,
sandblasting WOULD be the needed method for erasing surface data. How
long before our silly speculation finds its way into the computer
histories, and later generations are told that the druids invented
hard-sectored disks?
Well, you either want to prevent the correct information from
disappearing,
or prevent the incorrect information from spreading. It's too late to
retract the joke, so you have to vigorously insist that it was a joke and
hope that your correction lasts longer than the joke itself.
-- Derek 
10 Sep
10 Sep
2:20 p.m.
New subject: evolution of misinformation (was: Computer Museum opens in San Diego
Sorry for the latecoming... but was out-of-electronic-touch for a week;
just catching up.
Rumor has it that Derek Peschel may have mentioned these words:
I wrote, and Fred Cisin replied:
Why????? Wouldn't it be cool to see that stuff being taught to our
great-grandkids (assuming, for myself, that I have no more heart attacks
for the next 60 years) so we could say "yea, I was there when Stonehenge
was sandblasted to erase the data... Later on, we re-interfaced it to our
Commodore 64's and formatted it Double-Density!"
Kind of a geek's "We had no shoes, we had to walk 10 miles to school
(uphill both ways and snow 30 feet (9.9 meters) of snow for 11 months out
of the year, of course... ;-), and we were *happy* to have a piece of
bread-crust for lunch!!!"
Just a (twisted) thought...
"Merch"
--
Roger "Merch" Merchberger --- sysadmin, Iceberg Computers
Recycling is good, right??? Ok, so I'll recycle an old .sig.
If at first you don't succeed, nuclear warhead
disarmament should *not* be your first career choice.
> A display case shows the progression of
storage disks, starting with
> one from 1965 that's the size of a tractor-trailer tire. It held 2.5
> megabytes of data and had to be sandblasted to be erased.
> Had to be sandblasted to be erased? Huh??
We've seen that particular bit of silliness
before. Once an authoritative
statement of wrong information is made, others will follow, and if/when
challenged merely refer to the authority.
I assumed that by "particular bit of silliness" you meant "the 'erased
by
sandblasting' idea" but after a little thought, I realized that maybe you
just meant "the spreading of a patently false statement".
I wonder how such a ridiculous idea (about sandblasting, I mean) could have
gotten started in the first place. Do you have any details?
Quite a while back, we discussed some systems for
LONG-term data storage.
Stonehenge was [jokingly] mentioned as being a hard-sectored long term
data storage device. (probably stationary media with moving head)
Assuming a high data density stored as surface markings or pitting,
sandblasting WOULD be the needed method for erasing surface data. How
long before our silly speculation finds its way into the computer
histories, and later generations are told that the druids invented
hard-sectored disks?
Well, you either want to prevent the correct information from disappearing,
or prevent the incorrect information from spreading. It's too late to
retract the joke, so you have to vigorously insist that it was a joke and
hope that your correction lasts longer than the joke itself. 
11 Sep
11 Sep
1:14 a.m.
New subject: evolution of misinformation (was: Computer Museum opens in San Diego
Sorry for the latecoming... but was
out-of-electronic-touch for a week;
just catching up.
Rumor has it that Derek Peschel may have mentioned these words:
>I wrote, and Fred Cisin replied:
>
>> > A display case shows the progression of storage disks, starting with
>> > one from 1965 that's the size of a tractor-trailer tire. It held
2.5
>> > megabytes of data and had to be sandblasted to be erased.
Cute line...
--
Roger "Merch" Merchberger --- sysadmin, Iceberg Computers
Recycling is good, right??? Ok, so I'll recycle an old .sig.
Actually, the disks I used to see that size (5 or 6 foot diameter) were
used by a couple of my fellow DEC Field Engineers as picnic table tops
when the drives were decommissioned. Aluminum makes a nice weatherproof
table top. (They must've come from KL10s or KA10s or KI10s, though.
I've never seen anything that large on minis...)
Don't know how the iron oxide does though. Perhaps they were painted
when used.
---
bpechter@shell.monmouth.com|pechter@pechter.dyndns.org
Three things never anger: First, the one who runs your DEC,
The one who does Field Service and the one who signs your check.
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days inactive
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8 comments
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participants (6)
-
ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
cisin＠xenosoft.com -
dpeschel＠u.washington.edu -
kyrrin＠bluefeathertech.com -
pechter＠pechter.dyndns.org -
zmerch＠30below.com