🚀 go-pugleaf

In <1989Dec28.0...@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU> api...@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU
(Pin...@Spikes.slo.ca.EDU) writes:
> The way I heard it was that it was on public display from the front
> reception area by way of a huge window.  Upper management didn't
> think it looked high tech enough, so they said to make some more
> blinking lights.

This story, true or not, is about an IBM 3090 not a Connection
Machine.  I am very much reminding myself of that game "Telephone"
now, but I believe I first saw the story reported as a true one in
rec.humor.funny (someone could check Brad's anthology and find out
...) and that there were in fact 6 3090s involved at a mega-travel
agency in Flordia.  [ Pah!  RPI gets _one_.  They took six. ]  Seems
as though the agency had set up this nifty new machine room behind
their main desk in their main lobby with a large window looking into
it.  Management expected customers to be impressed with the awesome
computers which they had purchased and were exceedingly disappointed
when they took delivery of some rather large and dull looking boxes.
Whining to IBM about this, Big Blue wired up some dummy light panels
to flash merrily for the people who would view the machines through
the window.

Then again, maybe I just dreamed this.

Dave
-- 
   (setq mail '("ta...@cs.rpi.edu" "ta...@ai.mit.edu" "tale@rpitsmts.bitnet"))