Shouldn't the fifth '1' from the right in the second line of Ariel's dialogue in the first panel be a '0' ?
It changes the whole meaning, otherwise she's repeating herself... ;)
Watfor and Watfiv? Haven't heard them mentioned for a while. I think that I may still have my old college textbook, Programming with WATFOR and WATFIV, around somewhere.
First programming course I took, Watfor and Watfiv were so new the textbook had them showcased in big letters and exclamation points...
"Fortran IV WITH Watfor and Watfiv!!!" I can still see it almost like I paid for it...
Write your program, punch the cards out, put them in the slot to be run overnight, pick the printout up in the morning (but not too early) and then see where you went wrong
Or take one card out, flip it end for end, cut the corner off and put it back..or just shuffle them...but DON'T get caught, "computer time is expensive" ;)
Machine code, Gray code, reverse Polish notation...took them all, can't remember anything but the names :)
Several years later, as part of one course we made 'breadboard' gates from individual transistors, resistors, etc. and ended up each building a 4-bit processer programmed with paddle switches and nixie light readout...covered a tabletop
That was around 1978...gads I'm getting old...
Vacuum tube bistable triggered multivibrator (flip flop) 4 bit registers. I think I can still remember and sketch the circuits, and some of the rest of our model processor. I still occasionally do some custom vacuum tube design work, although it mostly involves audio equipment these days. :) I still have my reference books.
The early ICs were a source of fascination, but I lamented that you couldn't make measurements at all points of a circuit. I did get over it, and it made circuit designs easier.
Tech nowadays, sadly, isn't made with repair in mind. It can be repaired, of course; I can do repair on a component level, if I have to, but the time it takes to replace SMT LSI ICs is longer than the time it takes a machine to build an entire board, and is sometimes more costly. Smaller, or simpler components can be replaced more easily, but usually not done because of warranty concerns, so board repair isn't much of an option except in 'emergencies'.
After taking the digital and solid state courses, I ended up as an instructor...on equipment using tubes o.O
and self-stepping multi layer mechanical relays...
of course after finishing the soldering course to repair/refurbish multi layer circuit boards, instead of a Pace kit I got handed a blowtorch and bar solder and sent off to make grounding straps for trailers...
It was still a good course, we were advised to go to the Mess for lunch and have a few drinks to steady our hands for the afternoon :)
I can still smell that distinctive odour conformal coating makes when you grind it off
We were fortunate that our IBM 1401 computer (2nd Gen) was dedicated to our class back in 1980. Sure, we were writing in Autocoder and we'd have to punch our cards, but then we'd run the card-reader and get the printout ourselves. Made turn-around time much quicker.
I think it would be pretty safe to assume that both Rose and Cent have more than a passing familiarity with ciper and code breaking
Rose probably breaks randomly generated ones just for something to do ;)
Really weird thought: Aeneas Is in the discussion, why is he not included in the consensus?
For that matter, only CentComm was actually accused of violating any protocols, so it isn't clear to me (yet) why Tokyo Rose was not included in the discussion and consensus. Admittedly, this way makes for more dramatic storytelling.
Another possibility would be that they are the prosecution and the defense and everybody else has the jury. As such they had their respective says. Then the remainder of the entities make a decision on the evidence presented.
Oh, I doubt either will directly ignore the decision.
Strongly object or proclaim victory first, ignore later, especially for the latter of those two reactions (and they could *both* end up with the latter reaction).
Weak links ! Weak links for sale !
Hyper Links, Hidden Links, Data Links, Base links
We have all the links you could ever want !!
Sheela's link shoppe, available in a location that only you know about!
Even the Three Treasures are supposedly 'in concensus', a phrase I'm tired of seeing since it's been used so badly in the media who apparently don't understand what it means...
or at least they all have the same 1's and 0's in their test ;)
Seeing as I'm having a little difficulty envisioning them taking sides against Rose, this may not bode well for Cent ;)
I had to use a translator (so cool what you can find on the 'Net), but before I did that I thought maybe you were retelling Kryten's joke from Red Dwarf. :D
Geez, knuut, you're stretching my memory a bit there, but I know it wasn't the 200 Baud. I think the first modem I had was 9600 Baud, but we're talking over 25 years ago, so I can't recall if there was something slightly below that or not. I just remember that when I went from 14.4k to finally 56k it was amazing. The jump to cable made me so giddy I just started downloading stuff en masse! :D
First modem I recall using was a 300 baud modem that was the handset cradle. You picked up the handheld part dialed then put it in the cradle and waited, and waited, and waited. I remember calling into Compuserve and paying $5 to $6 per hour before factoring in the connect-time surcharges. Fun times!
I remember a patch panel sort of like that in the 'parlour' of a house we lived in when I was a kid...
Well, not so much a house as part of the RR Station...
My father was a station agent at the time and got transferred to what was literally the 'end of the line'
My mother had been a telephone operator until they were married which was convenient so she got hired too.
That way they always had a 'spare' operator on site...
I can still remember spilling a can of pop into the switchboard and knocking out the entire exchange area :)
Must have inconvenienced 20 or maybe even 30 people...
There was a time when I could whistle 300 baud, at least enough to get a computer to think it had synchronized. Even got to the point of being able to identify some "words" of binary as they came over the line. 300 baud is about the speed most people can type, so it's actually not too fast for your brain to make out.
We used to joke about somebody being freak enough to actually be able to whistle data at the computer, but nobody I knew of ever could. And then everything shifted to 2400 bps, which is about the speed most people can read text, and we didn't even joke about it any more.
In other news, I think this whole conference ought to be taking place in a virtual space that somebody could release a giant rampaging murderturd into.
Just, you know, for a distraction from what otherwise seems to be an awfully stressful and tense proceeding.
I want to recommend Luna Star to people, but the first hit when searching "Luna Star Webcomic", the main page "lunastar.thecomicseries.com," takes the new reader to the last page. Which is possibly a bit of a spoiler, especially the image, especially if the reader remembers the image as they get further in the comic.
Would the creators be interested in adding a last page to the comic, just a quick thing that redirects the new reader to the first page? A kind of back cover, sure to be free of any spoilers, and appropriate for a new reader?
I run a duel robotic phased array ultrasonic scanner at work that uses joints somewhat like shown on Agamenon. They are VERY weak. We move a 4 ounce probe around in water. If the probe comes in contact with any thing the gimbal will lose position.
There is no way he would be able to lift his arms unless he was virtual, or about 5 inches tall.
Oh well, (willful suspension of disbelief)
@Romfire. A lot depends on the material, and the type of bearings. I know of similar joints of the (imagined) size range of what they appear to be here, that operate in the 400# range in the axes equivalent to what's shown here. I agree that a mulit-leaved hinge might be better, but this would function. A lot depends on the thickness and material of the single tang at the center, and the level of precision of the fit of the pin. A good 4140 heat treat material, thickness of about 3.5 cm with a 4 cm dia. pin, with a slight press fit, and dual row ball bearings in the ears.
It changes the whole meaning, otherwise she's repeating herself... ;)
(°J°)
I guess I'm just a basic kind of guy.
Do you think Cent and Rose will ever be Amigas?
"Fortran IV WITH Watfor and Watfiv!!!" I can still see it almost like I paid for it...
Write your program, punch the cards out, put them in the slot to be run overnight, pick the printout up in the morning (but not too early) and then see where you went wrong
Or take one card out, flip it end for end, cut the corner off and put it back..or just shuffle them...but DON'T get caught, "computer time is expensive" ;)
Several years later, as part of one course we made 'breadboard' gates from individual transistors, resistors, etc. and ended up each building a 4-bit processer programmed with paddle switches and nixie light readout...covered a tabletop
That was around 1978...gads I'm getting old...
The early ICs were a source of fascination, but I lamented that you couldn't make measurements at all points of a circuit. I did get over it, and it made circuit designs easier.
Tech nowadays, sadly, isn't made with repair in mind. It can be repaired, of course; I can do repair on a component level, if I have to, but the time it takes to replace SMT LSI ICs is longer than the time it takes a machine to build an entire board, and is sometimes more costly. Smaller, or simpler components can be replaced more easily, but usually not done because of warranty concerns, so board repair isn't much of an option except in 'emergencies'.
Now I really feel old.
and self-stepping multi layer mechanical relays...
of course after finishing the soldering course to repair/refurbish multi layer circuit boards, instead of a Pace kit I got handed a blowtorch and bar solder and sent off to make grounding straps for trailers...
It was still a good course, we were advised to go to the Mess for lunch and have a few drinks to steady our hands for the afternoon :)
I can still smell that distinctive odour conformal coating makes when you grind it off
to cut down the glare
It's like .. almost law !
It slices, it dices, it makes Julienne fries and don't you want to know how it works ?
I had trouble deciding which version of this one to use so just went with the original ;)
...they seem so similar, Cent and Rose...
I wonder if the next glare will jump some versions?
@alt text: so true =P
Rose probably breaks randomly generated ones just for something to do ;)
For that matter, only CentComm was actually accused of violating any protocols, so it isn't clear to me (yet) why Tokyo Rose was not included in the discussion and consensus. Admittedly, this way makes for more dramatic storytelling.
Your 'prosecution/defense' theory makes sense, though.
Strongly object or proclaim victory first, ignore later, especially for the latter of those two reactions (and they could *both* end up with the latter reaction).
Call me weird but I think that's a conflict of interest.
Hyper Links, Hidden Links, Data Links, Base links
We have all the links you could ever want !!
Sheela's link shoppe, available in a location that only you know about!
or at least they all have the same 1's and 0's in their test ;)
Seeing as I'm having a little difficulty envisioning them taking sides against Rose, this may not bode well for Cent ;)
01001001 00100000 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101100 01101100 01111001 00100000 01101100 01101001 01101011 01100101 01100100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110000 01100001 01100111 01100101 00100001
I'm not lazy, dagnabbit !!! 😠
… but shh, I'm trying to lead people astray here !! 🤣
Also .. South Park Dial Up ! 😂
Well, not so much a house as part of the RR Station...
My father was a station agent at the time and got transferred to what was literally the 'end of the line'
My mother had been a telephone operator until they were married which was convenient so she got hired too.
That way they always had a 'spare' operator on site...
I can still remember spilling a can of pop into the switchboard and knocking out the entire exchange area :)
Must have inconvenienced 20 or maybe even 30 people...
We used to joke about somebody being freak enough to actually be able to whistle data at the computer, but nobody I knew of ever could. And then everything shifted to 2400 bps, which is about the speed most people can read text, and we didn't even joke about it any more.
Just, you know, for a distraction from what otherwise seems to be an awfully stressful and tense proceeding.
TR and Cent: *Limit Break Glare*
GRM: *whimper*
Would the creators be interested in adding a last page to the comic, just a quick thing that redirects the new reader to the first page? A kind of back cover, sure to be free of any spoilers, and appropriate for a new reader?
There is no way he would be able to lift his arms unless he was virtual, or about 5 inches tall.
Oh well, (willful suspension of disbelief)
"WHAT?!?!"
"WHAT!?!?"
"A private chat room, where the two of you can talk openly and honestly, and work out your differences."
"Ugh! ... I'd sooner agree to the more provocative meaning of 'Get a room.'!"
"Same here!"
...
""""We said a PRIVATE room!!!""""