Blinkenlights
This article possibly contains original research. (March 2024) |
In
Etymology
The term has its origins in
ACHTUNG!
ALLES TURISTEN UND NONTEKNISCHEN LOOKENSPEEPERS!
DAS KOMPUTERMASCHINE IST NICHT FÜR DER GEFINGERPOKEN UND MITTENGRABEN! ODERWISE IST EASY TO SCHNAPPEN DER SPRINGENWERK, BLOWENFUSEN UND POPPENCORKEN MIT SPITZENSPARKEN.
IST NICHT FÜR GEWERKEN BEI DUMMKOPFEN. DER RUBBERNECKEN SIGHTSEEREN KEEPEN DAS COTTONPICKEN HÄNDER IN DAS POCKETS MUSS.
ZO RELAXEN UND WATSCHEN DER BLINKENLICHTEN.
Some versions of the sign end with the word blinkenlights.[1]
The sign dates back as far as 1955 at
Although the sign might initially appear to be in German and uses an approximation of German grammar, it is composed largely of words that are either near-homonyms of English words or (in the cases of the longer words) actual English words that are rendered in a faux-German spelling. As such, the sign is generally comprehensible by many English speakers regardless of whether they have any fluency in German, but mostly incomprehensible to German speakers with no knowledge of English. Much of the humor in these signs was their intentionally incorrect language.
The Jargon File also mentions that German hackers had in turn developed their own versions of the blinkenlights poster, in broken English:[1]
ATTENTION
This room is fullfilled mit special electronische equippment.
Fingergrabbing and pressing the cnoeppkes from the computers is allowed for die experts only!
So all the "lefthanders" stay away and do not disturben the brainstorming von here working intelligencies.
Otherwise you will be out thrown and kicked anderswhere!
Also: please keep still and only watchen astaunished the blinkenlights.
Actual blinkenlights
This article possibly contains original research. (March 2024) |
The bits and digits in the earliest mechanical and
With rising processor clock rates, increased memory sizes, and improved interactive debugging tools, such panel lights gradually lost their usefulness, though today most devices have indicators showing power on/off status, hard disk activity, network activity, and other indicators of "signs of life".
The original IBM PC could have a
The Connection Machine, a 65536-processor parallel computer designed in the mid-1980s, was a black cube with one side covered with a grid of red blinkenlights; the sales demo had them evolving Conway's Game of Life patterns.[1]
The two CPU load monitors on the front of BeBoxes were also called "blinkenlights".[3]
This word gave its name to several projects, including
See also
References
- ^ The Jargon File. Version 4.4.6. 2003-10-25. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
- Preston, Michael J. (1974). "Xerox-lore". Keystone Folklore (19). Pennsylvania Folklore Society: 11–26. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
- ^ Pinheiro, Eric (2020-01-09). "BeOS: The Alternate Universe's Mac OS X". Hackaday. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
Further reading
- Sundem, Garth (2009). The geeks' guide to world domination (1 ed.). New York, USA: ISBN 978-0-307-45034-0.
- ISBN 978-0-465-04566-2.