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L/+CHAD1

This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.

Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.

Tape/disk: Home » Personal collection » Acorn ADFS disks » Electron_User_Group » EUG_34.ADF
Filename: L/+CHAD1
Read OK: ✔
File size: 132A bytes
Load address: 200D450D
Exec address: 20646461
File contents
227 CRICKLADE ROAD, SWINDON, WILTSHIRE, SN2 1AE, 01793  488020.  9/10/97

Dear Gus

I've been watching the Millennium debate in the IT world with a growing
sense of unease.  As you may remember my earlier thoughts were that it
would not amount to very much, certainly not for banks and similar
financial institutions.  I still think that's largely true but my
confidence is lessening daily.

The problem is no one can really get their brains around the full scope
and dimension of what's required, not the actual work itself.  The worst
part is that computer chips are now all pervasive.  Can you think of an
electrical gizmo that certainly doesn't have a chip?  Think about office
equipment, photocopier/fax/printer's, you may not be aware that the
machine is date sensitive but are you absolutely positive?  Cocksure
enough to assure the World Chief President of your employing company?  It
sounds silly but in fact it's very real, imagine getting into work on Jan
3 2000, all IT systems running sweet as a nut but no one can copy, fax or
print?  The company would be in deep trouble.

Maybe that's why the mayor of New York has issued a warning about services
in the city come 2000.  About 50% he reckons, for up to three months. 
Some services worse for longer.  So that's things like rubbish, payrolling
employees, benefit payments, street lights, oh and traffic lights.  Of
course NY is a technically backward place; isn't it?  It might just be a
politician covering his back, but it's pause for thought.  An equally
worthy body this side of the pond has declared London will suffer worse
because there is no one organisation in charge of the whole city.

So, while Megamammon PLc is making sure it's photocopiers are "Millennium
Compliant" resource is being drawn away from ensuring the time critical
systems on it's chemical works are going to work, that the data received
over the wire is compliant, and that all systems interfacing it are up to
scratch.  As ever, the hard pressed company IT development/testing
department is pushed into third or fourth place behind pressing corporate
concerns; like being able to fax out the first completed Times crossword
of the new millennium.

Of course this is how the problem very largely arose in the first place. 
In the old days of the 1970's there were two basic truths to corporate IT,
one that computers were fabulously large and expensive things, and two a
program written today was unlikely to be around in ten years time.
It is the first truth which concerns us most. 

Because the machine was so expensive it was always entirely consumed with
production runs, there was no time in the day for a code compile or a test
run, and data storage room was equally rare.  In this environment there
was just no scope for hit and hope development.  So Jonny Programmer desk
checked the logical flow until he got what he wanted, wrote the program
out on coding sheets, took it to be manually punched onto machine readable
cards, took those deck of cards (Without dropping them or mixing the
order in any way) to the machine room and left them there for a compile
run.  With a bit of luck maybe that week.

Any decent program worth it's salt will not compile first time, and our
hero would in due course find himself presented with a returned deck and
something like a memory dump to find out where he went wrong, a couple of
days after he last thought about it.  Remember, computers were  the stuff
of sci-fi and everything about them was outrageously pricey.  Hence the
paucity of machine development time, and basic editing and debugging
tools.  In such a situation anything that could be simplified would be. 
It is far easier to process a two figure year than a four figure year and
that is what happened.  It wasn't going to matter, these programs will
never still be used in twenty-five years ... and they aren't.

What happened was these solid as a rock routines (They were built to last
because no one could test them again) were perpetuated from system to
system as utility programs ever more deeply buried in the bowels of
increasingly large and complex systems.  The programs can be quite recent,
but they will call date routines copied from programs that are ancient.

So there you are, don't blame IT, blame the management that brought you Red
Robbo.  The good news is, and it's not that good really, is that the
people who wrote these programs are still around as senior managers and
directors - and are often the only ones who have the old language skills
to check the program code.  They are, to say the least, out of practice.

Pretty horrific?  No.  Just wait until Megamammon PLc realises it has to
get people OFF checking the fax machine and ON to getting the financial
systems ready for monetary union.  That's when you'll hear about it.

My tip for the next century?  Pull the sheets right up tight!


Regards,


CHRISTOPHER CHADWICK

00000000  32 32 37 20 43 52 49 43  4b 4c 41 44 45 20 52 4f  |227 CRICKLADE RO|
00000010  41 44 2c 20 53 57 49 4e  44 4f 4e 2c 20 57 49 4c  |AD, SWINDON, WIL|
00000020  54 53 48 49 52 45 2c 20  53 4e 32 20 31 41 45 2c  |TSHIRE, SN2 1AE,|
00000030  20 30 31 37 39 33 20 20  34 38 38 30 32 30 2e 20  | 01793  488020. |
00000040  20 39 2f 31 30 2f 39 37  0d 0d 44 65 61 72 20 47  | 9/10/97..Dear G|
00000050  75 73 0d 0d 49 27 76 65  20 62 65 65 6e 20 77 61  |us..I've been wa|
00000060  74 63 68 69 6e 67 20 74  68 65 20 4d 69 6c 6c 65  |tching the Mille|
00000070  6e 6e 69 75 6d 20 64 65  62 61 74 65 20 69 6e 20  |nnium debate in |
00000080  74 68 65 20 49 54 20 77  6f 72 6c 64 20 77 69 74  |the IT world wit|
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000000a0  65 20 6f 66 20 75 6e 65  61 73 65 2e 20 20 41 73  |e of unease.  As|
000000b0  20 79 6f 75 20 6d 61 79  20 72 65 6d 65 6d 62 65  | you may remembe|
000000c0  72 20 6d 79 20 65 61 72  6c 69 65 72 20 74 68 6f  |r my earlier tho|
000000d0  75 67 68 74 73 20 77 65  72 65 20 74 68 61 74 20  |ughts were that |
000000e0  69 74 0d 77 6f 75 6c 64  20 6e 6f 74 20 61 6d 6f  |it.would not amo|
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00000100  2c 20 63 65 72 74 61 69  6e 6c 79 20 6e 6f 74 20  |, certainly not |
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00000ba0  73 2c 20 74 6f 6f 6b 20  74 68 6f 73 65 20 64 65  |s, took those de|
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00000c10  74 68 65 6d 20 74 68 65  72 65 20 66 6f 72 20 61  |them there for a|
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00000c30  69 74 68 20 61 20 62 69  74 20 6f 66 20 6c 75 63  |ith a bit of luc|
00000c40  6b 20 6d 61 79 62 65 20  74 68 61 74 20 77 65 65  |k maybe that wee|
00000c50  6b 2e 0d 0d 41 6e 79 20  64 65 63 65 6e 74 20 70  |k...Any decent p|
00000c60  72 6f 67 72 61 6d 20 77  6f 72 74 68 20 69 74 27  |rogram worth it'|
00000c70  73 20 73 61 6c 74 20 77  69 6c 6c 20 6e 6f 74 20  |s salt will not |
00000c80  63 6f 6d 70 69 6c 65 20  66 69 72 73 74 20 74 69  |compile first ti|
00000c90  6d 65 2c 20 61 6e 64 20  6f 75 72 0d 68 65 72 6f  |me, and our.hero|
00000ca0  20 77 6f 75 6c 64 20 69  6e 20 64 75 65 20 63 6f  | would in due co|
00000cb0  75 72 73 65 20 66 69 6e  64 20 68 69 6d 73 65 6c  |urse find himsel|
00000cc0  66 20 70 72 65 73 65 6e  74 65 64 20 77 69 74 68  |f presented with|
00000cd0  20 61 20 72 65 74 75 72  6e 65 64 20 64 65 63 6b  | a returned deck|
00000ce0  20 61 6e 64 0d 73 6f 6d  65 74 68 69 6e 67 20 6c  | and.something l|
00000cf0  69 6b 65 20 61 20 6d 65  6d 6f 72 79 20 64 75 6d  |ike a memory dum|
00000d00  70 20 74 6f 20 66 69 6e  64 20 6f 75 74 20 77 68  |p to find out wh|
00000d10  65 72 65 20 68 65 20 77  65 6e 74 20 77 72 6f 6e  |ere he went wron|
00000d20  67 2c 20 61 20 63 6f 75  70 6c 65 20 6f 66 0d 64  |g, a couple of.d|
00000d30  61 79 73 20 61 66 74 65  72 20 68 65 20 6c 61 73  |ays after he las|
00000d40  74 20 74 68 6f 75 67 68  74 20 61 62 6f 75 74 20  |t thought about |
00000d50  69 74 2e 20 20 52 65 6d  65 6d 62 65 72 2c 20 63  |it.  Remember, c|
00000d60  6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 73  20 77 65 72 65 20 20 74  |omputers were  t|
00000d70  68 65 20 73 74 75 66 66  0d 6f 66 20 73 63 69 2d  |he stuff.of sci-|
00000d80  66 69 20 61 6e 64 20 65  76 65 72 79 74 68 69 6e  |fi and everythin|
00000d90  67 20 61 62 6f 75 74 20  74 68 65 6d 20 77 61 73  |g about them was|
00000da0  20 6f 75 74 72 61 67 65  6f 75 73 6c 79 20 70 72  | outrageously pr|
00000db0  69 63 65 79 2e 20 20 48  65 6e 63 65 20 74 68 65  |icey.  Hence the|
00000dc0  0d 70 61 75 63 69 74 79  20 6f 66 20 6d 61 63 68  |.paucity of mach|
00000dd0  69 6e 65 20 64 65 76 65  6c 6f 70 6d 65 6e 74 20  |ine development |
00000de0  74 69 6d 65 2c 20 61 6e  64 20 62 61 73 69 63 20  |time, and basic |
00000df0  65 64 69 74 69 6e 67 20  61 6e 64 20 64 65 62 75  |editing and debu|
00000e00  67 67 69 6e 67 0d 74 6f  6f 6c 73 2e 20 20 49 6e  |gging.tools.  In|
00000e10  20 73 75 63 68 20 61 20  73 69 74 75 61 74 69 6f  | such a situatio|
00000e20  6e 20 61 6e 79 74 68 69  6e 67 20 74 68 61 74 20  |n anything that |
00000e30  63 6f 75 6c 64 20 62 65  20 73 69 6d 70 6c 69 66  |could be simplif|
00000e40  69 65 64 20 77 6f 75 6c  64 20 62 65 2e 20 0d 49  |ied would be. .I|
00000e50  74 20 69 73 20 66 61 72  20 65 61 73 69 65 72 20  |t is far easier |
00000e60  74 6f 20 70 72 6f 63 65  73 73 20 61 20 74 77 6f  |to process a two|
00000e70  20 66 69 67 75 72 65 20  79 65 61 72 20 74 68 61  | figure year tha|
00000e80  6e 20 61 20 66 6f 75 72  20 66 69 67 75 72 65 20  |n a four figure |
00000e90  79 65 61 72 20 61 6e 64  0d 74 68 61 74 20 69 73  |year and.that is|
00000ea0  20 77 68 61 74 20 68 61  70 70 65 6e 65 64 2e 20  | what happened. |
00000eb0  20 49 74 20 77 61 73 6e  27 74 20 67 6f 69 6e 67  | It wasn't going|
00000ec0  20 74 6f 20 6d 61 74 74  65 72 2c 20 74 68 65 73  | to matter, thes|
00000ed0  65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61  6d 73 20 77 69 6c 6c 0d  |e programs will.|
00000ee0  6e 65 76 65 72 20 73 74  69 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 75  |never still be u|
00000ef0  73 65 64 20 69 6e 20 74  77 65 6e 74 79 2d 66 69  |sed in twenty-fi|
00000f00  76 65 20 79 65 61 72 73  20 2e 2e 2e 20 61 6e 64  |ve years ... and|
00000f10  20 74 68 65 79 20 61 72  65 6e 27 74 2e 0d 0d 57  | they aren't...W|
00000f20  68 61 74 20 68 61 70 70  65 6e 65 64 20 77 61 73  |hat happened was|
00000f30  20 74 68 65 73 65 20 73  6f 6c 69 64 20 61 73 20  | these solid as |
00000f40  61 20 72 6f 63 6b 20 72  6f 75 74 69 6e 65 73 20  |a rock routines |
00000f50  28 54 68 65 79 20 77 65  72 65 20 62 75 69 6c 74  |(They were built|
00000f60  20 74 6f 20 6c 61 73 74  0d 62 65 63 61 75 73 65  | to last.because|
00000f70  20 6e 6f 20 6f 6e 65 20  63 6f 75 6c 64 20 74 65  | no one could te|
00000f80  73 74 20 74 68 65 6d 20  61 67 61 69 6e 29 20 77  |st them again) w|
00000f90  65 72 65 20 70 65 72 70  65 74 75 61 74 65 64 20  |ere perpetuated |
00000fa0  66 72 6f 6d 20 73 79 73  74 65 6d 20 74 6f 0d 73  |from system to.s|
00000fb0  79 73 74 65 6d 20 61 73  20 75 74 69 6c 69 74 79  |ystem as utility|
00000fc0  20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d  73 20 65 76 65 72 20 6d  | programs ever m|
00000fd0  6f 72 65 20 64 65 65 70  6c 79 20 62 75 72 69 65  |ore deeply burie|
00000fe0  64 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65  20 62 6f 77 65 6c 73 20  |d in the bowels |
00000ff0  6f 66 0d 69 6e 63 72 65  61 73 69 6e 67 6c 79 20  |of.increasingly |
00001000  6c 61 72 67 65 20 61 6e  64 20 63 6f 6d 70 6c 65  |large and comple|
00001010  78 20 73 79 73 74 65 6d  73 2e 20 20 54 68 65 20  |x systems.  The |
00001020  70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 73  20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 20  |programs can be |
00001030  71 75 69 74 65 20 72 65  63 65 6e 74 2c 0d 62 75  |quite recent,.bu|
00001040  74 20 74 68 65 79 20 77  69 6c 6c 20 63 61 6c 6c  |t they will call|
00001050  20 64 61 74 65 20 72 6f  75 74 69 6e 65 73 20 63  | date routines c|
00001060  6f 70 69 65 64 20 66 72  6f 6d 20 70 72 6f 67 72  |opied from progr|
00001070  61 6d 73 20 74 68 61 74  20 61 72 65 20 61 6e 63  |ams that are anc|
00001080  69 65 6e 74 2e 0d 0d 53  6f 20 74 68 65 72 65 20  |ient...So there |
00001090  79 6f 75 20 61 72 65 2c  20 64 6f 6e 27 74 20 62  |you are, don't b|
000010a0  6c 61 6d 65 20 49 54 2c  20 62 6c 61 6d 65 20 74  |lame IT, blame t|
000010b0  68 65 20 6d 61 6e 61 67  65 6d 65 6e 74 20 74 68  |he management th|
000010c0  61 74 20 62 72 6f 75 67  68 74 20 79 6f 75 20 52  |at brought you R|
000010d0  65 64 0d 52 6f 62 62 6f  2e 20 20 54 68 65 20 67  |ed.Robbo.  The g|
000010e0  6f 6f 64 20 6e 65 77 73  20 69 73 2c 20 61 6e 64  |ood news is, and|
000010f0  20 69 74 27 73 20 6e 6f  74 20 74 68 61 74 20 67  | it's not that g|
00001100  6f 6f 64 20 72 65 61 6c  6c 79 2c 20 69 73 20 74  |ood really, is t|
00001110  68 61 74 20 74 68 65 0d  70 65 6f 70 6c 65 20 77  |hat the.people w|
00001120  68 6f 20 77 72 6f 74 65  20 74 68 65 73 65 20 70  |ho wrote these p|
00001130  72 6f 67 72 61 6d 73 20  61 72 65 20 73 74 69 6c  |rograms are stil|
00001140  6c 20 61 72 6f 75 6e 64  20 61 73 20 73 65 6e 69  |l around as seni|
00001150  6f 72 20 6d 61 6e 61 67  65 72 73 20 61 6e 64 0d  |or managers and.|
00001160  64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72  73 20 2d 20 61 6e 64 20  |directors - and |
00001170  61 72 65 20 6f 66 74 65  6e 20 74 68 65 20 6f 6e  |are often the on|
00001180  6c 79 20 6f 6e 65 73 20  77 68 6f 20 68 61 76 65  |ly ones who have|
00001190  20 74 68 65 20 6f 6c 64  20 6c 61 6e 67 75 61 67  | the old languag|
000011a0  65 20 73 6b 69 6c 6c 73  0d 74 6f 20 63 68 65 63  |e skills.to chec|
000011b0  6b 20 74 68 65 20 70 72  6f 67 72 61 6d 20 63 6f  |k the program co|
000011c0  64 65 2e 20 20 54 68 65  79 20 61 72 65 2c 20 74  |de.  They are, t|
000011d0  6f 20 73 61 79 20 74 68  65 20 6c 65 61 73 74 2c  |o say the least,|
000011e0  20 6f 75 74 20 6f 66 20  70 72 61 63 74 69 63 65  | out of practice|
000011f0  2e 0d 0d 50 72 65 74 74  79 20 68 6f 72 72 69 66  |...Pretty horrif|
00001200  69 63 3f 20 20 4e 6f 2e  20 20 4a 75 73 74 20 77  |ic?  No.  Just w|
00001210  61 69 74 20 75 6e 74 69  6c 20 4d 65 67 61 6d 61  |ait until Megama|
00001220  6d 6d 6f 6e 20 50 4c 63  20 72 65 61 6c 69 73 65  |mmon PLc realise|
00001230  73 20 69 74 20 68 61 73  20 74 6f 0d 67 65 74 20  |s it has to.get |
00001240  70 65 6f 70 6c 65 20 4f  46 46 20 63 68 65 63 6b  |people OFF check|
00001250  69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20  66 61 78 20 6d 61 63 68  |ing the fax mach|
00001260  69 6e 65 20 61 6e 64 20  4f 4e 20 74 6f 20 67 65  |ine and ON to ge|
00001270  74 74 69 6e 67 20 74 68  65 20 66 69 6e 61 6e 63  |tting the financ|
00001280  69 61 6c 0d 73 79 73 74  65 6d 73 20 72 65 61 64  |ial.systems read|
00001290  79 20 66 6f 72 20 6d 6f  6e 65 74 61 72 79 20 75  |y for monetary u|
000012a0  6e 69 6f 6e 2e 20 20 54  68 61 74 27 73 20 77 68  |nion.  That's wh|
000012b0  65 6e 20 79 6f 75 27 6c  6c 20 68 65 61 72 20 61  |en you'll hear a|
000012c0  62 6f 75 74 20 69 74 2e  0d 0d 4d 79 20 74 69 70  |bout it...My tip|
000012d0  20 66 6f 72 20 74 68 65  20 6e 65 78 74 20 63 65  | for the next ce|
000012e0  6e 74 75 72 79 3f 20 20  50 75 6c 6c 20 74 68 65  |ntury?  Pull the|
000012f0  20 73 68 65 65 74 73 20  72 69 67 68 74 20 75 70  | sheets right up|
00001300  20 74 69 67 68 74 21 0d  0d 0d 52 65 67 61 72 64  | tight!...Regard|
00001310  73 2c 0d 0d 0d 43 48 52  49 53 54 4f 50 48 45 52  |s,...CHRISTOPHER|
00001320  20 43 48 41 44 57 49 43  4b 0d                    | CHADWICK.|
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