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April 1, 1972: Write Only Memory

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the it-was-funny-before-i-was-born dept.

Embedded Geek writes "While digging around Jack Ganssle's site, I came across an amusing prank from days gone by. In 1972 Signetics recognized April Fools day by printing a full color datasheet (scanned sheet 1 and sheet 2 here) for a Write-Only Memory (which accepts data but never reads it back), a considerable effort when documents were made via literal "cut and paste". Packed with jokes both obvious (a graph of "number of pins left versus number of insertions") and subtle ("Vdd = 0V +/- 2%") it's worth a chuckle."

25 of 233 comments (clear)

  1. Essential For... by geoffsmith · · Score: 4, Funny

    Writing perl code! Write once, read never.

    Websurfing done right! StumbleUpon

    1. Re:Essential For... by DarkHelmet · · Score: 4, Funny

      $what($are_you)->$talking("about") . "you" . $technophobe.
      @PERL."is"->$the_easiest->$language->$Eva r

      # As with all other perl code
      # I find documenting this unnecessary

      --
      /^[A-Z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Z0-9.-]+\.[A-Z]{2,4}$/i
  2. This is perfect for my project. by seanadams.com · · Score: 5, Funny

    I get a lot of spam, so I've been working on a hardware accelleration card for /dev/null. This'll save me having to develop my own design in an expensive FPGA.

    1. Re:This is perfect for my project. by phil+reed · · Score: 4, Interesting
      I get a lot of spam, so I've been working on a hardware accelleration card for /dev/null.


      Many years ago, I used to go to DEC Users Group meetings. In the evenings, we'd have "sessions" where the operating system developers would come around and tell war stories. I remember one time that one of the RSX-11 (one of the PDP-11 operating systems) developers was telling us that writes to the Null device (NUL:) was found to be considerable slower than writes to real hardware. Therefore, they had begun development of a null hardware device to be plugged into the system. It was to be called the NUL-11 board, and they had developed quite a bit of specification material for it, unfortunately lost (this was in the early '80s). Very fun stuff.

      --

      ...phil
      "For a list of the ways which technology has failed to improve our quality of life, press 3."
  3. Just what the MPAA and RIAA ordered by Brynath · · Score: 5, Funny

    Something they can sell that has Perfect Copy Protection!

  4. There are a few applications for write-only memory by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There are circuits in use that are essentially a write-only memory like this (but without the need for a 6 foot fan!), combined with a comparator and possibly a one-way encrypter. You can store an encrypted password in there, which then can never be read back in its encrypted form. Plaintext phrases can be encrypted and compared against the stored password.

    One existing application is on debit cards (cards that are charged with a cash amount on the card itself).

    --
    If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  5. In the Jargon Lexicon by Raedwald · · Score: 5, Informative

    This has been in The Jargon Lexicon for ages. Don't all slashdotters know of it?

    --
    Ne mæg werig mod wyrde wiðstondan, ne se hreo hyge helpe gefremman.
    1. Re:In the Jargon Lexicon by tswinzig · · Score: 5, Funny

      This has been in The Jargon Lexicon [tuxedo.org] for ages. Don't all slashdotters know of it?

      I must have missed the part on this site where it says, "YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE JARGON LEXICON BEFORE READING SLASHDOT."

      --

      "And like that ... he's gone."
    2. Re:In the Jargon Lexicon by majcher · · Score: 3, Funny

      I must have missed the part on this site where it says, "YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE JARGON LEXICON BEFORE READING SLASHDOT."

      Even if us lowly posters haven't (although you should), it would be nice if our nerd-overlord editors who put the story on the front page have given the jargon file a quick skim.

      "Breaking news on Slashdot! Some programmers use funny words like 'foo' and 'bar' in their code, instead of *real* variable names!"

      zzzzzzz....

  6. Write only memory? by vidnet · · Score: 5, Funny

    You mean like the windows registry?

    Crap goes in, but doesn't seem to go out until you have to reinstall a month later :)

  7. Re:wow by Ted+Maul · · Score: 4, Funny

    First posts are write only.

    --

    The Day Today - Game Warden to the Events Rhino
  8. 'Read protection' by Ed+Avis · · Score: 4, Informative

    On the BBC Micro you could add 16Kbyte banks of 'sideways RAM'. I remember that some upgrades had a 'read protect' switch, which sounded very odd. I think it was for compatibility; read protect made the upgrade effectively invisible.

    --
    -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
  9. Advances in cooling by rhysweatherley · · Score: 5, Funny
    It took Intel 30 years to acheive a chip that has the same cooling requirements:
    The 25120 is easily cooled by employment of a six-foot fan, 1/2" from the package. If the device fails, you have exceeded the ratings. In such cases, more air is recommended.
    Signetics were way ahead of their time.
  10. Huh? by jnievele · · Score: 3, Funny

    I didn't know that DAT backup tapes were invented in 1972... ;-)

  11. Latex slip-ons!!! by pawlie · · Score: 3, Funny

    Brilliant: slip-on latex protectors for preventage of VD!! (Voltage Destruction) Pill packaged devices do not require protection!

  12. Favorite WOM feature by octalman · · Score: 3, Funny

    My favorite feature of this device is that typical bit capacity is 35% to 75% of "guaranteed" bit capacity.

  13. Write many, read never... by MadFarmAnimalz · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd rather thought that /dev/null was the most elegant WOM out there...

    Heck, they even coded it such that it has infinite capacity, or a very high capacity in any case.

    Could someone dedicate a machine for a few years with a shell script running an infinite loop writing data to /dev/null? I personally think it's about time we found out how much you can stash in there.

    --
    Blearf. Blearf, I say.
  14. Later that day... by robolemon · · Score: 3, Funny
    After writing up the paper and printing it in color (back in the day before cheap color printing), the Signetics engineers retire to the local bar.

    After laughing it up for a bit, their boss walks in. He is visibly angry.

    Boss: "Miller! Wilson! Did you waste our money again? I found the Write-Only Memory specs! That's it! The six-foot fan was one thing, but now you guys have crossed the line. How are you going to explain yourselves?"

    Miller: (angrily to Wilson) "I thought you said he wouldn't be able to read it!"

    Slashdot Readers: (groan)

    --

    I design user interfaces for a free network management application,

  15. Re:wow by malkman · · Score: 5, Funny

    The real question is, why would someone make a first post in the first place?

    However, through the use of simple mathematics I've deducted a formula that explains this habit-
    sP + aF / P = Need of being the first poster
    You see, the persons small penis (sP) factor is added to his annoyance factor (aF) and divided by any real personality this poster may have (P), creates the probability of having a first post, as well as the need to be the first poster.
    Therefore, the average first poster believes that by being the first poster, he will enlarge his penis size. Unfortunately, this is most opposite of what *really* occurs.
    fP = P / sP - wFOP = First poster's penis size.
    As you can see, the first post has the effect of actually *shrinking* his penis, as the personality factor is divided by his existing small penis, minus an additional amount based on the annoyance factor of the first post itself. So, in reality, these people are causing long-lasting damaging effects to their genitals.

    And to answer your question, no, I DON'T have anything better to do than post nonsensical, offtopic garbage on a message board.

    --

    Robort knows all.
  16. The original Bill Gates Quote: by Bazman · · Score: 4, Funny

    "640k of Write-Only Memory ought to be enough for anybody".

    Baz

  17. Now I really do feel old ... by Pogue+Mahone · · Score: 3, Funny
    I remember this one when it first appeared. Does that make me "venerable"?

    On a similar line, somewhere at home I have a spoof datasheet from Nominal Semidestructors giving information about the new Polish Operational Amplifier.

    What I'm missing, however, is my copy of the table of variation of pi with temperature and pressure, which I believe was given to all engineering freshmen at Cambridge at one time. If anyone can help me to locate a new copy I'd be grateful. Please reply here or email me (see homepage).

    --
    Every bloody emperor has his hand up history's skirt [Peter Hammill/VdGG]
  18. Footnote 6... by markmoss · · Score: 4, Informative

    They even planned far ahead. In 1972, "VFF = 6.3VAC" was obvious in itself, but for you youngsters that don't know about vacuum tubes they added the footnote "6. For the filament heater, of course."

    Yes, it's now a very old joke, but it's been fun watching a new "generation" rediscover it every five years or so.

  19. In case anyone cares by overshoot · · Score: 3, Informative

    Friends who work at Philips (which bought Signetics years ago) tell me that the 25120 datasheet may be updated and reissued. Keep an eye out for it once Philips gets a usable website.

    --
    Lacking <sarcasm> tags, /. substitutes moderation as "Troll."
  20. An oldy but goodie by rnturn · · Score: 3, Funny

    I know people who have copies of that data sheet.

    Another one that was good for a laugh was the ``Damn Fast Op-Amp'' that appeared in a normal device catalog from one of the major electronics device manufacturers (like Signetics, Fairchild, National, or maybe even AMD -- I'm leaning toward the latter but I can't remember any more. Darned cobwebs.) I used to enjoy asking interns to look up some information for me in the catalog and wait to see if they noticed it. You could tell if they did from the laughter.

    Another one from the same time frame (1980-ish) was the announcement -- on official IBM product sheets -- of a Galactic Edition' of the VM/CP (or was it VM/CMS?) operating system. This included advanced features like the one that allowed users to create and destroy their own planetary systems and such.

    Oh those were the days. Bet you don't see stuff like this appearing in official company literature any more. Hell, there'd probably be someone suing the company after they'd been traumatized upon seeing such offensive material (like `damn') or claiming fraud when their personal solar system didn't appear.

    --
    CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M
  21. press release by trb · · Score: 3, Informative

    There was an amusing press release that accompanied the Signetics WOM.