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Join the Hunt For the Government's Oldest Computer (muckrock.com)

Posted by timothy on from the around-here-somewhere dept.

v3rgEz writes: As the saying goes, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' If a machine is doing its job, reliably and without error, then common sense dictates that you just shouldn't mess with it. This is doubly true for computers and quadruply true for government computers. This lends itself to an obvious question: what's the government computer most in need of an upgrade? MuckRock has launched a new FOIA project to find out, and has already started receiving some interesting results.

5 of 147 comments (clear)

  1. If you think that's bad... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 3, Informative

    When a department gets downsized for one reason or another at my government job, the department manger is supposed to turn in all the unused workstations for redeployment or recycling. They typically don't. A favorite hiding space is the utility closet inside a women restroom. All the field techs are male. Go figure.

  2. Re:Focus on NASA by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 3, Informative

    What's with. the random periods. in your sentences?

    A double space on the iPhone virtual keyboard becomes a period. Type too fast, random periods appear.

  3. Re:Intredasting by sphealey · · Score: 5, Informative

    = = = A couple of years ago I heard of a late-70's VAX still being used at a small power plant. To my knowledge it controlled some sort of HVAC systems. Another old system, one I've actually seen, was a mid-80's computer of unknown make/model used to control traffic lights in a small city. It's funny, or actually impressive, to see such old systems still in use.= = =

    Those systems were designed to be reliable, maintainable, and understandable by thorough professionals, so it is in no way surprising they continue to work. And in the industrial infrastructure world you don't replace equipment just because there is a shinier new version. 50 year old equipment is not uncommon in the provision-of-electricity industry and I've seen some 80 year old stuff in operation.

    sPh

  4. Not too surprising... by klubar · · Score: 4, Informative

    There are lots of systems that were designed around embedded PDP-8s and PDP-11s. And given the numbers of Digital VAX sold and specialized software it would not be very surprising if some of these systems are still be used. There were probably over 1.5 million of these machines sold (about 300,000 PDP-8s, 700,000 PDP-11s, 500,000 VAX machines), so there's probably some happily humming away.

    I'm sure the same is true for some earlier IBM 360/370, but they had a better upgrade path and were more expensive to start with. Most of those machines got replaced when they came off lease or the parts availability expired. But probably some of the software from the early 360's is still be used.

    Those were the days when machines were rock solid (and weighed about as much). Unlike today, when electronics are designed to be replaced every two years or so.

  5. Re:waste of tax-payer's money to answer these by tlambert · · Score: 3, Informative

    Meaning you don't have to worry about currently in use attacks, right?