h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

well done that man babbage

i never had even one typing class, but the 3.5 finger system i invented for myself has kept me alive for 39 years anyway

In my first computer course (pre PC) we had to use punched cards. We could write the code on what was a bit like graph paper and then send it off to a data processing company where the "girls" would key it onto the cards and then we would get them back in a day or two.
Minor errors we would deal with on a manual card punch machine but major errors (many lines of code mis-keyed) were sent back for re-keying. With one card per line of code you wouldn't be able to lift all the cards of a major program.

You were allowed to kill anyone who shuffled your cards and get away with the defence of extreme provocation.

We used to punch our own cards.

Back in the day, Elektra had a computer course. She needed a razor blade for this...

i am *NOT* walking into this, dmitri

For the batch cards, silly.

Phew!!! I thought you were living on the edge then, Dmitri!


*stands back in case of incoming from Elektra*

She can't throw any, because my other computer is still in the shop. And I'm hogging this machine...

Oooops! She might be storing them up!

*dives under her Matt*

*hunts for s in fridge*

Yep. (But they're miniature ones, she likes those.)

Just don't let her chat with the Prof

He's got a natty selection of concushions - all filled with concrete

I read somewhere that a computer keyboard is one of the filthiest items in the house, full of micro-organisms and muck between the keys and all over. Especially if shared.

Well, do you always wash your hands before you use the keyboard? Or wash the keyboard, like Bel did, only on a regular basis?

I only type while I'm in the bath... what you lookin' at?

what are you pointing at?

What's that crawling up your leg?

Must be one of those poisonous spiders they have in Oz.

I know that they have a funnel web here in Sydney and that it's dangerous and sometimes builds its web under toilet seats but I don't know what they look like
The more spectacular, but less dangerous s are huntsman.

http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Sydney-Funnel-web-Spider-Atrax-robustus/

http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Huntsman-spider/

pics are OK but I'm not sure of the dimensions etc. I need someone to point them out to me and tell me not to go near them.

Huntsman spiders are typically about 25-30cm across (10-12 inches).

"size of a small dog", I've heard.