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Ocelot II

(129,838 posts)

8. OMG, I remember typing out those punch cards

Fri Feb 6, 2026, 07:42 PM

Feb 6

Last edited Fri Feb 6, 2026, 09:48 PM - Edit history (1)

then waiting for my turn to run my program, which (if it ran properly) was printed out on big sheets of green and white striped paper. When personal computers first became available you could buy them in the same section of a department store as stereo equipment. They would have demo models out that you could play with, and I amused myself by typing in this:

10 PRINT "Help, I'm trapped in a program loop!"
20 GOTO 10
RUN

And walking away. The salespeople never knew how to make it stop.

Click here to purchase valentine hearts!

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LuckyCharms FakeNoose Prof. Toru Tanaka

34 replies

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Highlight:

I got in a really interesting phone conversation with a young woman last night. [View all] LuckyCharms Feb 6 OP

Things have changed so much. markodochartaigh Feb 6 #1

Check this out! You used to be able to buy cigarettes... LuckyCharms Feb 6 #3

Sure, markodochartaigh Feb 6 #9

I'm a few years older and I did all that stuff too FakeNoose Feb 6 #2

I remember dropping mine in the snow! LuckyCharms Feb 6 #5

You didn't have a sort machine? unblock Feb 6 #4

I don't think so... LuckyCharms Feb 6 #6

Wow, what a memory! FakeNoose Feb 6 #13

That you are able to share that story; priceless. cachukis Feb 6 #7

OMG, I remember typing out those punch cards Ocelot II Feb 6 #8

LOL LuckyCharms Feb 6 #12

Hahahahaha!! unblock Feb 6 #15

so luckycharms is code for insert real name here? msongs Feb 6 #10

Yes LuckyCharms Feb 6 #11

SHE WAS A HUMAN RIGHT??? and she WILL remember all you said, ok, May-be half of what you told her... a kennedy Feb 6 #14

I'll bet that young lady put LuckyCharms in the front of her Rolodex FakeNoose Feb 6 #16

Yes! Definitely human! We had a long conversation... LuckyCharms Feb 6 #18

"I got in a really interesting phone conversation with a young woman last night" True Dough Feb 6 #17

What is a 1-900 number? LuckyCharms Feb 6 #19

I've seen True Dough Feb 6 #20

Do you have these numbers... LuckyCharms Feb 6 #21

I could check, True Dough Feb 6 #22

Things have changed so much and so fast Wicked Blue Feb 6 #23

The safest jobs in America are the plumbers and electricians, they will never be laid off FakeNoose Saturday #24

I told my daughters many times to learn plumbing Wicked Blue Saturday #32

At TAM my husband could not use the mainframe until night when it was available. efhmc Saturday #25

That sounds familiar! LuckyCharms Saturday #31

I remember that from university. The Madcap Saturday #26

Did you ever ask her how she got your phone# and knew your DU Name? Fla Dem Saturday #27

I didn't ask, but I'm a regular contributor to the university LuckyCharms Saturday #28

OK, thanks. Just found it ominous that she was able to connect your DU name with your phone #. Fla Dem Saturday #29

I'm sorry, I don't think I worded my OP well... LuckyCharms Saturday #30

Attending ticker tape parades in NYC though several decades there was the time that.... electric_blue68 Saturday #33

Former "batch station operator " here WestMichRad Saturday #34