Knowledge

Blinkenlights

Source 📝

391: 103: 91: 250:, it is composed largely of words that are either near-homonyms of English words or (in the cases of the longer words) actual English words that are rendered in a faux-German spelling. As such, the sign is generally comprehensible by many English speakers regardless of whether they have any fluency in German, but mostly incomprehensible to German speakers with no knowledge of English. Much of the humor in these signs was their intentionally incorrect language. 318: 34: 375: 147:(modems, network hubs, etc.). Blinkenlights disappeared from more recent computers for a number of reasons, the most important being the fact that with faster CPUs a human can no longer interpret the processes in the computer on the fly. Though more sophisticated UI mechanisms have since been developed, blinkenlights may still be present as additional status indicators and familiar 107: 105: 111: 109: 104: 110: 108: 406:, and in various registers. These could be used for diagnosing or "single-stepping" a halted machine, but even with the machine operating normally, a skilled operator could interpret the high-speed blur of the lamps to tell which section of a large program was executing, whether the program was caught in an 417:, increased memory sizes, and improved interactive debugging tools, such panel lights gradually lost their usefulness, though today most devices have indicators showing power on/off status, hard disk activity, network activity, and other indicators of "signs of life". 402:-based computers were typically large and few, making it easy to see (and often hear) activity. Afterwards, for decades, computers incorporated arrays of indicator lamps in their control panels, indicating the values carried on the address, data, and other internal 106: 119:
does arithmetic at approximately human speed. Watching the lights allows one to follow the instructions and the changing data as it runs the Squares program displayed on the panels
431:-processor parallel computer designed in the mid-1980s, was a black cube with one side covered with a grid of red blinkenlights; the sales demo had them evolving 132: 260:
in offices as a warning not to mess with the machine in the first print reference from 1974. The sign is also reported to have been seen on an
171:. Variants of the sign were relatively common in computer rooms in English-speaking countries from the early 1960s. One version read: 535: 253: 634: 608: 287:
also mentions that German hackers had in turn developed their own versions of the blinkenlights poster, in broken English:
361: 77: 343: 59: 328: 44: 299:
So all the "lefthanders" stay away and do not disturben the brainstorming von here working intelligencies.
680: 565: 618: 116: 665: 432: 379: 670: 439: 339: 55: 390: 269: 594: 297:
Fingergrabbing and pressing the cnoeppkes from the computers is allowed for die experts only!
211: 458: 20: 453:, hardware gadgets, and other nostalgic things. Some notable enterprises include the German 207: 675: 539: 265: 203: 217: 8: 454: 261: 600: 475: 421: 335: 168: 140: 51: 508: 246:
Although the sign might initially appear to be in German and uses an approximation of
630: 604: 236: 197: 187: 240: 144: 193: 513: 403: 124: 183: 176: 90: 247: 659: 450: 407: 273: 160: 650: 626: 399: 257: 164: 136: 414: 303:
Also: please keep still and only watchen astaunished the blinkenlights.
196:
IST NICHT FÜR DER GEFINGERPOKEN UND MITTENGRABEN! ODERWISE IST EASY TO
148: 383: 346:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. 62:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. 200:
DER SPRINGENWERK, BLOWENFUSEN UND POPPENCORKEN MIT SPITZENSPARKEN.
470: 623:
Metamagical themas: questing for the essence of mind and pattern
295:
This room is fullfilled mit special electronische equippment.
443: 95: 374: 143:. More recently the term applies to status lights of modern 268:
in the 1950s. Such pseudo-German parodies were common in
301:
Otherwise you will be out thrown and kicked anderswhere!
232: 449:
This word gave its name to several projects, including
398:The bits and digits in the earliest mechanical and 657: 461:and the Blinkenlights Archaeological Institute. 394:Typical LED pattern of a Thinking Machines CM-5 16:Hacker jargon for computerised blinking lights 224:Some versions of the sign end with the word 528: 276:, and an example photocopy is shown in the 617: 546:(19). Pennsylvania Folklore Society: 11–26 566:"BeOS: The Alternate Universe's Mac OS X" 362:Learn how and when to remove this message 78:Learn how and when to remove this message 19:For the Alexanderplatz installation, see 563: 389: 373: 167:-Gothic) mock warning sign written in a 101: 89: 534: 307: 256:relates the sign as being posted above 658: 592: 231:The sign dates back as far as 1955 at 503: 501: 499: 497: 495: 493: 491: 596:The geeks' guide to world domination 311: 27: 272:machine shops during and following 94:Lights on the front panel of a DEC 13: 586: 488: 446:were also called "blinkenlights". 163:and is taken from a famous (often 14: 692: 644: 316: 32: 557: 442:load monitors on the front of 1: 599:(1 ed.). New York, USA: 564:Pinheiro, Eric (2020-01-09). 481: 235:, and a copy was reported at 386:supercomputer from the 1990s 216:ZO RELAXEN UND WATSCHEN DER 159:The term has its origins in 154: 7: 619:Hofstadter, Douglas Richard 517:. Version 4.4.6. 2003-10-25 464: 342:the claims made and adding 214:HÄNDER IN DAS POCKETS MUSS. 202:IST NICHT FÜR GEWERKEN BEI 58:the claims made and adding 10: 697: 18: 117:Harwell Dekatron Computer 210:SIGHTSEEREN KEEPEN DAS 593:Sundem, Garth (2009). 413:With rising processor 395: 387: 305: 222: 169:mangled form of German 120: 99: 459:Project Blinkenlights 433:Conway's Game of Life 393: 378:Blinkenlights on the 377: 289: 173: 114: 93: 21:Project Blinkenlights 651:DEC indicator panels 308:Actual blinkenlights 266:Cavendish Laboratory 536:Preston, Michael J. 455:Chaos Computer Club 262:electron microscope 243:computer facility. 141:mainframe computers 681:Macaronic language 601:Three Rivers Press 476:Macaronic language 422:Connection Machine 396: 388: 327:possibly contains 254:Michael J. Preston 121: 100: 43:possibly contains 636:978-0-465-04566-2 610:978-0-307-45034-0 544:Keystone Folklore 372: 371: 364: 329:original research 237:London University 133:diagnostic lights 112: 88: 87: 80: 45:original research 688: 640: 614: 580: 579: 577: 576: 561: 555: 554: 552: 551: 532: 526: 525: 523: 522: 505: 430: 429: 367: 360: 356: 353: 347: 344:inline citations 320: 319: 312: 194:KOMPUTERMASCHINE 145:network hardware 113: 83: 76: 72: 69: 63: 60:inline citations 36: 35: 28: 696: 695: 691: 690: 689: 687: 686: 685: 666:Computer jargon 656: 655: 647: 637: 629:. p. 569. 611: 589: 587:Further reading 584: 583: 574: 572: 562: 558: 549: 547: 533: 529: 520: 518: 514:The Jargon File 509:"Blinkenlights" 507: 506: 489: 484: 467: 427: 425: 368: 357: 351: 348: 333: 321: 317: 310: 302: 300: 298: 296: 294: 215: 201: 191: 190:LOOKENSPEEPERS! 181: 157: 125:computer jargon 102: 84: 73: 67: 64: 49: 37: 33: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 694: 684: 683: 678: 673: 671:Computer humor 668: 654: 653: 646: 645:External links 643: 642: 641: 635: 615: 609: 588: 585: 582: 581: 556: 527: 486: 485: 483: 480: 479: 478: 473: 466: 463: 370: 369: 324: 322: 315: 309: 306: 248:German grammar 218:BLINKENLICHTEN 156: 153: 86: 85: 40: 38: 31: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 693: 682: 679: 677: 674: 672: 669: 667: 664: 663: 661: 652: 649: 648: 638: 632: 628: 624: 620: 616: 612: 606: 602: 598: 597: 591: 590: 571: 567: 560: 545: 541: 537: 531: 516: 515: 510: 504: 502: 500: 498: 496: 494: 492: 487: 477: 474: 472: 469: 468: 462: 460: 456: 452: 451:screen savers 447: 445: 441: 436: 434: 423: 418: 416: 411: 410:, and so on. 409: 405: 401: 392: 385: 381: 376: 366: 363: 355: 345: 341: 337: 331: 330: 325:This article 323: 314: 313: 304: 293: 288: 286: 281: 279: 275: 271: 267: 263: 259: 255: 251: 249: 244: 242: 238: 234: 229: 227: 226:blinkenlights 221: 219: 213: 209: 205: 199: 195: 189: 185: 180: 178: 172: 170: 166: 162: 152: 150: 146: 142: 138: 134: 130: 129:blinkenlights 126: 118: 97: 92: 82: 79: 71: 61: 57: 53: 47: 46: 41:This article 39: 30: 29: 26: 22: 622: 595: 573:. Retrieved 569: 559: 548:. Retrieved 543: 540:"Xerox-lore" 530: 519:. Retrieved 512: 448: 437: 419: 412: 408:endless loop 397: 358: 349: 326: 291: 290: 284: 282: 277: 274:World War II 258:photocopiers 252: 245: 230: 225: 223: 212:COTTONPICKEN 208:RUBBERNECKEN 175: 174: 161:hacker humor 158: 137:front panels 128: 122: 74: 65: 42: 25: 676:Tech humour 627:Basic Books 415:clock rates 400:vacuum tube 285:Jargon File 278:Jargon File 165:blackletter 149:skeuomorphs 660:Categories 575:2024-03-10 550:2013-11-23 521:2015-01-17 482:References 435:patterns. 352:March 2024 336:improve it 204:DUMMKOPFEN 188:TEKNISCHEN 68:March 2024 52:improve it 384:FROSTBURG 340:verifying 292:ATTENTION 198:SCHNAPPEN 155:Etymology 56:verifying 621:(1996). 570:Hackaday 538:(1974). 465:See also 438:The two 184:TURISTEN 471:Faxlore 444:BeBoxes 334:Please 264:at the 186:UND NON 177:ACHTUNG 139:of old 50:Please 633:  607:  270:Allied 206:. DER 182:ALLES 98:(1965) 404:buses 241:Atlas 96:PDP-8 631:ISBN 605:ISBN 424:, a 420:The 283:The 192:DAS 131:are 115:The 457:'s 440:CPU 428:536 382:'s 380:NSA 338:by 239:'s 233:IBM 135:on 123:In 54:by 662:: 625:. 603:. 568:. 542:. 511:. 490:^ 426:65 280:. 228:. 151:. 127:, 639:. 613:. 578:. 553:. 524:. 365:) 359:( 354:) 350:( 332:. 220:. 179:! 81:) 75:( 70:) 66:( 48:. 23:.

Index

Project Blinkenlights
original research
improve it
verifying
inline citations
Learn how and when to remove this message

PDP-8
Harwell Dekatron Computer
computer jargon
diagnostic lights
front panels
mainframe computers
network hardware
skeuomorphs
hacker humor
blackletter
mangled form of German
ACHTUNG
TURISTEN
TEKNISCHEN
KOMPUTERMASCHINE
SCHNAPPEN
DUMMKOPFEN
RUBBERNECKEN
COTTONPICKEN
BLINKENLICHTEN
IBM
London University
Atlas

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.