Fun_People Archive
22 Mar
ACHTUNG! ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS!

Date: Fri, 22 Mar 96 16:15:08 -0800
From: Peter Langston <psl>
To: Fun_People
Subject: ACHTUNG! ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS!

[I think the "German" warning reproduced below is the first piece of computer  
humor that I ever saw (in 1964) ... but, on second thought, there probably was  
a New Yorker cartoon or two before that.  ...  Okay, the "German" warning  
reproduced below is the first piece of computer humor produced by a computer  
user that I ever saw taped on a computer.  So, for its historical value...  
-psl]

Forwarded-by: Keith Bostic <bostic@bsdi.com>
Forwarded-by: guy@netapp.com (Guy Harris)

At:
http://www.cs.swarthmore.edu/~binde/teatime/Computers/fake_German_warning.html	

we have:
			    Fake German Warning

	  ACHTUNG! ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS! Das computermachine ist nicht
	  fuer gefingerpoken und mittengrabben.  Ist easy schnappen der
	  springenwerk, blowenfusen und poppencorken mit spitzensparken.
	  Ist nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen.  Das rubbernecken
	  sichtseeren keepen das cotten-pickenen hans in das pockets muss;
	  relaxen und watchen das blinkenlichten.

   This silliness dates back at least as far as 1959 at Stanford
   University and had already gone international by the early 1960s,
   when it was reported at London University's ATLAS computing site.

   In an amusing example of turnabout-is-fair-play, German hackers
   have developed their own versions of the blinkenlights poster in
   fractured English, one of which is reproduced here:

	  ATTENTION This room is fullfilled mit special electronische
	  equippment.  Fingergrabbing and pressing the cnoeppkes from the
	  computers is allowed for die experts only! So all the
	  "lefthanders" stay away and do not disturben the brainstorming
	  von here working intelligencies.  Otherwise you will be out
	  thrown and kicked anderswhere! Also: please keep still and only
	  watchen astaunished the blinkenlights.

© 1996 Peter Langston