Avatars and whimsical notions ...

[Calilasseia]

Having just seen two avatars in another thread, and remarked that I want to see them in a cartoon, has anyone else here been motivated to think whimsical thoughts by the appearance of avatars in posts?

I suspect some interesting responses will ensue here

[Ozzyjack]

Hi David,

I suspect that most people would not notice the peripheral aspects of a post that are repeated; Personalised Pictures (including Avatatars); Personal Text; and Signatures (which many use for quotes and personal statements of belief). I quite often change these but they rarely get commented on.

However, there are some very interesting and enigmatic avatars and I hope you get some interesting responses.

[auntiemo]

Hi Jack. I had failed to notice the change!

[ensiform]

Your post made me get an avatar

[rogue_mother]

What do you make of this -- my first Forum avatar?

[Jacki]

Well R-M, seeing as you’re asking - not much! It’s a bit too small and blurry for me to make out. Is it Pac-Man or something like that?

[blackrockrose]

. . . but picture me at a standing desk – and with grey hair!

[rogue_mother]

Well R-M, seeing as you’re asking - not much! It’s a bit too small and blurry for me to make out. Is it Pac-Man or something like that?

Something like that. It's from a very old DOS game called Rogue that I used to play a lot until computers no longer had 5 1/4" floppy drives (hence the nom de jeu, rogue_mother). The picture is quite small, due to size restrictions back when I joined the forum, but I'll attach the original in case it may make more sense. The field of play is actually much larger than what is shown in the avatar. I created a mini version.

Oops! The forum doesn't like bmp. Changed it to JPG.

[Hobbit]

I quite often change these but they rarely get commented on.

I spotted the change Jack but have only just enlarged it to read the writing underneath

[whisky]

5  1/4" floppy.
Ah that brings back memories.

Do you know why they were 5 1/4" ?

The really early floppy disks were 8"

The marketing manager of the leading drive supplier recognised that a smaller device was needed.
The marketing manager took the engineering manager out to lunch to explain what was needed.

"We need a more compact device !"
"What size ?" enquired the Engineer.

'About this size" said the marketing manager reaching for a luncheon napkin.

The engineer took the napkin, put it in his pocket and took it back to the office.

The rest is history.

This is chapter 1 of an apparently true story.

Michael

[TRex]

5  1/4" floppy.
Ah that brings back memories.

Do you know why they were 5 1/4" ?

The really early floppy disks were 8"

The marketing manager of the leading drive supplier recognised that a smaller device was needed.
The marketing manager took the engineering manager out to lunch to explain what was needed.

"We need a more compact device !"
"What size ?" enquired the Engineer.

'About this size" said the marketing manager reaching for a luncheon napkin.

The engineer took the napkin, put it in his pocket and took it back to the office.

The rest is history.

This is chapter 1 of an apparently true story.

Michael

A popular urban legend. See page ten of
http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2013/05/102657925-05-01-acc.pdf

[whisky]

Thanks TREX.

Interesting article.
I was actively working in the Australian end of the business at the time.

My sources told me otherwise.

Makes a good yarn nevertheless.

Chapter 2 was a few years later the same pair went for a second lunch, to discuss further miniaturisation.

"How much smaller?" enquired the engineer.
"To fit in to your shirt pocket" was the reply.

Michael

[whisky]

Chapter 3, about 30 years later.

"Hey grandpa, where did you get the 3D model of the SAVE icon?" enquired the youngster.

Michael

[ridethetalk]

Chapter 3, about 30 years later.

"Hey grandpa, where did you get the 3D model of the SAVE icon?" enquired the youngster.

Michael

LOL - love this and the other posts above. I could imagine that scene in the restaurant and the engineer taking it literally... 

[TRex]

"How much smaller?" enquired the engineer.
"To fit in to your shirt pocket" was the reply.

I remember commenting to a computer class I was teaching, that they made the 3½ inch diskettes a convenient size for men's shirt pockets, but should have made them a bit smaller so they could fit in women's shirt pockets which were always a bit smaller.