[net.nlang] what's it called II; tape holes instead of paper

brucec@orca.UUCP (Bruce Cohen) (07/19/83)

	When punched paper tapes used to be used once in a while with
	computers, there were always those little round pieces of paper
	which were punched out.  These came to be known as "chits",
	because the man that invented (so I'm told) the tape where the
	chits weren't punched all the way out was named Chitless.
	If you got the point in spite of all the misplaced modifiers,
	thank you....

Well, the Federal Gummint (green and khaki division) called it "chad"
when last I worked for them, some 15 years ago.  I worked in a
teletype comm center where bales of the stuff were generated every day
(would you believe a paper tape store and forward message system with
100 full duplex teletype links?), so as a major manufacturer we had a
right to name it.  By the way, chad tends to pick up a static charge
when it sits around in the little plastic boxes on the tape punches.
Very messy if you should happen to spill it; it loves to stick to
clothes.

				Bruce Cohen

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