Terminal bashing (Re: POSIX bashing)

[Dave Tutelman]

>In article <JOZALZ2 at xds13.ferranti.com> peter at ficc.ferranti.com (peter da silva) writes:
>>In article <130073 at uunet.UU.NET>, rbj at uunet.UU.NET (Root Boy Jim) writes:
>>> At NBS, the excess property people didn't even bother hauling the
>>> many Datamedia 1521 terminals to whoever auctions them off. They'd
>>> simply SMASH the screens, and throw them away.
>>
>>That's disgusting. I know lots of people who would pay $25 or so for these
>>because that's all they can afford....
>>...DON'T WASTE A PERFECTLY GOOD RESOURCE!
>>
>>(I'm sorry, but this is insane. Your Government In Action)

In response,
In article <2077 at muffin.cme.nist.gov> libes at cme.nist.gov (Don Libes) writes:
>Since I work at NIST (was NBS) let me give you the real story.  (Ok,
>not necessarily real, but a good story.)
>
>Consider the kind of paperwork that the government would have to
>handle to give away stuff....
... and lots of valid detail.

But, let me suggest an equally potent reason, shared by many large
organizations and ESPECIALLY the government.

Consider the possibility for corruption and fraud (and, in the case of
the government, headline-grabbing by politicians and the media), if
there were a way of declaring equipment "surplus" and giving it away
(or nearly giving it away).  I really shouldn't have to say anything
more about this angle, except to point out that the only politically
safe ways to dispose of stuff are:
 - Destroy it (the safest, but what's being complained about here).
 - Donate it to a charity that's completely above reproach.
 - Use it in another function in the same company (or government).

Any other approach invites audit, and eventually an unfavorable potshot
(deserved or otherwise) by a political opponent or ambitious journalist.
That's why all the paperwork Don describes is there: to CYA.  Anytime
surplus is in fact sold, the paperwork minimizes the political risk by
spreading the responsibility (read "blame") across the system.

>By the way, I attended the Trenton Computer Festival last week and in
>the flea market, people were selling these same old terminals for $5.
>1200 baud modems were $10.  The talks were pretty good, too.

Sorry I didn't see you there.  Had a blast.  And filled out my shopping
list, at a third of my (optimistic, I thought) target prices.

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|    Dave Tutelman						|
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The foregoing are my thoughts.  I don't know my employer's thoughts,
if any, on these matters.