I am Amused


I've been involved with the Internet and the USENET for a very long time. Imagine my reaction when I found a taxonomy of flamers complete with illustrations!

Which one is you?


Information Age Graffiti

surface of the Pentium CPU under a scanning electron microscope

API - Time Magazine reports an interesting case of high-tech graffiti. It seems that a couple of Intel engineers working on the design of a recent version of the Pentium microprocessor included a message that describes their feelings about Bill Gates, CEO of Microsoft, a good corporate pal of Intel's.

When a portion of the Pentium chip is examined under a powerful scanning electron microscope, the phrase "bill sux" is clearly visible, etched into the surface of the chip.

The "flaw" in the chip was only discovered by accident well after the chip was released into the market, too late for Intel to prevent the chip from being used in the manufacture of tens of thousands of PCs.

Intel says that both engineers responsible were former employees of Motorola, makers of the chips that are the heart of the Apple Macintosh.

Both engineers have since been fired by Intel.


OK, OK...

So the "bill sux" on Pentium chip mask is actually a clever hoax. I still think it's amusing.


Erik E. Fair <fair@clock.org>
July 29, 1998

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