ReSent-From: "Todd L. Masco" ReSent-To: Bulletin Board Administration Date: Wed, 13 Dec 89 15:36:39 -0500 (EST) From: Christopher Newell To: Bulletin Board Administration Subject: T. Penguin -- The Legend Bear in mind that I wrote this during a graveyard shift, many years ago (back in the OLD, excuse me, OLDE days when we had to walk THREE MILES and and an -- sorry) ...while we're on the disclaimers, I may have taken a few little poetic liberties with the actual error messages, but the story is otherwise true. (Sigh...the ECE part is a little out of date, too, I suppose :-) ------- THE BALLAD OF THE TANGERINE PENGUIN - with copious apology to Gordon Lightfoot The legend lives on From the Edu's on down, The story unfolds Of the kid called How the name came, it's told, The Tangerine Penguin. From too close His password attending. The manual said 'twas on his fair head, He typed "TANGERINE" His password to change And the Edu machine On the fortnight. Typed the following words Into his sight: "Passwords can't be the same As a part of your name, But in spelling or sound, And that's what your choice is, Tangerine wasn't found, I must say." To make the computer Act this way. One unexplained bug He'd ignore with a shrug; He typed in PENGUIN... Perfection was not And it did it again, What he asked for. This odd error message Came once more. His ire did rise, At that which faced his eyes. His fingers they danced, A plan swiftly entered As if they were entranced, His young mind. Typing in his full name At the prompt sign. He waited a trice, Let the Edu's think twice, The answer returned, If need be about what he Penguin, Tangerine spurned; Had there said. But his real name It gladly accepted. His thoughts widely ranged (As he once again changed That EduVax2 His password to something Must think his name true, to You don't know). Be Tangerine Penguin, It said so! He vowed on that day, It would have its own way. And when a mainframe, He was henceforth Quizzes him for a name, The Tangerine Penguin. That's just what he's likely To type in. Now CMU changes, CS rearranges. But still around school Macintoshes replace Is an ECE fool The old Edu's. Who goes by The Tangerine Penguin. The legend lives on From the Edu's on down, The story unfolds Of the kid called How his name came, it's told, The Tangerine Penguin. From too close His password attending.