I'd just like to add that this thread tickles me to no end in both its geniality and its thoroughness. When humor meets citation-checking, it's serious business indeed. I can't speak as to whether the Pentium explicitly popped up in a Letterman Top Ten list, Dr. Spertus, but I can suggest that the January 5th, 1995, list you mentioned, "Top Ten Signs You Bought a Bad Computer," may include an oblique reference specific to that time period. Item "# 2" reads, "The only chip inside is a Dorito." I remember the above gag from an edited volume of Late Show lists I was given. Link from the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20061207001549/http://www.cbs.com/latenight/late... . Best, Andrew On Fri, Aug 14, 2020 at 10:08 PM Paul Ivanov <pi@berkeley.edu> wrote:
Ellen Spertus, on 2020-08-14 15:00, wrote:
I remain skeptical, because of the information (and absence of information) that I cite, but I think I should drop it if David Patterson is adamant that it happened.It's not a matter of great historic importance, just a minor curiosity.
I think your scepticism is well placed, Ellen, and the Royal Society motto "Nullius in verba" ("Take nobody's word for it") certainly comes to mind.
I took the liberty of contacting Don Giller, an authoritative Letterman archivist (see < https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/fashion/mens-style/david-letterman-late-show-don-giller.html>
or <https://donzblog.home.blog/2019/09/26/my-letterman-databases/> ) and he categorically rejects the existence of a Pentium bug Top Ten list from the show.
As nice of a story as it would have been to have floating point humour in the late night show cannon, it seems that this one isn't true.
Don Giller, on 2020-08-15 00:27, wrote:
Hi, Paul,
First, thanks for the twitter follow. Appreciated!
Second, nope, no Top Ten List, ever.
The only mention of the Pentium issue was during his monologue on December 15, 1994:
"You know, you know what you can do if you have any of those defective Pentium computer chips? You know what I’m talking about? If you have any of those defective Pentium computer chips, get yourself some defective Pentium salsa, uhmm! I’m telling you, unbelievable! Knock yourself out."
Don
-----Original Message----- Sent: Fri, Aug 14, 2020 7:46 pm Subject: Letterman Top 10 list about Pentium bug?
Hi Don,
There's a email thread on the SIGCIS list (Special Interest Group for Computing, Information, and Society) that piqued my interest that you might be in a position to shed some light on.
To the best of your knowledge and databases, did David Letterman ever have a top 10 list about the pentium bug? See the original email attached, it seems like if it happened it was in late 1994 or early 1995.
If you're curious about what other people have said - see the "Is it a myth that David Letterman had a Top Ten List about the Pentium bug?" thread on the list archives here:
http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/2020-August/thread.html
best, pi
best, -- _ / \ A* \^ - ,./ _.`\\ / \ / ,--.S \/ \ / `"~,_ \ \ __o ? _ \<,_ /:\ --(_)/-(_)----.../ | \ --------------.......J Paul Ivanov https://pirsquared.org | GPG/PGP key id: 0x0F3E28F7 _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org