2014-04-26 10:52:28 -04:00
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Big Red Switch
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2014-04-26 11:54:15 -04:00
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n. [IBM] The power switch on a computer, esp. the Emergency Pull switch on
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an IBM mainframe or the power switch on an IBM PC where it really is large
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and red. This !@%$% bitty box is hung again; time to hit the Big Red Switch.
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Sources at IBM report that, in tune with the company's passion for TLA s,
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this is often abbreviated as BRS (this has also become established on
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FidoNet and in the PC clone world). It is alleged that the emergency pull
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switch on an IBM 360/91 actually fired a non-conducting bolt into the main
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power feed; the BRSes on more recent mainframes physically drop a block into
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place so that they can't be pushed back in. People get fired for pulling
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them, especially inappropriately (see also molly-guard ). Compare power
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cycle , three-finger salute ; see also scram switch.
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