08:58, December 15th, 2007 | by gfuss | Posted in Gabbing Gfuss | No Comments »
So, I’m at work and my boss says, “Cory, do a set host servername and login using this name and password.” So, I do. (Please note that I actually typed a valid OpenVMS server name, but didn’t want to put it here.) Well look at that. When I logged in, I get a big fat Christmas tree and a scrolling message built entirely of ASCII test.
This has caused me to look at hundreds of ASCII pictures over the past day and a half. Why? Because it is exciting to get back to the heart of a computer. Being a full-time employee, you usually have to do ‘high-level’ tasks such as: demote Active Directory servers, upgrade to Exchange 2007, replace a stepped gear in a Printek 4503, test new anti-virus products, and on and on. There usually isn’t much time to get back to the good old days (specifically those days before and during college) where I could spend entire afternoons learning why something was doing what it was. So, seeing ASCII art, not only reminds me of what is happening each and every time I press a key on my keyboard, it reminds me of the amount of work that goes into controlling, documenting, and setting standards. It also takes me back in time to my Commodore 128 (R.I.P.). It takes me back to creating ugly animations on an Apple IIgs. Most of all, it takes me forward. All of these things I have done in the past, help to move me forward. They help to restore the excitment I had and drive me forward to learn more.
You find it hard to believe that ASCII can do this do a person? Well, so do I. All that I really intended to do was show you a holidy gretting using an ASCII picture I found from this guy. But I guess coffee does more than wake me up. It contains magical powers that transform me into a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist*. That’s why this blog entry is so powerful. So amazing. Has it moved you yet? Oh, well…on to the ASCII art!!!
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Season's Greetings to ALL
*My coffee does not have magical powers. It does, however, contain chemicals that block the holes in my brain. This prevents the ’sleepy plugs’ from getting into those holes. It also helps to make you urinate more often. Ahhhh, the power of the Interwebs.