
A Collection of Imaginary Software - edent
https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2020/09/a-collection-of-imaginary-software/
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ableal
Thought it would go the way of fictitious book reviews by Lem, Borges, et al.
e.g.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem%27s_fictiti...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem%27s_fictitious_criticism_of_nonexistent_books)

May be too hard to get right about software. Anyone tried?

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edent
You should write that post. It sounds like a good idea.

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bitwize
Man, this brings back memories of having all sorts of weird floppies cross my
path... and scanning them to make sure they didn't contain Michelangelo or
another scary virus! The labels look just amateurish enough to raise the
Eyebrow of Doubt, but just professional enough to make you think "whatever it
is, it could be interesting!"

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edent
Thanks! That's exactly the aesthetic I was going for :-)

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ytjohn
I love this idea. In Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, there was a
software called "Reason". It was only mentioned a few times, but I always keep
thinking back to it whenever we're in a planning meeting.

>Reason allows users to specify in advance the decision they want it to reach,
and only then to input all the facts. The program's task was to construct a
plausible series of logical-sounding steps to connect the premises with the
conclusion. The only copy was sold to the US Government for an undisclosed
fee.

[https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/dirkgently/gordon_way.shtml](https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/dirkgently/gordon_way.shtml)

There was another software I forget the name of, but the guy had modeled his
sofa and staircase on it to try and figure out how the sofa got impossibly
stuck halfway up stairs, and it kept trying different angles in order to come
up with a way to get it unstuck.

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etiam
Isn't there supposed to be Tic Tac Toe included on the bottom white one? Could
have dire consequences if it's left out...

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teddyh
— _It’s not on the list!_

— _What’s not on the list?_

— _Go ahead. It’s got to be in there somewhere._

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tempodox
That Aperture Laboratories disk got me captivated. I'd imagine getting sucked
into a Portal dungeon without escape if I ever dared to insert it.

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codetrotter
They look nice :)

Did you remember to flip the plastic switch on the GLaDOS floppy into the
write-protect position before framing it? :^)

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edent
Oh shit...!

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lostmsu
Notably missing OS from Her.

[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/)

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mnbvcxz3
Polybius

"I spent so much money on this arcade game back when I was a kid."

 _Oh no_

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edent
It was a fun game. Really helped me open my mind.

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swiley
Wouldn’t bandersnatch be on a tape and not a floppy?

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edent
Yes. But no one sent me any cassette cases. If you have a stock of them, I
could certainly knock something up.

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failrate
I have some new old stock blank cassettes I could send you. DM me a mailing
address, if you'd like.

