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␈↓ ↓H␈↓¬␈↓ α≡OFFICE MEMORANDUM  *  STANFORD UNIVERSITY  *  OFFICE MEMORANDUM

␈↓ ↓H␈↓ε␈↓ β=STANFORD LOW OVERHEAD TIME-SHARING SYSTEM

␈↓ ↓H␈↓α␈↓ ¬RSeptember 9, 1977




␈↓ ↓H␈↓αTo:␈↓ αH␈↓William Miller

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓αFrom:␈↓ αH␈↓John McCarthy, Director

␈↓ ↓H␈↓αSubject:␈↓ αH␈↓Editing Use of LOTS and other matters

␈↓ ↓H␈↓Dear Bill:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Ed␈α
Feigenbaum␈α
told␈α
me␈αthat␈α
you␈α
expressed␈α
uneasiness␈α
about␈αthe␈α
use␈α
of␈α
LOTS␈α
for␈αpure␈α
text
␈↓ ↓H␈↓editing.  Here is the situation as I see it.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        1.␈α
As␈α
I␈αtold␈α
you␈α
a␈αyear␈α
ago,␈α
I␈αam␈α
an␈α
enthusiast␈α
for␈αtext␈α
editing␈α
and␈αhoped␈α
to␈α
encourage␈αit␈α
as
␈↓ ↓H␈↓soon as it became clear that LOTS was successfully meeting its other obligations.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        2.␈αThis␈αcondition␈αhas␈αnot␈αbeen␈αmet␈αand␈αcannot␈αpossibly␈αbe␈αmet␈αany␈αsooner␈αthan␈αthe␈αend␈αof
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Fall␈αquarter,␈αsince␈αthat␈αquarter␈αwill␈αbe␈αthe␈α≡rst␈αin␈αwhich␈αLOTS␈αundertakes␈αto␈αsatisfy␈αa␈αfull␈α
course
␈↓ ↓H␈↓load.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        3.␈α∪I␈α∩was␈α∪mistaken␈α∪in␈α∩thinking␈α∪that␈α∩editing␈α∪of␈α∪papers␈α∩and␈α∪dissertations␈α∪would␈α∩require
␈↓ ↓H␈↓encouragement.␈α The␈αproblem␈αis␈αwhether␈αand␈αhow␈αto␈αsuppress␈αit.␈α The␈αuse␈αstarted␈αspontaneously,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓a␈α∞number␈α∞of␈α∞PhD␈α∞theses␈α∞and␈α∞other␈α∞documents␈α∞were␈α∞prepared␈α∞on␈α∞LOTS␈α∞now.␈α∞ In␈α∞checking␈α∞the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓new␈α
users␈α
who␈α
signed␈α
up␈αin␈α
the␈α
last␈α
month␈α
I␈α
noticed␈αone␈α
student␈α
from␈α
the␈α
English␈αdepartment␈α
put
␈↓ ↓H␈↓"thesis"␈αas␈αhis␈α
purpose␈αin␈αusing␈αLOTS.␈α
 It␈αis␈αhard␈α
to␈αimagine␈αthat␈αhis␈α
intent␈αcan␈αbe␈α
much␈αother
␈↓ ↓H␈↓than editing and this shows how far this idea has spread.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        4.␈α
I␈α
doubt␈α
that␈α
editing␈αwas␈α
an␈α
important␈α
cause␈α
of␈αoverloading␈α
in␈α
the␈α
Spring␈α
quarter␈αeven
␈↓ ↓H␈↓though␈αat␈α
some␈αtimes␈α
I␈αnoticed␈α
that␈αabout␈α
a␈αquarter␈α
of␈αthe␈α
terminals␈αwere␈α
editing␈αsomething␈α
other
␈↓ ↓H␈↓than␈α
programs.␈α
 I␈α
believe␈α
that␈α
the␈α
editor␈α
does␈α
not␈α
put␈α
heavy␈α
demands␈α
on␈α
the␈α
system.␈α However,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓this␈α∞information␈α∞is␈α∞not␈α∞certain,␈α∂because␈α∞the␈α∞operating␈α∞system␈α∞doesn't␈α∞provide␈α∂information␈α∞about
␈↓ ↓H␈↓how much one user is competing with others.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        5.␈α
Towards␈α
the␈α
end␈α
of␈α
Spring␈α
quarter␈α
I␈α
was␈α
tempted␈α
to␈α
try␈α
to␈α
suppress␈α
editing␈αbut␈α
refrained,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓because␈α
there␈α
had␈α
been␈α
no␈α
warning.␈α
 For␈α
Fall␈α
quarter,␈α
there␈α
will␈α
be␈α
a␈α
notice␈α
that␈α
load-shedding
␈↓ ↓H␈↓measures␈α∞may␈α∞be␈α∞required␈α∂if␈α∞there␈α∞is␈α∞a␈α∂crunch␈α∞and␈α∞that␈α∞text-editing␈α∞will␈α∂be␈α∞the␈α∞≡rst␈α∞to␈α∂go.␈α∞ In
␈↓ ↓H␈↓particular,␈αanyone␈αwho␈αexpects␈αto␈αcomplete␈αa␈αterm␈αpaper␈αon␈αLOTS␈αruns␈αthe␈αrisk␈αthat␈αhe␈αwill␈αget
␈↓ ↓H␈↓cut o≥ just before the end of the quarter if the load of running programs for courses is too heavy.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        6.␈αWhen␈αwe␈αhave␈αmet␈αour␈αother␈αobligations,␈αI␈αwill␈αbe␈αback␈αto␈αyou␈αwith␈αplans␈αand␈αcosts␈αfor
␈↓ ↓H␈↓encouraging text editing.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        7.␈αI␈αrecognize␈αthat␈αwe␈αpromised␈αyou␈αa␈αdocument␈αon␈αthe␈αcosts␈αof␈αtext␈αediting.␈α I␈αhaven't␈αhad
␈↓ ↓H␈↓time␈αto␈αdo␈α
it␈αmyself,␈αand␈α
the␈αsta≥␈αhas␈α
been␈αoverloaded␈αwith␈α
trying␈αto␈αmake␈α
the␈αsystem␈αwork␈α
better
␈↓ ↓H␈↓to␈α∞handle␈α∞the␈α∞load.␈α∂ We'll␈α∞get␈α∞to␈α∞it.␈α∂ Any␈α∞long␈α∞range␈α∞plans␈α∞for␈α∂editing␈α∞will␈α∞have␈α∞to␈α∂be␈α∞creative
␈↓ ↓H␈↓about how to pay for it.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αWilliam Miller␈↓ ¬RSeptember 9, 1977␈↓ 
nPage 2␈↓ 


␈↓ ↓H␈↓        8.␈αAs␈αyou␈αknow,␈αour␈αequipment␈αis␈αscheduled␈αfor␈αdelivery␈αat␈αthe␈αend␈αof␈αSeptember.␈α I␈αthink
␈↓ ↓H␈↓we'll␈α
be␈α
able␈α
to␈α
put␈α
it␈αinto␈α
service␈α
promptly␈α
without␈α
too␈α
much␈αthrashing␈α
so␈α
that␈α
there␈α
is␈α
no␈αneed␈α
to
␈↓ ↓H␈↓ask␈α
CS105␈α
and␈α
CS106␈αto␈α
use␈α
the␈α
168␈α
again.␈α However,␈α
there␈α
is␈α
not␈α
much␈αroom␈α
for␈α
bad␈α
luck␈αor␈α
for
␈↓ ↓H␈↓adapting␈α
to␈αsurprises␈α
about␈α
the␈αbehavior␈α
of␈αthe␈α
new␈α
operating␈αsystem␈α
we␈αexpect␈α
to␈α
receive␈αfrom
␈↓ ↓H␈↓D.E.C. about the same time.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        9.␈αThe␈αone␈αbit␈αof␈αinformation␈αabout␈αthe␈αcosts␈αof␈αtext-editing␈αI␈αcan␈αo≥er␈αconcerns␈αthe␈αcost␈αof
␈↓ ↓H␈↓disk␈αstorage.␈α
 We␈αgot␈α
a␈αpackage␈α
deal␈αthat␈α
included␈αthe␈α
two␈αnew␈α
disk␈α≡les␈α
-␈αI␈α
think␈αthat␈αapart␈α
from
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α
package,␈αI␈α
would␈αhave␈α
ordered␈α
only␈αone␈α
more.␈α Anyway␈α
we␈α
can't␈αsay␈α
exactly␈αwhat␈α
they␈αcost␈α
us.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓The␈α
list␈α
price␈α
is␈α
about␈α
$35K␈αper␈α
disk␈α
and␈α
my␈α
guess␈α
is␈α
that␈αwe␈α
got␈α
them␈α
for␈α
$25K␈α
which␈α
is␈αstill
␈↓ ↓H␈↓twice␈αwhat␈αthe␈αAI␈αLab␈αpays.␈α Dividing␈αthe␈αprice␈αby␈α50␈αto␈αget␈αa␈αmonthly␈αcost␈αand␈αconsidering␈αthat
␈↓ ↓H␈↓a␈α
disk␈α
contains␈α
200␈α
megabytes,␈α
we␈α
get␈α
$2.50␈αper␈α
megabyte␈α
month.␈α
 A␈α
very␈α
large␈α
thesis␈α
would␈αbe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓about␈α⊂a␈α⊂megabyte,␈α⊂so␈α∂this␈α⊂is␈α⊂an␈α⊂estimate␈α∂of␈α⊂the␈α⊂marginal␈α⊂storage␈α∂cost.␈α⊂ I␈α⊂don't␈α⊂yet␈α⊂have␈α∂good
␈↓ ↓H␈↓estimates␈α∞of␈α
the␈α∞terminal␈α∞costs␈α
or␈α∞the␈α∞CPU␈α
costs.␈α∞ The␈α∞terminal␈α
costs␈α∞are␈α∞computable␈α
estimating
␈↓ ↓H␈↓$1K␈α∂per␈α⊂terminal␈α∂amortized␈α⊂over␈α∂25␈α⊂months␈α∂giving␈α∂$40␈α⊂per␈α∂month␈α⊂and␈α∂estimating␈α⊂400␈α∂useful
␈↓ ↓H␈↓hours␈αper␈αmonth␈αgives␈α$.10␈αper␈αhour␈αterminal␈αcost.␈α A␈αstudent␈αmight␈αspend␈α300␈αhours␈αtyping␈αand
␈↓ ↓H␈↓editing␈α∞his␈α∞thesis␈α∞giving␈α∞$30.00␈α∞for␈α∞that.␈α∞ As␈α∞I␈α∞said␈α∞the␈α∞CPU␈α∞costs␈α∞are␈α∞harder␈α∞to␈α∞allocate.␈α
 The
␈↓ ↓H␈↓share␈α⊃of␈α⊂the␈α⊃personnel␈α⊂and␈α⊃other␈α⊂costs␈α⊃that␈α⊃should␈α⊂be␈α⊃allocated␈α⊂to␈α⊃editing␈α⊂is␈α⊃even␈α⊃harder␈α⊂to
␈↓ ↓H␈↓estimate.␈α
 It␈α
should␈α
be␈α
considered␈α
low,␈α
because␈α
we␈α
have␈α
put␈α
no␈α
sta≥␈α
time␈α
into␈α
improving␈α
editing␈α
or
␈↓ ↓H␈↓printing.  We also haven't had to increase our printing facilities.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        There␈α∩are␈α∩two␈α⊃other␈α∩ways␈α∩of␈α∩estimating␈α⊃editing␈α∩costs.␈α∩ If␈α⊃it␈α∩were␈α∩true,␈α∩as␈α⊃Feigenbaum
␈↓ ↓H␈↓indicated␈α⊃that␈α⊃you␈α⊂thought␈α⊃it␈α⊃might␈α⊃be,␈α⊂that␈α⊃the␈α⊃expansion␈α⊃had␈α⊂been␈α⊃forced␈α⊃to␈α⊃meet␈α⊂editing
␈↓ ↓H␈↓demands,␈α
then␈αthe␈α
cost␈α
would␈αbe␈α
rather␈αlarge,␈α
but␈α
I'm␈αsure␈α
this␈αisn't␈α
so.␈α
 Another␈αway␈α
is␈αto␈α
prorate
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α∀average␈α∀cost␈α∀of␈α∀LOTS␈α∀per␈α∪terminal␈α∀hour,␈α∀about␈α∀$.75␈α∀including␈α∀everything.␈α∀ Then␈α∪my
␈↓ ↓H␈↓hypothetical 300 hour thesis would cost $225, but I don't believe that either.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓10.␈αWhen␈αwe␈αget␈αto␈αencouraging␈αediting,␈αan␈αimportant␈αpossibility␈αis␈αa␈αsmaller␈αcomputer␈αdedicated
␈↓ ↓H␈↓to editing.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓11.␈α∂During␈α∂the␈α∞summer,␈α∂the␈α∂research␈α∞and␈α∂thesis␈α∂use␈α∞of␈α∂LOTS␈α∂increased␈α∞steadily.␈α∂ The␈α∂top␈α∞ten
␈↓ ↓H␈↓users␈α∞got␈α∞1/3␈α∞of␈α∞the␈α∞computer␈α∞time,␈α∞but␈α∞I'm␈α∂sure␈α∞they␈α∞will␈α∞claim␈α∞that␈α∞they␈α∞used␈α∞it␈α∞late␈α∂at␈α∞night
␈↓ ↓H␈↓when␈αno-one␈αelse␈αwas␈αcompeting␈αfor␈αit.␈α The␈αnext␈α40␈αusers␈αgot␈αabout␈αanother␈α1/4␈αof␈αthe␈αtime.␈α If
␈↓ ↓H␈↓nothing␈α∂were␈α⊂done,␈α∂this␈α⊂use␈α∂would␈α⊂grow␈α∂linearly␈α⊂with␈α∂time.␈α⊂ Therefore,␈α∂the␈α⊂≡rst␈α∂task␈α⊂we␈α∂shall
␈↓ ↓H␈↓undertake␈α∞concerning␈α∞controlling␈α∞usage␈α∞is␈α∞to␈α∞see␈α
what␈α∞the␈α∞big␈α∞use␈α∞was␈α∞during␈α∞the␈α∞summer,␈α
and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓check␈αits␈α
compliance␈αwith␈α
the␈αLOTS␈α
rules.␈α Then␈α
the␈αAdvisory␈α
Board␈αwill␈α
recommend␈αchanges␈α
in
␈↓ ↓H␈↓detailed policy to optimize use in accordance with general policies.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        I␈α∞hope␈α∞this␈α∞information␈α∞will␈α∂reassure␈α∞you␈α∞that␈α∞we␈α∞haven't␈α∞unilaterally␈α∂encouraged␈α∞editing
␈↓ ↓H␈↓and that we are more or less on top of the problem.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓CC:  Ralph Gorin, Maurice Bizzarri, Jim Adams