Where I first worked we punched duplicate cards, one which went out with the bill and one which we kept in a box. When the money came in we used the duplicate from the box to produce daily listings which were reconciled against the bank statements. Then after a month we could produce reminder letters from the remaining cards...
Dave > -----Original Message----- > From: cctech [mailto:cctech-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Mike > Stein > Sent: 10 September 2015 19:58 > To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts <cct...@classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: punchcard svg file available > > For a while many utility bills etc. were sent out with prepunched cards > containing the customer and billing information, to be mailed back with your > payment for proper allocation. > > m > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Fred Cisin" <ci...@xenosoft.com> > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic Posts" > <cct...@classiccmp.org> > Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2015 2:47 PM > Subject: Re: punchcard svg file available > > > >>>> If you find a source of paper stock that > >>>> works, please let everyone > >>>> know about it. The real paper is gone, and > >>>> will likely never be made > >>>> again. It is a specialized stock that is > >>>> extremely difficult to make. > >>> What is different about it? Thickness? > >>> Weight/square metre? Density? > >>> Impregnated with something? > > > > On Thu, 10 Sep 2015, simon wrote: > >> Its hard to explain. it feels tough and > >> bendable, but it is thinner as you would expect > >> from the toughness. > > > > Also, had to have the right friction to slide > > through, but catch on the rollers. CDC's > > optical card readers came later, and made > > dramatic improvements in DP. > > > > In those days, the cardstock was extremely > > available, in large sheets and in precut blanks, > > in a variety of colors. Print-shops abounded > > who would do custom cards, if your business > > thought that it needed them. > > > > > > And yet, some card readers were amazingly > > tolerant! > > > > For example, half a century ago, CBS had a bunch > > of projects, such as the National Driver's Test > > (1966). IBM provided the hardware and software. > > They decided to give out Port-A-Punch cards, > > which were 80 column cards with every other > > column of holes pre-perforated, so that anybody > > could take a special stylus or a random pencil > > and create their own hanging chips/"Chads". > > But, how to recollect them? They actually had > > people stick a stamp on them and MAIL them! > > ("Business Reply Mail" would have shifted the > > franking burden, otherwise it would have made > > MUCH more sense) They then successfully ran them > > through the card reader of a 360! Keep in mind > > that it was an IBM PR stunt, so they had a CE > > standing next to the reader, clearing jams in > > real-time. I wonder if IBM cheated and modified > > the input maw? > > > > So, the specific card-stock is critical, but it > > worked with a postage stamp stuck to it? > > > > Although the hardware reliability was a welcome > > surprise (I wonder how my life would have gone > > if it hadn't), the software wasn't. The live > > statistics weren't adding up close enough to > > 100%! On camera, Walter Cronkite was stalling, > > and right behind him, my father was frantically > > manually adding the numbers. Starting a week > > later, there were a copy of McCracken FORTRAN > > and Decima Anderson's book on my parent's coffee > > table. > > Instead of continuing to use 084 sorters, we > > learned a little FORTRAN. > > > > -- > > Grumpy Ol' Fred ci...@xenosoft.com
