> the computer they wanted was DEC PDP-10. At this point, Paul Strassman was replacing every IBM and DEC machine at Xerox with an SDS machine.

This scenario must have played out in multiple places. I was involved in one of them.

I was working at Tymshare, and we were evaluating the PDP-10 and the Xerox (XDS/SDS) Sigma 7.

My manager called me into his office.

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Mike, this conversation is strictly between you and me. If anyone asks, I will deny it happened.

You are our best Sigma 7 expert, and even you prefer the PDP-10.

We're doing final acceptance tests on the Sigma 7. If all the tests pass, we have to commit to it. If enough tests fail, we can return that machine.

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I got the hint. Challenge accepted!

Knowing all the ins and outs of the Sigma 7, I found a few subtle ways to make it crash at random times, without any indication that anyone had interfered with the tests.

Eventually I slipped up and left my username visible in a core dump.

Back to my manager's office.

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Mike, we have a problem. Xerox figured out that you were messing with the Sigma 7 system software. We told them we would fire you. So, you're fired. You can't be in the office any more.

But you do have your Teletype at home, right? You have some projects to do on the PDP-10. Can you work on those and stay away from the Sigma 7?

Keep track of your hours, and after this blows over we will hire you back and give you that back pay.

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So I did. And they did!