6 ms·

ATM inventor John Shepherd-Barron dies

32 points by marklittlewood 16y ago

dazzawazza 16y ago
A little more detail and background here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/20/cash-machine-inventor-dies http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/20/cash-machine-invent...
- andyjenn 16y ago
  My dad was involved in the network architecture of ATMs/cashpoints for UK banks in the 80s.. not sure if this ever happened, but there was an urban myth of some early installations where one ATM was distributing 200 pounds no matter what was punched in on the keypad. No-one informed the local bank, but the next day there was just this huge queue of people checking out this new cashpoint thingy...
btilly 16y ago
Those of us who are old enough to remember having to work to get to the bank before it closed may appreciate this more.
- jodrellblank 16y ago
  Yes. Being pedantic, he didn't really change my life since I was born well after ATMs were widespread and have never known a world without them.
kilian 16y ago
"...and cash machines have been largely the same ever since." Cash machines are on of the things I desperately want innovation and customization. If I go to an ATM more than twice and get the same amount of money, I want that as a quick select option. Same with language selection. The reason this isn't happening (as told by bank employees) is the regulation and the way the infrastructure is set up. But some storage coupled with one-way encryption on the machine itself (no protocols or data-transfer problems) should be possible, no? Also, I'd like big red warning stickers on ATM's that run Windows NT or 98 still, so I can avoid them at all cost ;)
- xenophanes 16y ago
  my atm (wells fargo) has quick select for 3 most used actions. unfortunately, it has with-receipt and no-receipt versions of the same thing wasting a spot.
- papercrane 16y ago
  Royal Bank of Canada has a quick selection option. You configure how much cash you want, from which account, and if you want a printed receipt, then after you've entered your PIN you have a 'My Quick Cash' button.
  - RyanMcGreal 16y ago
    Not bad, but it should be implicit. Hell, even the Pizza Pizza IVR has an option to re-order the same thing you ordered last time.
    - lhorie 16y ago
      Implicit? I think having to explicitly press the "Quick cash" button is much better than not being able to do a different transaction at all. Like, for example, change the setting.
- GFischer 16y ago
  I'm still amazed that a customer-focused bank doesn't run away with the other bank's lunch... (at least here Uruguay/SA) I guess the barrier of entry is just too damned hard. I know I'm in a defeatist mood whenever I have to do business at a bank (and heaven forbid if it is a state-run bank - those have some convenient "soft" credits but so much bureaucracy that I'm seriously thinking an extra half percentage point can't be too bad in exchange for this bureoucratic hell)
  - brandnewlow 16y ago
    Is it a case of banks' customers not being who you think they are?
powrtoch 16y ago
Just think. Without this man's contribution, professors would have no way of demonstrating threading/concurrency problems.
junkbit 16y ago
I heard an interview with him on Radio 4 a couple of years ago. The pin number was going to be 6 digits but he tested it on his wife and all she could remember was 4.

A little more detail and background here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/20/cash-machine-inventor-dies http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/20/cash-machine-invent...

andyjenn 16y ago
My dad was involved in the network architecture of ATMs/cashpoints for UK banks in the 80s.. not sure if this ever happened, but there was an urban myth of some early installations where one ATM was distributing 200 pounds no matter what was punched in on the keypad. No-one informed the local bank, but the next day there was just this huge queue of people checking out this new cashpoint thingy...

btilly 16y ago

Those of us who are old enough to remember having to work to get to the bank before it closed may appreciate this more.

jodrellblank 16y ago
Yes. Being pedantic, he didn't really change my life since I was born well after ATMs were widespread and have never known a world without them.

kilian 16y ago

"...and cash machines have been largely the same ever since." Cash machines are on of the things I desperately want innovation and customization. If I go to an ATM more than twice and get the same amount of money, I want that as a quick select option. Same with language selection. The reason this isn't happening (as told by bank employees) is the regulation and the way the infrastructure is set up. But some storage coupled with one-way encryption on the machine itself (no protocols or data-transfer problems) should be possible, no? Also, I'd like big red warning stickers on ATM's that run Windows NT or 98 still, so I can avoid them at all cost ;)

xenophanes 16y ago
my atm (wells fargo) has quick select for 3 most used actions. unfortunately, it has with-receipt and no-receipt versions of the same thing wasting a spot.
papercrane 16y ago
Royal Bank of Canada has a quick selection option. You configure how much cash you want, from which account, and if you want a printed receipt, then after you've entered your PIN you have a 'My Quick Cash' button.
- RyanMcGreal 16y ago
  Not bad, but it should be implicit. Hell, even the Pizza Pizza IVR has an option to re-order the same thing you ordered last time.
  - lhorie 16y ago
    Implicit? I think having to explicitly press the "Quick cash" button is much better than not being able to do a different transaction at all. Like, for example, change the setting.
GFischer 16y ago
I'm still amazed that a customer-focused bank doesn't run away with the other bank's lunch... (at least here Uruguay/SA) I guess the barrier of entry is just too damned hard. I know I'm in a defeatist mood whenever I have to do business at a bank (and heaven forbid if it is a state-run bank - those have some convenient "soft" credits but so much bureaucracy that I'm seriously thinking an extra half percentage point can't be too bad in exchange for this bureoucratic hell)
- brandnewlow 16y ago
  Is it a case of banks' customers not being who you think they are?

powrtoch 16y ago

Just think. Without this man's contribution, professors would have no way of demonstrating threading/concurrency problems.

junkbit 16y ago

I heard an interview with him on Radio 4 a couple of years ago. The pin number was going to be 6 digits but he tested it on his wife and all she could remember was 4.