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Somewhere I've got a flow chart stencil identical to the one shown in this post, with sleeve. An older programmer gave it to me; it was originally from IBM, I

Somewhere I've got a flow chart stencil identical to the one shown in this post, with sleeve. An older programmer gave it to me; it was originally from IBM, I believe. I haven't used it since the early 90's. I was especially charmed by the phrase "pajama paper" to describe the old printer paper with the alternating 3-line high bars of color; I've never heard it called that before, but I plan to call it that from now on. On the, um, rare occasions the topic arises.

TedDoesntTalk 3y ago
The article is translated from Swedish to English. "Pajama paper" is perhaps a localized expression for this paper style. I've also never heard it before.
- imperat0r 3y ago
  As you say, its a pretty old term used, since the printout paper itself resembles a classic blue and white striped pajamas. Pretty much disappeared in Swedish use since the advent of computer monitors. But I recall my grandpa, who worked at a big Swedish bank during the same time period, using the term in reference to any striped paper.
mysteria 3y ago
I somehow have the exact same IBM stencil too and actually used it in class during the 2000s for tasks unrelated to programming. At the time I made my notes very neat and clean and those stencils definitely helped.
pjmorris 3y ago
I lost the sleeve sometime in the 80's, but I've still got the template... somewhere. Other things I carry from my 1982 Fortran class: 1. A copy of 'A Fortran Coloring Book', Kaufmann. 2. I may have been one of the last people to learn how to un-jam an IBM 029 keypunch. It was handy then, it hasn't really come up since then. 3. Most important, a lifelong friend I still keep in touch with.
kps 3y ago
Me too. I think I bought it in middle school because I thought computers were cool. I don't think I ever flowcharted anything.
excitom 3y ago
We called it "watermelon paper" since the stripes had green tint.
jvmguy 3y ago
We called it "green bar" paper, for obvious reasons.

TedDoesntTalk 3y ago

The article is translated from Swedish to English. "Pajama paper" is perhaps a localized expression for this paper style. I've also never heard it before.

imperat0r 3y ago
As you say, its a pretty old term used, since the printout paper itself resembles a classic blue and white striped pajamas. Pretty much disappeared in Swedish use since the advent of computer monitors. But I recall my grandpa, who worked at a big Swedish bank during the same time period, using the term in reference to any striped paper.

mysteria 3y ago

I somehow have the exact same IBM stencil too and actually used it in class during the 2000s for tasks unrelated to programming. At the time I made my notes very neat and clean and those stencils definitely helped.

pjmorris 3y ago

I lost the sleeve sometime in the 80's, but I've still got the template... somewhere. Other things I carry from my 1982 Fortran class: 1. A copy of 'A Fortran Coloring Book', Kaufmann. 2. I may have been one of the last people to learn how to un-jam an IBM 029 keypunch. It was handy then, it hasn't really come up since then. 3. Most important, a lifelong friend I still keep in touch with.

kps 3y ago

Me too. I think I bought it in middle school because I thought computers were cool. I don't think I ever flowcharted anything.

excitom 3y ago

We called it "watermelon paper" since the stripes had green tint.

jvmguy 3y ago

We called it "green bar" paper, for obvious reasons.