The IBM Connection

Icelandic TV began in 1966 and the few of us who knew how a 16mm camera worked got plenty of money for making commercials for TV. Then more learned the skills and the price vent down. I moved from the meat market to becoming a shop manager in an electric appliance store. It didn't work out - I advertised to much and bought too much goods for the store - so I was fired and the store went bankrupt a little later.
It was 1969 and I was out of work for three months and then got a job in the statistic office of the Icelandic Aluminium Company that started that year, a daughter company of Alusuiesse. There I was until 1974 when I applied for a job in the Computer department - and got it. I became the last operator of the huge computers in Iceland - IMB 360 - it was an enormous thing. I started by feeding computer punch cards into a MFCM (Multi Function Card Machine) and tape the information to very large tapes.
The mountains in the background from left to right are Akrafjall, Skarðsheiði and Esja.
I got to learn a computer language, RPG, and was learning to become a computer system analyst when the company denied to pay for the exam and I could not afford it so I quit (1978). IBM was taking over the department. As I was the last one in this computer department - the others had quit and had their own companies, I was asked to stay on, because I had written down every run of all the software in a book I always kept with me and I had this huge company in my pocket.
- No, I didn't use it. Why? Because I was invaded to...

To be Continues to morrow...