To get the IT deans “energized” after lunch, I was asked to conduct a little IT trivia session.

Given the average age in the room, I figured “The Wheel of FORTRAN” would ring a few bells, and it did.

Just for fun, here are some of the questions. You’ll be glad to know the deans got almost all of them, and like everyone else, jumped up for prizes handed out by attractive assistants!

Many of these questions are adapted from the excellent Computer, Technology, Geek and Nerd Trivia Quiz (www.trivial.net). Answers can be found on Page 27.

1. Who said “640K of memory should be enough for anyone”?

2. Who is credited with the invention of the World Wide Web, and when and where?

3. On March 31, 1995, Microsoft released a new user interface featuring animated personal guides that would help you use its eight applications. The guides included Scuz the teenager, Rover the dog, Chaos the cat and Java the dragon. It was a flop. What was it called?

4. What does APL stand for, who invented it, where was he born?

5. What is the name of the penguin associated with Linux?

6. According to a spoof news release in 1994, what famous institution was Microsoft rumoured to be purchasing?

7. What does BASIC stand for? Where does it come from?

8. What does ALGOL stand for? When was it introduced?

9. From the moment it was released, how long did it take Windows 95 to sell one million copies?

10. What did Yahoo originally stand for?

QUIZ ANSWERS 1. Bill Gates, in 1981, discussing the memory size accessible by DOS.

2. Sir Tim-Berners Lee, in 1989, at CERN in Switzerland.

3. Microsoft Bob.

4. A Programming Language, Kenneth Iverson, born on a farm near Camrose, Alta., died recently at the age of 83 in Toronto.

5. Tux.

6. The Catholic Church, for an unspecified number of common shares of Microsoft stock. The release went on to say that Pope John Paul II would become the senior vice- president of the combined company’s new Religious Software Division, while Microsoft senior vice-presidents Michael Maples and Steven Ballmer would be invested in the College of Cardinals.

7. Beginner’s All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code, introduced at Dartmouth College in 1963.

8. ALGOrithm Language. Way back in 1958!

9. Four days. The new Microsoft Xbox game Halo II grossed $250 million in the first 24 hours of sales this month.

10. Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.