service organization of any hardware manufacturer, but especially DEC. There is an entire genre of jokes about DEC field circus engineers:Q: How can you recognize a DEC field circus engineer with a flat tire? A: He's changing one tire at a time to see which one is flat.
Q: How can you recognize a DEC field circus engineer who is out of gas? A: He's changing one tire at a time to see which one is flat.
[See Easter egging for additional insight on these jokes.] There is also the `Field Circus Cheer' (from the plan file for DEC on MIT-AI):
Maynard! Maynard! Don't mess with us! We're mean and we're tough! If you get us confused We'll screw up your stuff.
(DEC's service HQ is located in Maynard, Massachusetts.)