As alarming as the size of the crash were the breakdowns in markets that accompanied it. The printers at the specialists' booths on the New York Stock Exchange could not keep up with the waves of sell orders arriving through the semi-automated DOT (Designated Order Turnaround) system, and there were also serious network delays and software problems (Brady Commission 1988, pp. 48 and VI-47).

Donald MacKenzie, An Engine, Not a Camera, loc. 820