Classic Computer Rescue Squad

From: Lawrence Walker <lwalker_at_mail.interlog.com>
Date: Sun Nov 9 04:26:08 1997

On 8 Nov 97 at 10:27, Sam Ismail wrote:

> On Sat, 8 Nov 1997, William Donzelli wrote:
>
> > Well, Carl beat me with this point - history is _far_ more than just
> > numbers. For example, how many ARPANET machines were ever in service? How
> > many NSFnet machines? (About 40 for the curious ones out there). Yet look
> > what THEY did - somehow I think that 500 years from now people are still
> > going to talk about the start and explosion of the public global network.
> > I would think that would certainly qualify as "socially significant".
>
> 500 years from now, if what I am trying to accomplish with the Vintage
> Computer Festival succeeds, the machines which were truly significant from
> a social context, meaning the ones which ran the banking system, the
> airline system, government, etc. (in other words, the computers which were
> the foundation of modern society), will be the ones which we remember, and
> the Altair and others of its ilk will be merely novelties.
>
 Oh say it isn't so. Hopefully the machines that are remembered will
be those that were socially significant and architectually
innovative, not those whose influence was popularity re: the
accumulation of corporate lucre.
                          
> But that's 500 years from now. Or perhaps not that long. I say less than
> 50...perhaps even less than 20.
>
 Hmmm . Have you ever read Jack London's "Iron Heel" in which he
predicts 500 years of fascist rule ?

> > > Whether Novas are "wanted" is immaterial to the argument. Folks are
> > > now virtually unaware of a piece of history, and an important one at
> > > that. It's also a piece of history that's fast disappearing, which is
> > > a rotten shame.
> >
> > If something is not wanted now, it may be wanted later (almost for sure,
> > with bits of history, when they are "rediscovered"). All to many times, it
> > is too late - did I just here someone mention Univac?
>
> The only thing I disagree with about your statement is that it "may" be
> wanted later. That's wrong. It WILL be wanted later. It is important to
> hang onto EVERY bit of hardware, software and documentation, no matter how
> obscure, how uninspiring, how prevalent, how inspiring, etc.
>
> The fact is, some of us are providing a very imporant service to future
> historians. Some of us are having fun with a hobby. Some of us are doing
> both. There are no requirements.
>
> Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar_at_siconic.com

Right On !!!

ciao larry
lwalkerN0spaM_at_interlog.com
Received on Sun Nov 09 1997 - 04:26:08 GMT