Us vs. Museums

From: ajp166 <ajp166_at_bellatlantic.net>
Date: Sun Mar 4 11:22:35 2001

From: Jeffrey S. Sharp <jss_at_ou.edu>
> coerced into doing. I want to get as close as I can to the
> *experience* of computing in these machines' era. If these
> machines go to a museum, they're just pretty art, and they will
> educate _no_one_. They will sit behind glass walls, no one
> ever will touch them again, and no one will ever turn them on or
> keep them in working order. They are effectively lost. That's
> little better then scrapping them, and you _KNOW_ how you feel
> about that!


It's combative. I'd also say it's not absolutly true, though, it
could be.

Things to consider:

    Is it truly rare or uncommon.
    Does an institution actually want it.

    Who removes, moves and/or ships it for either case?
        A) museum may or may not...
        B) You can make points by also providing that service.

Often the "impressive deduction" is not real and the cost to remove and
move the system is up to the owner. If there is a goal, I'd say make it
easiest for the system owner to give or sell to you.

The impressive deduction point is that most machines are simply used
computers in the eyes of the IRS and of limited value and in all serious
consideration most are common enough to not be "collectable" even if
useable.

I got a truckload of small VAXen once because the owner could not
accept cash nor ship and was off in the corner of Vermont. Cost to me
was a day of my time to load it and the 400miles of travel.

Allison
Received on Sun Mar 04 2001 - 11:22:35 GMT