Promoting Classic Computers [was Re: Chip with holes in it]

From: Sellam Ismail <foo_at_siconic.com>
Date: Thu Nov 14 13:07:01 2002

On Wed, 13 Nov 2002, Brian Chase wrote:

> I find the whole practice of "chip collecting" a bit disturbing. Mainly
> because it means functioning, useful, components are becoming scarcer
> for those people who could actually put them to use. And then
> secondarily, it creates a market for the willful destruction of what
> might be otherwise working systems or subsystems.

I totally agree. Chip collectors are focused mainly on the one part they
are after, and I can imagine a rare board that could bring a rare system
back to life being stripped of a few ICs considered "gems" without
consideration given to the whole.

> There's difficulty in attempting to educate people that working systems
> are more interesting, and valuable, than disassembled bits of them. It
> /is/ solely a matter of viewpoint, and not everyone has the skills or
> resources to collect like most people here do, but getting even a few of
> them to see things our way is progress.

I'm not going to outright condemn chip collectors as they are definitely
preserving information and artifacts, but they need to be mindful of
computer collectors and not leave a pile of debris in their wake in
pursuit of their hobby.

That being said, I agree that a piece of silicon sitting there doing
nothing is nowhere near as interesting as the greater machine that it is
helping to make work.

Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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Received on Thu Nov 14 2002 - 13:07:01 GMT

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