I have just met an ex-DECer in the #ufo channel on the Undernet IRC network who
claims to have seen UFOs over DEC. Needless to say, I was extremely intrigued,
being both a ufologist and a great DEC fan, and I asked him for more. He told
me it was in Colorado Springs around 1993-94. He said he couldn't remember the
3-character DEC facility code, but he said they were working on CD-ROMs there in
a clean room when CD-ROMs were state of the art. He said the facility still
exists today and has high security. I asked him if it went to HP and he said
Quantum. So I immediately thought DLT and asked him if it was the facility
where they made DLTs. He said yes. He said he worked on the tape drives
himself, as well as on CD-ROMs.
Now here are my questions for this list, to verify the story and to fill in
missing details.
* Were DLTs indeed made in Colorado Springs? DEC's tape business went to
Quantum, didn't it? Did it go through Compaq or straight to Quantum from DEC?
Does Quantum still own it? Or did HP snarf it from Quantum? I once visited
Quantum in 2002 for a job interview (they were looking for someone to write
firmware for a RAID array to emulate a tape library) and that was in Irvine, CA
on the UCI campus. Is it just the headquarters, with actual DLT tape drive
manufacturing in Colorado Springs?
* If it is indeed in Colorado Springs, does anyone have any more information on
that ex-DEC facility? Does anyone know of any government/CSS work done there?
* This guy also mentioned CD-ROMs. He said they made the first DEC CD-ROMs
there, in 1993-94 timeframe. I thought the first CD-ROM sold by DEC was RRD40
and was actually a Philips drive, wasn't it? The next was RRD42, which was
actually made by Sony, right? Did DEC ever build CD-ROM drives themselves or
did they all outsourced to Sony and such? If RRD40 and RRD42 were Philips/Sony,
why did they need a clean room in Colorado Springs? Or was it the next one,
RRD43? Was RRD43 also Sony or was it made by DEC itself? What was DEC's
cutting edge CD-ROM drive in 1993-94? Did they make any CD-ROM drives at the
same place where they made DLTs? It kinda makes sense that it would be the same
group, "Tape and Optical Products" if I'm not mistaken, but just checking.
Here are the relevant parts of my conversation with this guy from my IRC log:
<VortexQ:#ufo> there were about 50 people that saw this on a clear blue day...during lunch
<VortexQ:#ufo> <VortexQ> to everyone's surprise...we all looked up and a huge cigar-shaped UFO was hovering over the building at about 200 feet overhead
<VortexQ:#ufo> <VortexQ> right over Digital
<VortexQ:#ufo> it was very apparent that there seems to be a vested interesting from a higher source, in DEC
<VortexQ:#ufo> interest, that is
#ufo> VortexQ you still didn't say which DEC facility/group and when did it happen
<RB2:#ufo> Msokolov> Colorado Springs
#ufo> RB2 what do you mean? You mean DEC facility in Colorado Springs?
#ufo> what time period? how long ago was it?
<RB2:#ufo> That's what I understood from Vortex
<RB2:#ufo> I have no idea, he didn't get to that yet :)
#ufo> did he tell you what was his job at DEC?
<RB2:#ufo> No, I didn't get anymore information than that.
#ufo> I still wonder when did it happen
#ufo> RB2 said it was in Colorado Springs, wasn't it? Can you tell me the DEC facility code? I know each DEC facility has a 3-letter code
<VortexQ:#ufo> F***...what is the code?
<VortexQ:#ufo> hmmm
<VortexQ:#ufo> it has been a while
#ufo> did you actually work at DEC?
<VortexQ:#ufo> yes
<VortexQ:#ufo> doi
<VortexQ:#ufo> like people remember the stupid facility code for the rest of their lives...sheesh!
<VortexQ:#ufo> I do not work there anymore
<VortexQ:#ufo> duh
#ufo> how long ago was it?
<VortexQ:#ufo> well, hell
<VortexQ:#ufo> they were working on cd roms in the clean rooms at the time
#ufo> their computer technology was so marvelous that even aliens got interested!
<VortexQ:#ufo> cd roms were fairly cutting edge back then
<VortexQ:#ufo> I think the aliens were more interested in the research they had going on in the basement...Msokolov
<VortexQ:#ufo> 1993-1994...somewhere around that time
#ufo> thanks VortexQ, that's a much better date
#ufo> more precise than "when making CD-ROMs"
<VortexQ:#ufo> well, I have the flu...Msokolov...my thinking is a bit slow between tissues
#ufo> VortexQ, I know the feeling, I hate flu too
<VortexQ:#ufo> in fact...strange that you meantion them being shut down
#ufo> why strange?
<VortexQ:#ufo> I do not really believe they are...Mskovolov
#ufo> well DEC was torn to bits and sold off to various nuts like Comfuq/HP
#ufo> VAX was killed and buried
<VortexQ:#ufo> after the craft started showing up...the whole facility seems to be very off limits secure now
<VortexQ:#ufo> yeah...true
#ufo> does it belong to HP now? that facility you worked in
<VortexQ:#ufo> yes, I believe so...Quantum had it
#ufo> so it didn't go with the rest of Digital to Compaq? It went to Quantum instead?
#ufo> VortexQ, was it the facility where they made DLT tapes?
#ufo> I know that part went to Quantum
<VortexQ:#ufo> yes, Msokolov...why?
<Shambuku:#ufo> Vortex do you have a degree ?
<VortexQ:#ufo> no, I do not have a degree
<VortexQ:#ufo> why?
#ufo> I'm tracking it down, this may be of extreme importance to humanity
<VortexQ:#ufo> is it necessary in order to be intelligent?
<Shambuku:#ufo> Then how did you get a job at DEC
<Shambuku:#ufo> Yes
#ufo> you don't need a degree to be intelligent
<Shambuku:#ufo> Yes you do
#ufo> only to satisfy the assholes in HR department
<VortexQ:#ufo> I have a year in electronics in college
<VortexQ:#ufo> you could say I learn very quickly
<nwb:#ufo> did einstein have a degree
<VortexQ:#ufo> lol
<Shambuku:#ufo> Yes
<VortexQ:#ufo> about that too Msokolov
<VortexQ:#ufo> I worked on the tape drives...I also worked in the clean room on cd rom drives...the very first ones going out
#ufo> what CD-ROM drive was that? I thought both RRD40 and RRD42 were built outside and only badged by DEC
<VortexQ:#ufo> the tape drives are used to backup data on the system...used as a backup for the server data
#ufo> I know of course what tape drives are for
#ufo> I'm a real geek of BIG computers, still run VAXen
<VortexQ:#ufo> I have also worked as a computer operator in a computer room at a hospital...doing backups and monitoring of the servers and also micro fiche
#ufo> cool
#ufo> but still, what CD-ROM was it that they were building themselves in a clean room?
#ufo> I thought RRD40 was Philips and RRD42 was Sony
<VortexQ:#ufo> guess what, they left me all by myself and I had no problem at all handling the entire list of tasks
<VortexQ:#ufo> the manager just hands me the list...shows me around and says...can you handle it? I said yes.
#ufo> so what was the first CD-ROM drive built inside DEC itself? Was it RRD43? Or am I missing something?
<VortexQ:#ufo> and I did it
<VortexQ:#ufo> hell, I would have to dig out boxes for that information at this point
<VortexQ:#ufo> I am more interested in holographic computer systems and crystalline data crystals at this point in time
<VortexQ:#ufo> you'd be surprised what things are going on now
That's all I have gleaned from this guy. I don't expect much help from this
list with the UFO part, but at least I'm hoping someone can chime in on the
parts having to do with the history of DEC and whatever Classic computing
technology they were working on that was so marvelous that even the aliens got
interested in it.
MS
P.S. A more complete IRC log is available on request.
Received on Thu Mar 25 2004 - 19:55:49 GMT
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