This one has always been a favorite: https://computerhistory.org/blog/the-two-napkin-protocol/
Computer History Museum Launches Digital Portal to Its Collection
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Re: Computer History Museum Launches Digital Portal to Its Collection
#12This place is great, but my work had a function here and I walked around with one of our juniors and never have I felt so old. The pure astonishment and confusion when looking at a “floppy disk” aged me instantly.
Re: Computer History Museum Launches Digital Portal to Its Collection
#13I've been to this museum ~10 times. It never gets old. I take everyone I know there. I like to see their reactions.
New portal looks kinda cool too.
Re: Computer History Museum Launches Digital Portal to Its Collection
#14This place is great, but my work had a function here and I walked around with one of our juniors and never have I felt so old. The pure astonishment and confusion when looking at a “floppy disk” aged me instantly.
I suppose that means the museum is doing its job then: educate people totally ignorant of the history of computing. Next time that younger person sees a floppy disk they will know what it is.
Re: Computer History Museum Launches Digital Portal to Its Collection
#15This is very welcome. Just a couple months ago I was down some interesting retro-computing rabbit hole and there was a story referenced in a couple articles and a book. The cited source was an original document that's in CHM's collection but it wasn't accessible on CHM's site nor was it available anywhere else online. Frustrating but understandable. They must get mountains of documents contributed from personal files of first-hand participants who created this history.
Sorting, scanning, indexing and tagging all those loose files must be a Herculean yet monotonously thankless chore. So thanks to all the volunteers and donors for enabling this invaluable resource to exist.
Re: Computer History Museum Launches Digital Portal to Its Collection
#16If you're into this and you're ever in Bozeman Montana, check out the American Computer and Robotics Museum. It's excellent!
Re: Computer History Museum Launches Digital Portal to Its Collection
#17This place is great, but my work had a function here and I walked around with one of our juniors and never have I felt so old. The pure astonishment and confusion when looking at a “floppy disk” aged me instantly.
I suppose that means the museum is doing its job then: educate people totally ignorant of the history of computing. Next time that younger person sees a floppy disk they will know what it is.
Absolutely!
Re: Computer History Museum Launches Digital Portal to Its Collection
#18This is great, though every geek should visit this place in person. It gets better every year. Especially on the days where they demo the giant IBM 1401.
My buddy took me on a Silicon Valley tour when I lived there , we hit up the HP Garage, Apple Garage, Intel Museum & the Computer History Museum in one day.
Re: Computer History Museum Launches Digital Portal to Its Collection
#19I have come across (and enjoyed) many of the videos [1] they have posted to YouTube. [1] https://www.youtube.com/@ComputerHistory
The oral histories they post are priceless. Pick any company or topic of significance and odds are good they've talked to somebody who was in the thick of it.
Re: Computer History Museum Launches Digital Portal to Its Collection
#20CHM employee here. Always great to see CHM on HN. Glad folks are excited about this -- as are we! There's so much cool stuff in the Collection.
Great initiative - so now let me throw a query:
* Why isn't the Lewis Terman OH https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/10265394... showing up in the main link?
* Also, not related to Oral Histories, but could CHM update their historical narrative to include the Vannevar Bush-designed computers that the NSA's predecessor OP-20-g used? https://www.governmentattic.org/8docs/NSA-WasntAllMagic_2002.... ; In so doing, I feel CHM needs to further neutralized its Silicon Valley centered-ness. Fred Terman may be the godfather of Silicon Valley, but even godfathers once needed thesis advisors, and his had the initials 'VB'.