30 Aug
2026
30 Aug
'26
10:09 a.m.
On Aug 29, 2026, at 6:08 PM, jim stephens via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
On 8/23/26 03:47, Steve Lewis via cctalk wrote:
Timesharing is an OS structural model. It isn't a charging model, and you're
confusing computer usage charging schemes with operating system structures.
My primary experience with timesharing is DEC's RSTS system, which indeed had
mechanisms allowing system owners to implement usage charging, but nothing of the sort was
done at the university where I used it. Nor was there a charging scheme for usage on the
University of Illinois PLATO system, which is essentially a special purpose timesharing
system.
On the other hand, the U of I did implement a charging system on their OS/370 batch
system.
In other words, OS structure (single user interactive vs. single user batch vs. multi user
batch vs. timesharing) is completely orthogonal to usage charging vs. no usage charging.
paul
I never found too much info about
"tymshare" (apparently a late 1960s kind
of "corporate or business-to-business digital exchange" system, maybe for
inventory or check-processing?).
I think this is the company which was the carrier
involved in Clifford Stoll's "Cuckoo's Egg" story. Nit picking time
billing lead to finding a hacker guy.
My friend Ron Vivier who was a co-worker before the issue moved to the Bay area and is
mentioned in Cliff's book. He worked at Microdata in Irvine when I worked with him
and moved north and went to work for tymshare.
BTW, the timesharing model sucks if you're forced into it. Never ending charges for
service vs. having a system. In the early 80s i went to work with a company which had a
timesharing business they'd inherited. We had minicomputer which at the time for
cost considerations and needs allowed for sharing the resources. But some companies were
predatory and not nice with rates or services.