17 Jun
2013
17 Jun
'13
11:10 a.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: tothwolf at concentric.net
Sent: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:13:11 -0500 (CDT)
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: Next completely OT topic:
On Mon, 17 Jun 2013, N0body H0me wrote:
Thank you, sir. You ventured where I dared not. Playing with the
hardware/software was the joyous part; our machines begged to be
tinkered with. It is my fear, that with mostly PC-type hardware
available to beginners (usually kids w/ little or no money) these
days, they will miss out on the joy that was 'hacking'. In fact,
it may spur little interest in computer history at all. Perhaps
I'm wrong; but from here, it's not looking so good....
N0body
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From: jules.richardson99 at gmail.com
Sent: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:39:21 -0500
I've been wondering about Joe Rigdon myself since I became active here
again.
It changed when this list (and other online discussion groups/forums)
became more about "collecting" vs hardware and software "hacking"
(the
original definition, not the definition the media started using).
When "investing" (hoarding) and paying huge sums of money for old
computers because "its a rare collectible" became more popular within a
subset of the classic computing hobby, there was a noticeable focus shift
from helping others tinker with their old computers to discussions about
obtaining "rare collectibles" ("its NIB, and I'll never use/open
it!")
and
trying to justify why someone just spent a fortune on something.
The very idea of soldering mod wires or -gasp- modifying/adding
components
on one of these "rare collectible" computer boards absolutely horrifies
most of these "investment" types. On 06/14/2013 11:24 PM, Josh Dersch wrote:
I remember those days; we used to have the likes of Joe Rigdon (wherever
you are), Megan Gentry (don't know if she still lurks here), and some
others I can't remember anymore. We had a somewhat different cast of
characters, and of course it was a different hobby back then as well
(but I won't go there).
This hobby gave me a peaceful, easy feeling in those days (to borrow a
line from the Eagles). Folks were always eager to help, always willing
to lend a hand (and maybe a tape image or two), and we'd have a good
laugh while we were at it.
We loved our machines, and we loved to expend the effort just to make
them 'go' and talk about how we did it. That's what our hobby (and this
mailing list) was really all about.
I'm not saying that the above isn't true anymore: I'm simply saying that
the mood and character of our hobby has changed over the years, and that
there are folks who used to have alot of interesting stuff to say, are
now silent.
Flame suit on. I *think* that based on prior history (and
correct me if I'm wrong)
that the next subject should be about how USB is not, infact, a "bus"
and is stupid and awful and can't be interfaced to a ZX Spectrum and
therefore is a failure oh God make it stop make it stop make it stop.
I do somewhat miss the old days of the list, ~15 years ago, when OT
"discussion" almost always focused on either cars or guns, and rarely
anything else :-)