22 Mar
1999
22 Mar
'99
11:58 p.m.
On Mon, 22 Mar 1999, Megan wrote:
All this talk of museums... I've been toying with
the idea of trying
to set up something like that... Along the lines of RCS/RI...
I was wondering how such groups got started... how did/do they afford
storage places...
My 1200sqft is very cheap at the moment (i.e. free) and I am able to take
advantage of great deals on accoutrements like ~1600sqft of steel shelving
for $200 by always trying to be in the right place at the right time.
Of course it wouldn't be entirely possible without the help of a great
group of collector's over here in the bay area that lend a generous hand
without too much prodding :)
What I've been thinking of is a place where people
can put their
systems on display -- static while being worked on, with help
from volunteers, and dynamic once working. At least when working
I would hope that people could use a terminal to use/program it.
I'm setting up basically an old technology renaissance center. A place
where hackers, nerds and geeks can go on weekends to work together on old
computers (and other old technology, but mostly computers), search through
the library of "obsolete" technical documentation I'm assembling for
informational or just recreational reading, and share their passions with
fellow enthusiasts. I hope to have it ready for the first general
assembly by the summer time (June or thereabouts).
Obviously, not everyone would be allowed to actually
touch the
innards of a system or the removable bits... that would be
reserved for those who have an expressed interest/knowledge of
a specific system. Otherwise, people would have to settle for
terminal access, or supervised access.
And ideally you'll train the ones who express an interest in wanting to
attain the knowledge necessary to be able to touch the innards. The whole
premise of my establishment is to be a center of learning.
I was thinking of contacting the current owners of the
Maynard
Mill to see if there was any possibility of donation of (or
reduced rental) on a space there... it would be neat if some
DEC systems could return home for display...
What do people think?
I think its a wonderful idea. More people should devote their time to
this sort of endeavor.
What if we had a 'chain' of said museums, run
by members of
the classiccmp list, all over the country... would make it
easier to have VCF-east,south, midwest, etc...
It would certainly make long trips to distant relatives more bearable for
us geeks if we knew there was a computer hacker's center nearby.
Pardon my ramblings... I guess I'm disappointed
with the
Boston Computer Museum, some of what I've heard about the
Computer Museum at Moffett field is criminal, plus it is
too far away as is VCF, and with my schedule I've been unable
to get to RCS/RI...
Passion and vision is all it takes.
(plus, I know my partner would like to see me move
some of my
collection out... :-)
Much of my reason for moving my stuff out of the garage was that it just
became entirely unwieldy. The secondary reason was my wife's constant
nagging. Wives just don't get it I guess. I wonder if Allison's husband
nags her about her garage? :)
Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't rub the lamp if you don't want the genie to come out.
Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0
See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details!
[Last web site update: 02/15/99]