word processor history -- interesting article

[Chuck Guzis]

On 07/08/2016 01:42 PM, Fred Cisin wrote:

> And, as I mentioned previously, it was quite common for secretaries 
> moonlighting as typists to bring work in and use them after-hours. 
> (sometimes with tacit approval from the boss!  My boss gave me 
> after-hours access to use 026 punches, ('course I left them cleaner
> than when I started, with emptied bins, refilled card supply, jams
> cleared from down punches, etc.))

Another thing that's forgotten is the stratification of tasks back in
those days.  Keypunching one's own code was frowned upon as a waste of
valuable technical time; there were lower-paid keypunch operators to do
that.

Similarly, having a typewriter in one's office was also frowned upon, as
there were secretaries to do that sort of work.

I had (and still have) miserable handwriting (both script and block
lettering), so I at least had a plausible excuse for doing my own
key-wrangling.  But I had to put up with a considerable fog of official
disapproval.

--Chuck