Yes. I said exactly that (though in a very slightly less politically-correct way) on the steering committee mailing list. -Dave On December 1, 2022 12:31:43 PM Peter Cetinski via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:

---------- Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Gerry Lawson's 82nd birthday - Today's Google Doodle From: Peter Cetinski pete@pski.net Date: Dec 1, 12:31 PM To: vcf-midatlantic vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org

I’d love to hear his story as well. But, not sure a non-profit should pay over and above travel expenses. Doesn’t feel right. My $0.02.

...

On Dec 1, 2022, at 10:42 AM, Jeffrey Brace via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:

Today's Google Doodle is about Gerry Lawson who helped design the Fairchild F and on the team that pioneered the video game cartridge. Gerry has been deceased for 11 years. He is one of the few African Americans who have been inventors in the early vintage computer and vintage video game industries.

Related to this: I have been presented an opportunity to have another African American with similar experience come talk at VCF East: Ed Smith. Ed Smith started out working for APF Electronics, Inc. which released The Imagination Machine, a hybrid video game.

Would any of you be interested in hearing his story?

So here's the catch. Ed Smith wants a speaker fee of $5000 and travel expenses. As far as I know the Vintage Computer Festival has never paid a speaker fee. We honestly can't afford such a large fee. It is beyond our budget. We have paid travel expenses for a select few speakers who can't afford it and/or are very important speakers. I'm contemplating doing a fundraiser for this. Just a straw poll. How many would donate towards this?

I would love to hear his story.

Thanks for your input!

========================================= Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President Vintage Computer Festival East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/> jeffrey@vcfed.org

-- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA