[vcf-midatlantic] An object lesson in modern vintage computing

[Herb Johnson]

...so Wed noon, someone who writes for an online personal-tech 
lets-make-it-whee Web site, emails me. "I was asked to write about a 
possible trend toward retro tech. Would you answer questions like this?

1) what's so fascinating about retro tech? Is interest increasing?
2) is retro tech practical or nostalgic?
3) does retro tech have any advantage over modern tech?

You can have me email or phone you, let me know."

[I'll remind readers, my Web domain is "retrotechnology.com".]

Of course, I have a life, so I did not respond that same second. It was 
the next day, just about 24 hours later, I emailed "OK, contact me with 
your questions, and give me some clue about your audience. Because, most 
of my answers will depend on what kinds of people you are talking 
about." I made the obvious-to-me statement that there's different 
generations of people, who are involved with vintage computing. They 
have different points of view; the questions I was given suggest as much.

Response back, in six minutes: "the editors moved up my deadline and the 
story already has been filed. Thanks for the offer."

Thus I was given, an object lesson about modern vintage computing. 
Namely - there's no time. It must be now, just like modern computing and 
modern "life".

My view, is that the preservation of vintage computing hardware and 
methods, is to preserve the object lessons (of development, production, 
business) learned then, on their own merits; and on the merits of 
developing technology in a resource-poor environment, which could occur 
again. Put another way: then, we had time but no resources. Today, we 
have too many resources, but no time.

If this is too cryptic, you may have to think about it awhile.

Herb Johnson
retrotechnology.com

-- 
Herbert R. Johnson,  New Jersey USA
http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net