Frequently Asked Questions about the Computer History Association of California and the ANALYTICAL ENGINE --------------------- Revision: 1.0.4 Last-update: 21 Jan 94 Last-up-by: Kip Crosby --------------------- I. What is the Computer History Association of California? The Computer History Association of California, or CHAC, is an educational organization which studies, preserves, protects and popularizes the history of electronic computing in the State of California. Its mailing address is: 1001 Elm Court, El Cerrito CA 94530-2602. Its Internet address is: cpu@chac.win.net. What does the CHAC do? It publishes a quarterly newsletter called the ANALYTICAL ENGINE, devoted to the history which CHAC is mandated to preserve. It collects and archives hardware, software and documents that are significant to that history. It forms part of an informal network of institutions specializing in computer history, in California and throughout the United States. Through the USENET newsgroup _alt.folklore.computers_, it corresponds electronically with computer historians, both professional and amateur, worldwide. It plans strategically for the establishment of a major, comprehensive, public museum of computing, probably in the Silicon Valley area, by 1999. Is the CHAC a charity? CHAC is an educational institution in the public interest. It is applying for recognition as a nonprofit corporation under California Revenue & Taxation Code Section 23701(d) and Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)3. If it achieves this recognition, its assets will be the property of the people of California, and donations to it will be tax-deductible. II. What is the ANALYTICAL ENGINE? The ANALYTICAL ENGINE is the quarterly newsletter of the CHAC, published in January, April, July and October. What's in it? Per issue, three or more articles on the history of computing in California; one book review; news of recent computer history and of developments at other historical organizations; a letters column; a column of queries submitted by readers; details of any acquisitions by CHAC; and small standard features, such as a list of publications received in the last quarter. We don't guarantee that every one of these things will be in each issue, but that's a good sketch of what's typical. Where can I get it? There are five ways to get a copy of the ENGINE: 1: Subscribe to an Internet mailing list on computer history, such as the Smithsonian Institution's SHOTHC-L, and the ENGINE will be mailed to you -- or, if the current issue is too big to be mailed, you'll at least be advised that it's available for download. 2: Subscribe to the USENET newsgroup _alt.folklore.computers_ and receive the table of contents, with downloading directions, as soon as each issue appears. 3: Post Internet mail to: engine@win.net with one of the following subject lines: Issue Subject line Available ---------------------------------------------------------------- V1#1 engine11 Now V1#2 engine12 Now V1#3 engine13 Now V1#4 engine14 April 1994 V2#1 engine21 July 1994 and no body copy. You'll receive your selected issue or issues by return mail. 4: Subscribe by mail and specify the paper edition. (See below.) 5: Request the ENGINE by anon FTP from these servers: ftp.vortex.com (in /comp-hist) ftp.apple.com (in /ftp/pub/CHAC) ftp.dhvx20.csudh.edu (in /comphist) During 1994, we hope, you'll be able to download the ENGINE from a favorite bulletin board near you. So far you've published two issues of the ENGINE electronically for "free." What do you propose to do in the future? Is vol. 1 #3 the last free one we will get? No. As it says in V1#2, "The ANALYTICAL ENGINE is intellectual shareware. Distribution of _complete, verbatim_ copies....is encouraged by the CHAC...." Our _primary_ mandate is, and will remain, to collect, organize, disseminate and popularize the history of computing in California; and the downloadable version of the ENGINE is our most important tool for the job. Anybody can download the ENGINE, read it, and pass it along, providing they don't hack it. Guidelines for reprinting and excerpting are in every issue. I understand that I don't _have_ to pay for the ENGINE, but if I do, how much is it? Individual subs are US$25 per year for downloading or US$35 per year for paper. Corporate, library or institutional subs are US$75 per year for downloading or US$85 per year for paper. Subs for seniors, students, the unemployed and the underemployed are US$15 per year for downloading or US$25 per year for paper. Why are paper copies $10 extra? The premium covers our cost of printing, mail preparation and first-class postage, so that the donated amount remains the same for electronic and for paper subscribers. If I send in my money, what will I get that I don't get now for free? The satisfaction of making a donation to a cause you consider important; and the knowledge that, because of you and people like you, CHAC will survive and move forward. Can I pay with my credit card? Not yet! Two VISA providers have told us that they don't want a thing to do with payment and collection for any services involving electronic mail. One of the newer cyberpunk/signalpunk magazines, which _does_ take VISA over the Internet for subs, allegedly had to pay its bank a whopping bribe for the privilege. As a nonprofit- in-waiting, we don't deal in bribes of any size.... Does CHAC publish anything besides the ANALYTICAL ENGINE? Our request server offers various files -- such as announcements of historical projects, how-to files for historical preservation, and spec tables for vintage hardware -- that would make the ENGINE unreasonably bulky if they were published at full length. For a list of available files, watch the ENGINE, or post to engine@win.net with a subject line of help for the directory by return mail. Can I get back issues? Back issue-files will remain available from engine@win.net, and from the FTP servers till further notice. Back paper copies of Volume 1, Number 2 (October 1993) and thereafter are available from the El Cerrito address for $6 each. Volume 1, Number 1 (July 1993) is only available electronically. III. INITIATIVE 1999 In Robert X. Cringely's thought-provoking book, _Accidental Empires_ (Addison-Wesley, 1992,) he points out that the year 1999 will witness a mass die-off of older mainframes -- not in terms of their being replaced by denser and quicker systems, which has been happening for years already, but because they abruptly lose their ability to process transactions. The reasoning behind this is various, but the simple case is that many older mainframes store their dates in the format YYMMDD and, when YY returns as 00, will halt on error. "Hardly any programmer in 1959 expected his payroll application to be still cutting checks in 1999," says Cringely, "so nobody thought to teach many of these computer programs what to do when the calendar finally says it's the year 2000." They didn't reckon with the principle of cybernetic inertia, which says that hardware in place tends to remain in place. Sure, there may be workarounds. But for lots of older computers, the programming overhead of dealing with this kink will be the last push over the cliff. Cringely's right; mainframes will be scrapped wholesale, and the oldest first. From the standpoint of function it only makes sense, since the oldest hardware is usually the slowest. But to the historian and preservationist, the oldest hardware is often the most significant. If we intend to respond to this crisis, we have five years to make plans and marshal resources; five years to find and equip facilities; five years to nail down funding. And for a project of this size, five years is not a long time. Anyone seriously interested in preserving the history of computing -- which certainly means any reader of this FAQ -- is actually advised to figure that we're in a screaming hurry. In the October issue of the ANALYTICAL ENGINE, the Computer History Association of California announced INITIATIVE 1999. What this is, and what it becomes, will be elaborated in future issues. For the moment, just plant two cardinal points in your mind: 1) On or before January 1, 1999, we would like to see chapters of this Computer History Association established in every state of the Union. To that end, we will advise, collaborate with, and give moral support to any responsible groups of historians and preservationists who express serious intention of founding such an Association. 2) On or before January 1, 1999, we intend to open a museum large enough to display a significant part of the history of computing in California, presenting the broadest available spectrum of appropriate artifacts, and using the (then) most contemporary technology for instruction by interactive and virtual means. To that end, we would appreciate the donation of (for example) a large disused factory or warehouse, convenient to freeways, and with loading docks; of pertinent hardware and software; of expert consultation, particularly with reference to accession, registration and curatorship; and of appropriate amounts of money. We reiterate: Six years is not a long time. What we're trying to do here can only be done once, or given up for lost. If you're reading this newsletter, you _can_ help, with a $25 donation to the ENGINE or with that factory. _Save the mainframes!_ IV. COMPILATION PROJECT As basic research, fundamental to tracing the provenance of donated hardware, software, and documentation, the Computer History Association of California is compiling a list of 1) Computer HARDWARE developers/manufacturers 2) Computer SOFTWARE developers/manufacturers 3) Computer PERIPHERALS developers/manufacturers now or formerly incorporated or headquartered in the State of California. Since information on businesses currently operating is relatively available from published sources, priority should be given to citation of businesses no longer operating. Information wanted in each citation is: Business name Primary business address Telephone or fax number Date of first business done, or incorporation Date of last business done, if known Types of hardware or software produced Maximum annual dollar volume and year in which recorded Names of officers, as known Please do _not_ include citations for retail outlets; regional offices of non-California companies; or reseller/distributors. Depending on its length, this list may ultimately be published as a request supplement to the ANALYTICAL ENGINE, or separately. We're grateful for all contri- butions. Please reply by Internet mail, or by paper mail to the CHAC El Cerrito address. V. ORPHAN MICROS Do you have an old micro that's cluttering up your closet or garage? Look at the manufacturer's nameplate (probably where the serial number is) and see if it was made in California. If it was, contact CHAC. You may have something we want....and we'll take it off your hands and pay the freight. We're also interested in old docs and software. --------------------- Thank you for your attention and interest. --------------------- EOF