Perhaps somewhat off-topic, but FYI since I know some people here are
into this sort of thing, any maybe this is news to you as it was to me:
Retro-Computing Society of Providence, RI (which is perhaps not _that_
far away...) is holding an open house this Saturday. Details from
my acquaintance from the RCSRI are below:
Hear Ye, Hear Ye!
15 February, 2014, is the next monthly Open House of the
Retro-Computing Society of Rhode Island (see: http://www.rcsri.org/
). The Retro-Computing Society of Rhode Island holds its monthly
Open Houses on the third Saturday of every month at its facility in
Suite 411 of the Atlantic Mill, 118 Manton St., Providence, RI. The
Mill is historic, the neighborhood of Olneyville is historic, the
computers are historic and the RCS/RI members are…, well…, if not
historic then histrionic at the very least.
This particular monthly Open House is particularly special in that it
is the only monthly Open House the Retro-Computing Society of Rhode
Island is holding during the month of February in 2014, and so is a
unique event. Think about it: the only monthly Open House during
February of 2014! Miss it and you will never again have the chance to
attend the monthly Open House of the Retro-Computing Society of Rhode
Island during February of 2014. That would be tragic, so you have
been warned!
I have no idea what’s up for the February 2014 Open House, but
something will be running and/or cracked open and undergoing attention
subject to the tender mercies of somebody. ‘Always happens. And
there are always “colorful” members there to obsess over the
collection and who are delighted to conduct tours and provide details,
some of which are actually factual. And often times guests show up to
look at the machines and recollect the time when You Know Who did You
Know What at You Know Where, and an obscure but fascinating lump of
computer lore is revealed. Come visit the days, before the Cult of
Murray Hill and the Usurpation of Redmond, when boot loaders were
toggled into memory from front panel switches, when “mass storage” was
a deck of cards, yards of papertape or (if you were lucky) a skinny
spool of Mylar coated with magic rust, “screen resolution” depended on
how old the ribbon was in your Teletype, and debugging sessions ended
with programmers covered in sweat, punchies and gear oil. (Oh, be
still my pounding heart!) Spouses and kids are most welcome, but
don’t wear your Sunday best because, 1) it’s Saturday, and 2) the
place can be a little “untidy.” Good playgrounds always are. Come
and enjoy!
“They’ve been some days in preparation,
A splendid time is guaranteed for all!”
Please spread the word.
--
"'tis an ill wind that blows no minds."
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