50 Years of Text Games
by Gary and MaryAnn Martin (Martech Software)
later versions by John Pritchett; based on
Trade Wars by Chris Sherrick
Released: June 1991
Y
Initializing. Hello Zaphod, welcome to: Trade Wars 2002!
(C) Copyright 1990,1991, Gary & Mary Ann Martin Brought to you by Martech Software, Inc (tm) Support BBSes (913) 832-0300 & (913) 832-0248
No Sectors are currently being avoided.
We haven t seen you in 4 days, welcome back.
Searching for messages received since your last time on:
No messages received.
You have 100 turns this Stardate.
If you first got online after 1996 or so, you might never have connected to a BBS. If you first got online after 2006, you might never have even heard of one. Reading the histories of online games like
Richard J. “Dick” Barry, a proud Everett native, passed away at 88 years old. Dick was an old-school cop, investigator and soldier and whose spectacular career accomplishments are in contrast to the humble, caring, and giving man who never strayed far from his roots or his family.
Dick graduated from Everett High School in 1951. He was pre-deceased by his mother Katherine (Powers) Barry, brother Lamont, sister Corinne, brother-in-law Thomas Lee and friend Stanley Notkin. Dick is survived by his high school sweetheart Cheerleader Mary (Lucci) whom he married on Valentine’s Day 67 years ago (together for 71). Father of Richard II and his wife Paula, Kim Arruda and her husband Deo, Lori Lombard, Scot and his wife Pamela. Adored Grandfather to Richard III, Luccia, Barryphillip, Taylor, Jimmy and William, Great Grandfather to Arden. Brother-in-law to Patricia (Lucci) Lee. Also survived by many nieces, nephews and many good friends.
Are there any technologies which you think are overhyped? Why? “Overhyped might be too strong, but I definitely think that machine learning is a bit of a double-edged sword.”
Are you wondering how it all began?
In the Beginning, There Was Light
By Steve Ciarcia (Founder, Circuit Cellar)
Whenever I run into Circuit Cellar fans at conventions or techie-type gatherings, many invariably mention either how they’ve enjoyed following my projects and career since BYTE magazine or that they’ve recently discovered Circuit Cellar and wonder where it came from and how long it has been around. Certainly, if the tech-publishing world was apolitical and less competitive back in the day, someone might have published an unbiased account that wasn’t completely Silicon Valley-centric. Unfortunately, no other magazine could interview me and relate those events without appearing to promote BYTE or Circuit Cellar at the same time. I guess it is left to me to tell you how Circuit Cellar magazine started.
Ray Tomlinson sends a message
The brain behind using name@host for email use.
Ray Tomlinson. Credit: Flickr.
Nearly 50 years ago – sometime during the northern summer or autumn of 1971 – Ray Tomlinson sent the first network email. He didn’t invent electronic messaging, but he’s the person who came up with the name@host convention now used by billions of people every day: it was his idea to use the asperand, the @ symbol, as a separator.
Tomlinson was a computer scientist working for Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN), a company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which started out specialising in acoustics – one of its first big jobs was in acoustics consulting for the new United Nations buildings in New York City.