Re: Xywrite antiques

["David B. Kronenfeld" kfeld@xxxxxxxx]

Just to add a note of agreement.
                David

At 09:29 AM 5/9/01 -0400, you wrote:
> > Myron asks:
>
> > Any opinions on how copyright should be treated for
> > the collecting and historical study of old computer programs??? It seems
> > plausible that someone might want to collect all versions of something
> > like XyWrite or Word Perfect. Aside from the intrinsic interest, there
> > might be historical concerns as well:
>
> I couldn't agree more. It seems to me this is something Congress needs to
> address. Ideally, or so it seems to me, once a particular version of a
> software product is no longer offered for sale--due either to upgrading or
> obsolescence--free distribution ought to be permitted after a certain period
> of time--say, seven years. Just imagine. If this law were in effect, free
> versions of Windows 3.1 could now be distributed (although why anyone would
> want one I cannot imagine).
>
>
> > Are there coding differences that
> > can be correlated to social, economic or enterprise events? I would love
> > to see a PhD thesis on the impact of the Microsoft/WordPerfect
> > competition on wordprocessing features, coding, performance, marketplace
> > expectation, etc.
>
> Indeed! So would I.
>
>
> > Why, for example, did Word Perfect go from the elegant
> > version 4.2 to increasing bloated, slow, buggy versions 5.0--->9? or is
> > it now 10?
>
> Because that which was once designed for a specific purpose--and did it
> well--was bloated into something that attempted to do all things for all
> people--and did them all badly. (One wonders, for example, how much code has
> gone into the creation of the odious Paperclip and how much system
> resources it takes up!)
>
>
> > Computer programs are, after all, social "artifacts" that
> > reflect the cultures that create them. What does the dominance and
> > nature of Microsoft word tell us about US society? How would
> > wordprocessors differ if some other country were the dominant player in
> > the market? Japanese, German, British... Or if women dominated software
> > design and programming? aaahhh... enough already. I just finished
> > marking final exams (law -- evidence) and I'm a bit punchy.
>
> Not at all. A very provocative post, Myron! Thank you.
>
> --
> Leslie Bialler, Columbia University Press
> lb136@xxxxxxxx
> 61 W. 62 St, NYC 10023
> 212-459-0600 X7109 (phone) 212-459-3677 (fax)
> > http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup


David B. Kronenfeld       Phone  Office 909/787-4340
Department of Anthropology       Message 909/787-5524
University of California            Fax   909/787-5409
Riverside, CA 92521           email  kfeld@xxxxxxxx

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