John, (01)
It's a very small valley, isn't it. Kathe and I unfortunately couldn't
make it to the event. I'm glad that you were able to make the
connection. Having Boeing's support on this will be very valuable. (02)
On my suggestion about getting some early publicity for the SCC's work, I
don't think it's too early for CHM to and the SCC to benefit from some
early public awareness of its new software collection initiative in a
popular science publication. There are several good reasons to do
it. First and foremost is to make people who may have something to
contribute aware that we exist and interested in hearing from them. We
need that kind of serendipitous support sooner rather than later. Second,
we need long-term corporate awareness and support from the Boeings of the
world to help us in our collection and preservation efforts. The best way
to reach CIOs and CTOs at these corporations is through popular science
publications like the ones I mentioned. (03)
It's definitely not too soon to start putting out feelers on this. Lead
times for feature stories in these magazines can run up to six or even nine
months, depending on what they have in their pipeline. That means an
article wouldn't come out until somewhere between October and December even
if we started the process today. More likely is an article sometime early
next Spring. (04)
In preparation for such an article, we could certainly establish a
milestone for late this year of getting an outward-facing SCC website up,
organizing what we have so far for public consumption, and putting in place
a way of handling inquiries from the public. Remember that we were
entertaining the idea of a workshop as early as September and are now
considering one sometime early next Spring, so the timing would be about
right. Besides, it would be a good driver to move the committee forward and
get more of its members involved in a hands-one way. Think about it. (05)
At 11:01 AM 4/4/2005, John Toole wrote:
>Phil,
>
>Just a follow-up on Scott Griffin comments. Thursday night I was at
>Peter Giles' farewell at the Tech, and Lew Platt (and his wife) was
>there. We had a great conversation, and he told me that Scott was
>really interested in the project. He wants to visit the Museum, but has
>only been in town a rare fews days at a time. Of course, we're trying
>to get him to see the entire Museum, and it might be good to get Scott
>here -- I'll send him an invite, and cc you.
>
>A few minutes later, I was talking to Doug Engelbart (and Karen), and
>since he happened to be near Lew, I introduced then all, and everyone
>seemed to have a good talk.
>
>So from a project point of view, you probably have some good support
>from Boeing.
>
>Thanks.
>
>--John
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bernard L. PEUTO [mailto:blpeuto@peuto.com]
>Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2005 10:21 PM
>To: John Toole; 'Philip Gust'
>Cc: 'nls-restore'
>Subject: RE: Follow-up of our discussion at HP Retiree's lunch on
>Computer History Museum
>
>Thanks to both of you for you thoughts. I am hoping that a well stocked
>web
>site will help us in this direction but am still nervous about any
>publicity
>until if is well stocked and we have put in place control mechanisms for
>handling a surge of interest.
>
>Bernard
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: John Toole [mailto:toole@computerhistory.org]
> > Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 11:10 AM
> > To: Philip Gust
> > Cc: nls-restore; Bernard Peuto
> > Subject: RE: Follow-up of our discussion at HP Retiree's
> > lunch on Computer History Museum
> >
> > Phil,
> >
> > Sounds like real progress.....as to the feelers on articles,
> > I like the suggestion but let's not get too far ahead of our
> > headlights for now.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > --John
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Philip Gust [mailto:gust@NouveauSystems.com]
> > Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 9:20 AM
> > To: John Toole
> > Cc: nls-restore; Bernard Peuto
> > Subject: RE: Follow-up of our discussion at HP Retiree's
> > lunch on Computer History Museum
> >
> > John,
> >
> > Thanks for forwarding this. Scott Griffin, Boeing's CIO,
> > called me on Friday. He had a few more follow-up questions
> > about the results of Kathe's research, and also wanted to let
> > me know he's working on this. Scott sounds like a very nice
> > person, and we had a good conversation about the project. He
> > is very interested in what the museum is doing on collecting
> > and preserving software, and he's especially interested in
> > NLS/Augmen Scott's found that the last work on the software
> > was done at McDonnell Douglas Network Systems Company. Boeing
> > sold some of that company's assets to British Telecom
> > Timenet. Scott is now looking in to whether NLS/Augment went
> > with it or remained with Boeing, since the software was not
> > an active product at the time of the sale. He said that it's
> > not on his list of Boeing software assets, but that may not
> > mean much, being that far back. He says that even if it did
> > get sold to BT Timenet, he's interested in helping us
> > interface with them and negotiating its release.
> >
> > I think it's very hopeful that we have so many well-placed
> > people who are taking such an active interest in this
> > project. Software preservation seems to strike a chord in
> > people's imaginations. Maybe we should find some way to at
> > least let the public know CHM is doing this, ahead of any
> >
> > workshops or conferences. One idea might be to see if we
> > could get one or more popular articles in Discover, Science
> > News, Smithsonian, or Scientific American. If this sounds
> > like a good idea to you, we should put out feelers to those
> > or similar publications in the next month or so to gauge
> > their interest.
> >
> > At 07:50 AM 3/28/2005, you wrote:
> > >Alan,
> > >
> > >Thanks very much for the note and consideration. We really
> > appreciate
> > >Boeing's help in this matter, and know you see the value in
> > preserving
> > >important software for posterity.
> > >
> > >If I, or any of our volunteers, can give you more background, please
> > >don't hesitate to ask. We'll look forward to hear from you
> > in a couple
> > >of weeks.
> > >
> > >--John
> > >
> > >John C. Toole
> > >Executive Director & CEO
> > >Computer History Museum
> > >650 810 1000 (direct)
> > >650 906 9873 (cell)
> > >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From: Poskanzer, Alan M [mailto:alan.m.poskanzer@boeing.com]
> > >Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 2:41 PM
> > >To: John Toole
> > >Cc: Gullette, Robert L; Tierney, James K; Griffin, Scott D
> > >Subject: RE: Follow-up of our discussion at HP Retiree's lunch on
> > >Computer History Museum
> > >
> > >
> > >Mr. Toole,
> > >
> > >I have been asked to look into this matter, as described
> > below, and we
> > >are doing so. There are some internal procedures that must
> > be followed
> > >at Boeing to effectuate approval of the release of the copyrights to
> > the
> > >software and we are initiating that. It will take a couple of weeks
> > >before we know if the release is approved. In the meantime,
> > please be
> > >patient and we shall keep you informed of our progress.
> > >
> > >If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to give
> > me
> > >a call.
> > >
> > >Sincerely,
> > >
> > >--Al Poskanzer
> > >
> > >
> > >Al Poskanzer, Ph.D.
> > >Director, Technology Licensing
> > >The Boeing Company
> > >Intellectual Property Business
> > >(949) 790-1343
> > >(949) 790-1399 fax
> > >(949) 300-2939 cell
> > >alan.m.poskanzer@boeing.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From: Philip Gust [mailto:gust@NouveauSystems.com]
> > >Sent: Friday, March 18, 2005 10:53 AM
> > >To: Lew Platt
> > >Cc: John Toole
> > >Subject: Follow-up of our discussion at HP Retiree's lunch
> > on Computer
> > >History Museum
> > >
> > >
> > >Lew,
> > >
> > >It was nice to see you again at the HP Retiree's luncheon this week.
> > >Your
> > >reflections on the HP culture gave me food for thought as a
> > "retiree".
> > >It also gave my wife Kathe a new perspective as someone who is still
> > >with HP. We'd both like to thank you for that.
> > >
> > >When we talked before lunch, I told you that Kathe and I are
> > involved
> > >with the Computer History Museum, as part of the Software Collection
> > >Committee. The committee is developing methods for the museum to
> > >collect, preserve, and exhibit software, as it currently does with
> > >hardware. We feel a particular urgency to act quickly, while the
> > >artifacts and some of
> > the
> > >
> > >people who worked on them are still available.
> > >
> > >The committee has launched a handful of pilot preservation projects,
> > >lead by committee members who are familiar with some of the most
> > historically
> > >
> > >important pieces of software. I am leading the project to
> > preserve NLS
> > >(oNLine System), an early knowledge management system created by
> > Douglas
> > >
> > >Engelbart and his team at SRI from 1964 to 1977. NLS is a seminal
> > piece
> > >of
> > >software that pioneered such things as hypermedia, windowed user
> > >interfaces, display editing, screen sharing, and groupware.
> > Ironically,
> > >
> > >the best known by-product from this work is the mouse. Doug
> > and several
> > >members of his team are now advisory members for the preservation
> > >project.
> > >
> > >An issue that invariably comes up in software preservation
> > projects is
> > >ownership and the right for the museum to collect, preserve, and
> > exhibit
> > >
> > >the software. Kathe has researched the issue, and has
> > discovered that
> > >through a series of acquisitions, Boeing is the current
> > owner of NLS,
> > >later commercialized as Augment.
> > >
> > >While NLS is no longer of any commercial value, it is important for
> > >learning about early software architectures and development
> > techniques.
> > >The
> > >last known copy of NLS/Augment, complete with all the source
> > code and
> > >documentation, is running on a PC based PDP-20 emulator that a few
> > >volunteers help Doug maintain. Doug would like to see NLS/Augment
> > >preserved by the museum, and made freely available to the software
> > >community.
> > >
> > >That is why, on behalf of Doug and the Computer History Museum, I am
> > >asking for your help. I am requesting that Boeing formally release
> > >NLS/Augment into the public domain, and allow Doug and the museum to
> > >make it available without restriction to anyone who would like to
> > >study, use it, or build on the concepts that it embodies. By
> > doing this
> > >under the auspices of the Computer History Museum, Boeing
> > may even be
> > >able to realize some tax advantage by having the it recognized as a
> > >contribution by the museum.
> > >John
> > >Toole, the Executive Director of the Computer History Museum, is open
> > to
> > >
> > >discussing such an arrangement.
> > >
> > >I appreciate your interest in this, and your offer to help us locate
> > >someone within Boeing who can authorize what we are asking. In the
> > >likely event that it is not feasible for Boeing to trace this
> > >internally
> > across
> > >
> > >all the acquisitions and mergers, I would suggest that
> > Boeing consider
> > >issuing a simple letter releasing any interest it may have in the
> > >software to the public domain. Doug just turned 80, and I know that
> > >this would
> > be
> > >
> > >the best birthday present anyone could possibly give him.
> > >
> > >Best regards,
> > >
> > >
> > >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> > -=-=-=-=-=
> > -
> > >=-=-=-=-=-=
> > >Background and Chain of Ownership of NLS/Augment
> > >
> > >Douglas C. Engelbart grew and directed a pioneering computer
> > research
> > >lab, the Augmentation Research Center (ARC) at SRI,. The
> > lab, which at
> > >its height had a staff of up to 47, pioneered modern interactive
> > >computing and working environments. Among the lab's
> > developments, were
> > >"NLS" (oNLine
> > >System) which, integrated the "mouse," display editing, windows,
> > >cross-file editing, idea/outline processing, hypermedia, and
> > groupware,
> > >including shared-screen teleconferencing and
> > computer-supported meeting
> > >room capabilities. NLS/Augment is arguably the genesis of hypertext,
> > >linked media online webs.
> > >
> > >In 1977, a company called Tymshare Inc., bought NLS, hired
> > its creator
> > >as a Senior Scientist, and offered commercial services based
> > upon NLS,
> > >which they re-named Augment.. Tymshare was already somewhat familiar
> > >with
> > NLS;
> > >
> > >back when ARC was still operational, it had experimented
> > with its own
> > >local copy of the NLS software on a minicomputer called OFFICE-1, as
> > >part of
> > a
> > >
> > >joint project with ARC.
> > >
> > >When Tymshare was later acquired by McDonnell Douglas in 1984, he
> > worked
> > >
> > >with the Aerospace Components Division of MDC on issues of
> > integrated
> > >information system architectures and associated evolutionary
> > strategies,
> > >
> > >extending the work done originally at SRI. Active
> > development of NLS
> > >was more or less finished by late 1968 , and
> > McDonnell-Douglas appears
> > >to have completely stopped working with the product upon Englebart's
> > >retirement in 1986.
> > >
> > >McDonnell-Douglas, last known owner of the copyrights to the system
> > >merged with Boeing in 1997 in a $13 billion stock-swap.
> > >
> > >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> > -=-=-=-=-=
> > -
> > >=-=-=-=-=-=
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Philip Gust
> > >Nouveau Systems, Inc.
> > >
> > >phone: +1 650 961-7992
> > >fax: +1 520 843-7217
> > >
> > >
> > >mailto: gust@NouveauSystems.com
> >
> >
> > Philip Gust
> > Nouveau Systems, Inc.
> >
> > phone: +1 650 961-7992
> > fax: +1 520 843-7217
> >
> >
> > mailto: gust@NouveauSystems.com
> >
> >
> >
> > (06)
Philip Gust
Nouveau Systems, Inc. (07)
phone: +1 650 961-7992
fax: +1 520 843-7217 (08)
mailto: gust@NouveauSystems.com (09)
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