In case you are, we would like to get in touch with you!

The usual introduction...

This project started for educational purposes in a time no one was even thinking of ever throwing away a computer.

Since the last two or three decades this changed dramatically. Computers are dismantled or destroyed when no longer of use or are judged too slow to keep up with the job. The group of people maintaining this site logically started to realize that a large part of our industrial heritage is being wiped out without anyone wondering. That is one of the main reasons why the project continued to develop the history of computing project. It grew however into something beyond our expectations: over 4000 readers per day! High in Google's ranking, almost 800 web pages, special designed graphics and project members trying to keep up and checking our grammar.

Did you...

Ever wonder who invented the computer? Or did you ask yourself what Quantum or Super computing is. What is a mainframe and who invented it. Did IBM start the PC revolution?

If these questions play through your head you are one of us!

True, the history of computing is not a subject every person is interested in. And there is no glamour or fame to be gotten here.

And if you think you could spare some time, then:

Why?!

Because you want to contribute to the contents, presentation or improve this site in general.
Or you think you have a story that should be told. Or you have worked for a company that has no page on our site and you want to contribute that. Or you have knowledge on programming languages and want to tell your story?

But this is a reason as well: the project has grown beyond our expectations and we need help! Help to keep up with developments, keeping up with the flood of historical data, the sheer number of subjects still to be covered...

How?

By inviting yourself to do so

When?

Now! Just mail us and we go from there

What could you do?

Here are a few ideas to follow up:

• Mailing links of pictures or pages of interest to the history of computing
• Corrections on information the site is displaying
• Extracting information from other sites, papers or magazines, or even hardcopy books ;=)
• Restyling, checking on spelling and grammar of what is already written
• Reworking graphics, pictures
• Creating artwork to enhance the site or subject
• Extend on existing parts
• Explore on new story lines
• Expand our timeflashes
• Create new pages or subjects
• Start your own section, like we started the Game section
• et cetera, et cetera.

We need you!

What do we expect from our correspondents

We feel that a correspondent is not someone who sends in a correction once every two years. But wants to get involved in this project. For us a correspondent is someone who does something on a regular basis. In any of the area's as mentioned. She or he is someone that is willing to continuously contribute to the site on her or his own way. In his or her own time and speed.

You don't have to spent hours and hours each evening or during the day. You may contribute from a few sentences to complete stories. You can work on it as long as you want. But once you start with something we expect you to finish it.

As said you do things at your own speed. But it is always nice to see some sign of life now and then from you as our correspondent or editor. So keep in touch on a regular basis.

If you can live with that you are one of US!

Organization

The way the project is organized is as follows:

• The Foundation

  Officially there is a board, since 2000 we incorporated in the History of Computing Foundation, to protect the interests and continuity of the project: the History of Computing. The board's primary function is funding and PR

• Then there is the project's coordinator

  He is the one who keeps the project: "history of computing" going. The project group consists of some 15 (2005) people: editors and correspondents. They create and maintain the project's site: www.thocp.net, keep track of information and do research, correspond with knowledgeable people and so on.

• The project's website is organized like this:

  The main artery is the Timeline: a chronological story from the very first beginning up to now.

  From the timeline sections like: Biographies, Hardware, Software and Companies branches off. And when needed other sections branch off from that, like the Video Games section

  There is also a Reference section into which everything of interest having a connection to computing science, industry or history is placed. Within the Reference sections Story-Lines are introduced. These story lines cover everything from logarithm to how a mainframe works or is constructed and its historical development.

  Or a subject like: what is supercomputing is explained and illustrated.

  It feels like creating a large mosaic. Though there are still many white spots that must be filled, it can be done at any time without disrupting the pattern. In that way the History of Computing Project allows to expand the contents in an atomic way. Adding little pieces, one at the time, without disrupting anything that is already in place.

  We can cover the entire history in that way without having to redesign the site every time we have a new idea. Even putting priorities to some subjects is no problem. If the project feels the need to explain how something works then a page is dedicated to that subject and can seamlessly be introduced into the tapestry of the project.

Future projects

In the future we want to introduce animations on how a chip works, and how a vacuum tube did what it did, what is doping of silica, how do you create a chip. How do you create a program, how a hard disk works, how a LCD screen works etc. etc.

Also we want to put the entire site into a database in order to be able to create a web site on demand. If someone is interested in one particular subject it should be possible to create a series of pages that only deal with that subject and sent it to that person by mail of display it on screen.

Last Updated on 11-Oct-2005

For suggestions please mail the editors