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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:The Digital way of working
Moderator:QUARK::LIONELON
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5321
Total number of notes:139771

707.0. "DIGITAL'S HISTORICAL COLLECTION" by LDP::PEARSON () Fri Jan 27 1989 10:55

    I manage a new program at Digital called Digital's Historical
    Collection. Some of you may have heard about it in employee newsletters
    or in the program's notes file, LDP::DEC_HISTORY.
    
    The goals of the program include preserving and communicating the
    history of Digital for employees, customers and friends through
    exhibitions, archives collections and printed and a/v materials.
    
    Currently there are three exhibitions open: the Central Collection,
    which chronicles Digital's product and business history from 1957
    to the present, in the MRO2 (Marlboro, MA) lobby; and two exhibitions
    on VAX systems at BXB1 and BXB2. An exhibition on Semiconductor
    Engineering is scheduled to open in early April in HLO2 (Hudson,
    MA).
    
    I'd like to survey some of the readers of this file about your interest
    in such a program and also request your input on the kinds of
    communications vehicles, besides exhibits, that are of interest/use
    to you, for example:
    
    1. Exhibition listing/opening calendar
    2. Special events, e.g. internal speakers on various Digital history
    subjects 
    3. Videotape on Digital's history
    4. Update-able 35mm slide show with script on DEC's history
    5. Program brochure
    6. COllection catalogue
    7. Access to old documentation/photos, etc
    8. Your ideas...
    
    Your input is appreciated. If you wish to reply directly to me fee
    free to do so.
    
    Thanks, Jamie Pearson
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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707.1Capture oral history as wellDR::BLINNAvoid Career Limiting DecisionsFri Jan 27 1989 11:1218
        Jamie, I think it's wonderful that we're working now to capture
        Digital's history, before any more of the original materials
        and original people are gone.
        
        One technique for capturing history that has become popular is the
        use of audio and video techniques together with interviews of
        people who were there. 
        
        If you do sponsor presentations on Digital's history, with live
        speakers, be sure to capture the presentations, at least with
        audio technology, and preferably with video.
        
        I know that there are still many people working at DEC who have
        been here for a relatively long time, and who have stories they
        could share that would really round out the "formal" history
        that's captured with documents and exhibits. 
        
        Tom
707.2LDP::PEARSONFri Jan 27 1989 13:237
    re: .1, Tom, we will most certainly audiotape and then transcribe
    the talks and/or interviews for the archives and make the
    tapes/transcripts available to employees either through my program
    or the libraries.
    
    Thanks, Jamie
    
707.3SALSA::MOELLERAudio/Video/MIDIophileFri Jan 27 1989 15:1914
    I think it's a great idea.  A series of videos could be produced,
    using materials you're already collecting, and ongoing interviews
    with longterm employees.
    
    The series could cover Digital from a business perspective, from
    an Employee perspective, from a physical plant perspective (i.e.
    from the Mill to the World), and of course on the products themselves.
    Another one on the evolution of the Easynet.
    
    The video idea would work well, for example, in remote offices where
    the employees rarely make it back East to see exhibits.  Also for
    new (and not so new) hires, seeking more background on the company.
    
    karl
707.4Another ideaSDSVAX::SWEENEYPatrick SweeneyFri Jan 27 1989 18:364
    Please be sure to involve customers, they may have similar collections
    especially photography of pre-PDP-8 computers and some interesting
    applications.  DECUS is probably the method to contact customers for
    such materials.
707.5DEC humorQUARK::LIONELAd AstraFri Jan 27 1989 22:348
    I'd also like to see some of the lighter side of Digital in the
    collection.  Humorous posters and buttons, fake advertisments and
    "product descriptions" (the SD730 comes to mind for the latter...),
    Charlie Andres' "CPU Wars" (one of my copies is buried in the
    Spit Brook time capsule), etc.  I think this would help give a
    more personal perspective into Digital.
    
    				Steve
707.6CPU Wars!LDP::PEARSONMon Jan 30 1989 10:024
    I'd sure like to get my hands on a copy of "CPU Wars" -- if anyone
    knows of one, please let me know.
    Jamie
    
707.7TAMARA::WAR_STORYEAGLE1::EGGERSTom, VAX & MIPS architectureMon Jan 30 1989 12:082
    The TAMARA::WAR_STORY conference has a lot of fascinating
    references to Digital history.
707.8COVERT::COVERTJohn R. CovertMon Jan 30 1989 12:464
Not very long ago, copies of CPU Wars could be purchased in the comics store
next to Wordsworth in Harvard Square.

/john
707.9Also try Newbury ComicsTLE::AMARTINAlan H. MartinSun Feb 05 1989 09:347
Re .8:

I've just your note.  I was browsing in Milion-Year Picnic last night, and no
copies of CPU Wars were plainly visible.  However, I didn't ask if there were
any stored someplace, since I already have a copy.  I bought mine in the Newbury
Comics on Newbury St. a number of years ago.
				/AHM