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Modems & Bulletin Boards (10/22/1985)

From high-tech trysts to selling black-market software, computers users are talking.

Guests: Ezra Shapiro, Byte Magazine; Rory O'Connor, InforWorld; Matthew McClure, The Well; Donald Ingrim, Alameda County DA; George Morrow, Morrow Computing

Products/Demos: CompuServe, Byte BBS, The Well


This movie is part of the collection: Computer Chronicles

Keywords: Episode year: 1985

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Reviewer: Jeff Robertson - - August 20, 2009
Subject: Morrow
Morrow's lack of vision regarding computers in homes doesn't seem to fit with his computer background. This is the same George Morrow of Morrow Designs, right? see here:

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=613

On a humorous note, anyone else notice the resemblance between Morrow and Jeff Dunham's "Walter" puppet?

Sadly, it appears Morrow passed away six years ago. I wonder if there were any interviews from him and what his thoughts were on the state of computers and the internet prior to his death.

Reviewer: mwbeatty - - July 27, 2009
Subject: Fascinating
Lots of good stuff in this one. Loved the look on George Morrow's face when Ezra Shapiro told the story about the woman who tried to commit suicide "online". He was truly shocked.
And his question "Why would we expect to sell more computers than typewriters?" Uh, because a computer is more than a typewriter?

Reviewer: jimgardner - - September 1, 2005
Subject: Deep Blue.
A computer becoming world chess champion one day? Never!

Reviewer: cpt_mocha - - September 13, 2004
Subject: There's always some snakes in Eden...
...there sure are!! Less than 20 years later and about a Zillion more online users!

This is a fascinating epsiode from the really really early days of BBS'ing, The WELL, and SysOps. Also some discussion of Fidonet software and some terminal demos on an Apple II and Mac. It's also interesting to hear what are probably some of the first televised discussions of computer network legal issues such as privacy, 1st amendment rights, BBS owner liability, BBS busts, and "how to deal with the real time public communication and the problems it creates".

Also note, George Morrow says that only 60% of upper class homes have typewriters, so why would there ever be more computers in homes than typewriters? Talk about not having any foresight!

This one's a must see!