Re: [NTLK] Before The Newton Community Fades

From: Tyler Regas (tyler_at_pdahandyman.com)
Date: Thu Jun 30 2005 - 12:09:53 PDT


On Jun 30, 2005, at 11:12 AM, Grant Hutchinson wrote:

> Link scraping is one thing. Documenting the importance and
> relevance of
> each link is another. I'm not trying to punch holes in your effort, in
> fact I'm applauding it. But to make such a resource useful and
> viable, a
> bit of human touch will be necessary.

While I didn't specifically voice that aspect, I share your opinion
of the need for the human aspect. After all, what is the Newton
community if not human :)

Re: the fading of the Newton community, I'm looking at this from a
purely mathematically pragmatic POV. As time inexorably marches
forward more and more legacy machines will start to fail for one
reason or another. As the number of viable systems dwindles, the size
of the Newton community will grow ever smaller until it reaches a
nucleus relatively the same number of working Newton devices.

This inevitable fact raises certain questions. Not, mind you, about
the validity of the Newton community (NC to save on typing) but on
how to maintain it. Physics dictates that the further an object moves
from its source of motivation the more it requires from an external
force to propel it in any given direction. For us this means that we
need to develop ways of keeping the Newton alive. We can't just start
fabbing new handhelds because Apple won't release its ownership of
the Newton technology, aside from the cost of simply fabbing parts
alone.

So, for my part, I am building the NewtonHandyman section of PHM.
Hopefully, if I and others willing to volunteer, it will become a
repository of information about the Newton, regularly maintained
links to other sites, and a collection point for bits before they are
lost to the cosmic stream. I don't expect this to be a massive
effort, but I am willing to spend time and give space to it.

I hope others agree, and I hope I've made my previously muddied
statements clear on this issue.

Green Throughout,

Tyler

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