Crazy Eddie's Used ComputersNov 19
I declare that today, Nov. 19, 2025 is the 50th anniversary of BitBLT, a routine so fundamental to computer graphics that we don't even think about it having an origin. A working (later optimized) implementation was devised on the Xerox Alto by members of the Smalltalk team. It made it easy to arbitrarily copy and move arbitrary rectangles of bits in a graphical bitmap. It was this routine that made Smalltalk's graphical interface possible. Below is part of a PARC-internal memo detailing it:
Show threadsonjaNov 19
@fvzappa im not really a nerdy computer person but how is it that xerox literally developed some of the most important things used in modern computing and no one talks about it? (mostly im talking about GUIs) is it odd? its seems odd to me.
Show threadRebolekNov 19
@emily_rugburn @fvzappa I think it's a well known fact in nerdy computer person circles and outside them no-one cares.
Show threadsonjaNov 19
@rebolek @fvzappa really. they just seemed so ahead of everyone else. i guess hindsight is 20/20?
Show threadRebolek
@emily_rugburn @fvzappa I don't think they're ahead of everyone else, they're just focused on some niche knowledge. Other groups know fascinating faces about other stuff.
Nov 19 at 5:36pmWeb