Paolo Amoroso

When software was fun. I miss the quirky and passionate small software houses and bedroom programmers of the 1980s, who were not yet as glamorous as "studios" or "indies".

https://unsung.aresluna.org/our-programs-are-fun-to-use

#AppleII #retrocomputing #software

“Our programs are fun to use.” – Unsung

A blog about software craft and quality

Feb 27 at 11:11amWeb
Show threadmike morrisFeb 27

@amoroso
I recall (and loved) the Brief text editor. By Underware.

Humour was allowed, once upon a time...

Show threadPaolo AmorosoFeb 27
@mikro2nd Brief by UnderWare?
Show threadmike morrisFeb 27
@amoroso
Yep. Was a (very lovely) text editor for DOS.
Show threadThomasFeb 27
@amoroso Honestly, I miss when more software was developped by "crews" and clubs
Show threadapgarciaFeb 27
@amoroso Beagle Bros software was awesome!
Show threadWeekend EditorFeb 27

@amoroso

Once upon a time, in 1980s Boston, there were some *peculiar* little companies.

3 of them once came to my attention:

Mark of the Unicorn: sold games and such, still exists doing music software.

BD Software: supposedly "brain-damaged software", made a C compiler in 1979. Still exists as BDSoft, doing other things.

MARC: I've almost totally forgotten, but I think it was some kind of OS thing.

It was widely suggested they merge, and call the result "MARC of the Brain Damaged Unicorn", with a logo of a broken-off unicorn horn stuck in an oak tree.

It was a different time.

(Back before the suits.)

Show threadVassil Nikolov | Васил НиколовFeb 28

@amoroso

Right.
From memory, the preface to _Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs_ says "programming should be fun".

Show threadPaolo AmorosoFeb 28

@vnikolov

I think that it's extraordinarily important that we in computer science keep fun in computing.

— Alan Perlis