Chris Aldrich

@chrisaldrich
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Educator, reader, inveterate note taker, biomedical engineer (he/him)

#IndieWeb, #education, #ToolsForThought, #NoteTaking, #InformationTheory, #math, #complexity, #journalism, #mnemotechny, #economics, #history, #orality, #anthropology, #OER, #fedi22, #typewriter

Websitehttps://boffosocko.com
Fediverse@[email protected]
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 toot.waleshttps://toot.wales/web/@chrisaldrich
Other Socialhttps://boffosocko.com/about/social-media-accounts-and-links/
Chris AldrichJan 8

On Purchasing Typewriters: Condition is King; Context is Queen

New typewriter enthusiasts will very often post to Reddit, one of the Facebook typewriter groups or other similar fora, something along the lines of: "I spotted this typewriter at an antique store. Good condition to buy?" and include a picture of some generic typewriter.

It bears mentioning and thoroughly understanding that eve

https://boffosocko.com/2026/01/08/on-purchasing-typewriters-condition-is-king-context-is-queen/

On Purchasing Typewriters: Condition is King; Context is Queen | Chris Aldrich

New typewriter enthusiasts will very often post to Reddit, one of the Facebook typewriter groups or other similar fora, something along the lines of: "I spotted this typewriter at an antique store. Good condition to buy?" and include a picture of some generic typewriter. It bears mentioning and thoroughly understanding that even an expert typewriter

BoffoSocko.com
Show threadChris AldrichNov 22
@proedie I would have picked it up for nostalgia reasons. It was a machine my parents got me in the early 80s before I graduated to a Smith-Corona Clipper.
Chris AldrichNov 22
Programming InsiderNov 21
One of the most controversial episodes of any sitcom historically was Maude Findlay’s (Bea Arthur) decision to have an abortion on Norman Lear’s “Maude,” which aired today in 1972. Approximately 30 stations across the country refused to air the episode.
Show threadChris AldrichOct 2, 2025
@adactio Okay, I'm doing it today: finally ordering the Irish tin whistle, so I can eventually learn to play...
Chris AldrichSep 14, 2025
@arisummerland Sorry to hear about some of the reasons for you exiting the space, but helping to rehome them can also be a joy. I enjoy repairing and restoring them, though I do love using them as well. I give them away to kids and young teenagers primarily or will occasionally part with some to collectors for a small profit that allows me to continue collecting and repairing. Good luck with your new typewriter project!
Show threadChris AldrichSep 14, 2025
@drj It's a Royal KMG made from '49-52 and many of the design elements were done by Henry Dreyfuss who redesigned the Quiet De Luxe at the same time. I've got a couple of them: https://boffosocko.com/tag/royal-kmg/
Royal KMG | Chris Aldrich

Chris AldrichSep 14, 2025
@ranja You can if you must, but it's so much easier and even cheaper to buy new. My recommendations: https://boffosocko.com/research/typewriter-collection/#Typewriter%20Ribbon
Typewriter resources for the collector

Typewriter collecting, maintenance, repair, and restoration resources for the enthusiast and collector along with a list of my own typewriter collection.

BoffoSocko.com
Show threadChris AldrichSep 14, 2025
@AnthonyBaker Just be careful. One can quickly turn into fifty: https://typewriterdatabase.com/typewriters.php?hunter_search=7248&collection_search=My+Collection
The Typewriter Collection of Chris Aldrich at The Typewriter Database

Chris Aldrich Hello! I'm a Johns Hopkins trained biomedical and electrical engineer with a variety of interests in the entertainment industry, information theory, evolution, big history, genetics, signal processing, transgenetics, translational medicine, and theoretical mathematics. I'm a strong advocate of the IndieWeb movement. I have a love for analog office equipment including library card catalogs and typewriters. As of March 2025, I've got a segment of 45 typewriters, mostly portable and manual models along with several Royal standards, a Remington Standard, and one SMC typebar electric. I have been learning how to completely overhaul all of the machines in my collection, all of which work well aside from one or two machines which need some parts. I have a burgeoning collection of typewriter tools for continually repairing, maintaining, and upgrading my machines. 2024 was broadly a year of collecting portables and 2025 seems to be shaping up to be the year of the standards. I'm slowly morphing my TWdB collection photos so that the "hero" photos of the machine facing to the right (with the left side of the typewriter facing front generally with the carriage return in the front) are those that have been generally cleaned /restored while those facing to the left (with the right side of the typewriter facing front with carriage return in the rear) are those that still need cleaning, oiling, adjustment or a major repair. Those facing forward generally need work as well. Certainly some don't fit this pattern, but I hope to fix them all shortly as I get the requisite photos. I've got more than half a dozen card catalogs including a Gaylord Bros. and a Steelcase along with several Remington Rand and some Shaw-Walkers. I've lost count of my index card collection once I passed 10,000.

Show threadChris AldrichSep 14, 2025
@CTNET Roughly the same way people have been doing for centuries: https://boffosocko.com/research/zettelkasten-commonplace-books-and-note-taking-collection/
A Zettelkasten, Commonplace Books, and Note Taking Collection

A collection of most of the significant articles and pieces I've written on these topics over the years.

BoffoSocko.com
Show threadChris AldrichAug 3, 2025
@drj
Type slugs commonly used for pharmacists' typewriters:
℞ is short hand Latin for recipere aka prescription
℥ (ounce)
℈ (scruple)
Gr is for grains, an older weight measurement used before the metric system. 437.5 grains to an ounce.