4 ms·

Some cool ones here: https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/fairchild/ https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/fairchild/ Would be cool to see some ol

Some cool ones here: https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/fairchild/ https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/fairchild/ Would be cool to see some old notebooks from Bell Labs tho like Ritchie or Thompson. I just found some old AT&T training manuals on Perl, TCP/IP, Bash, C and Unix internals, they are really cool.

_jal 7y ago
Along the same lines, my bedside-book for the last few months has been Engineering and Operations in the Bell System[1]. It is... from another time. Both the quality of the engineering and the quality of the documentation simply don't happen anymore outside of very narrow niches. And then you look at the Death Star now, and their core competency is lobbying. Priorities certainly have changed. [1] https://www.worldcat.org/title/engineering-and-operations-in-the-bell-system/oclc/11756737 https://www.worldcat.org/title/engineering-and-operations-in...
- Aloha 7y ago
  I have the full set of books in this series, took me a couple months to track down. There are no organizations left in the world like pre divesture AT&T - While I think divestiture was a net gain, it's clear that some things were not positive, and some stuff was irrevocably lost.
  - exikyut 7y ago
    What were the other books in the series? I've only read about the AT&T divestiture in the "pro-antitrust" light; that AT&T owned all the telephones, you weren't allowed to connect your own, etc etc. Where can I read other angles to this story? Thinking about it, I wonder if this isn't a similar story to Eternal September.
    - Aloha 7y ago
      The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - The Early Years (1875-1925) The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - National Service in War and Peace (1925-1975) The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - Switching Technology (1925-1975) The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - Physical Sciences (1925-1980) The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - Communications Sciences (1925-1980) The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - Electronics Technology (1925-1975) The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - Transmission Technology (1925-1980) There are two editions of Engineering and Operations in the Bell System one from 1983 and one from 1977. Another one worth looking at is Transmission Systems for Communications. For more information about divestiture, read Heritage and Destiny - https://www.amazon.com/Heritage-Destiny-Reflections-System-Transition/dp/0275917142/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=heritage+and+destiny+bell+system&qid=1568579694&s=gateway&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/Heritage-Destiny-Reflections-System-T... At least some of these are available as PDF's from archive.org Another thing looking at is back BSTJ articles: https://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/browse/bstj-archive https://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/browse/bstj-a... AT&T was anti-competitive, but it also spent much money on the public good, its a mixed bag - we did lose something with divestiture.
- aaronblohowiak 7y ago
  >the quality of the engineering and the quality of the documentation simply don't happen anymore outside of very narrow niches Wasn't Bell Labs a narrow niche at the time?
  - Aloha 7y ago
    No, not at all
- exikyut 7y ago
  Engineering_and_Operations_in_the_Bell_System_2ed_1984.pdf (47MB): http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/communications/westernElectric/books/Engineering_and_Operations_in_the_Bell_System_2ed_1984.pdf http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/communications/westernEle... Also at (previews faster): https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_westernEleEngineeringandOperationsintheBellSystem2_49741719 https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_westernEleEngineeringa...
  - faizshah 7y ago
    Great find! Found some new bed time reading :D

_jal 7y ago

Along the same lines, my bedside-book for the last few months has been Engineering and Operations in the Bell System[1]. It is... from another time. Both the quality of the engineering and the quality of the documentation simply don't happen anymore outside of very narrow niches. And then you look at the Death Star now, and their core competency is lobbying. Priorities certainly have changed. [1] https://www.worldcat.org/title/engineering-and-operations-in-the-bell-system/oclc/11756737 https://www.worldcat.org/title/engineering-and-operations-in...

Aloha 7y ago
I have the full set of books in this series, took me a couple months to track down. There are no organizations left in the world like pre divesture AT&T - While I think divestiture was a net gain, it's clear that some things were not positive, and some stuff was irrevocably lost.
- exikyut 7y ago
  What were the other books in the series? I've only read about the AT&T divestiture in the "pro-antitrust" light; that AT&T owned all the telephones, you weren't allowed to connect your own, etc etc. Where can I read other angles to this story? Thinking about it, I wonder if this isn't a similar story to Eternal September.
  - Aloha 7y ago
    The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - The Early Years (1875-1925) The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - National Service in War and Peace (1925-1975) The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - Switching Technology (1925-1975) The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - Physical Sciences (1925-1980) The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - Communications Sciences (1925-1980) The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - Electronics Technology (1925-1975) The History Of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - Transmission Technology (1925-1980) There are two editions of Engineering and Operations in the Bell System one from 1983 and one from 1977. Another one worth looking at is Transmission Systems for Communications. For more information about divestiture, read Heritage and Destiny - https://www.amazon.com/Heritage-Destiny-Reflections-System-Transition/dp/0275917142/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=heritage+and+destiny+bell+system&qid=1568579694&s=gateway&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/Heritage-Destiny-Reflections-System-T... At least some of these are available as PDF's from archive.org Another thing looking at is back BSTJ articles: https://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/browse/bstj-archive https://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/browse/bstj-a... AT&T was anti-competitive, but it also spent much money on the public good, its a mixed bag - we did lose something with divestiture.
aaronblohowiak 7y ago
>the quality of the engineering and the quality of the documentation simply don't happen anymore outside of very narrow niches Wasn't Bell Labs a narrow niche at the time?
- Aloha 7y ago
  No, not at all
exikyut 7y ago
Engineering_and_Operations_in_the_Bell_System_2ed_1984.pdf (47MB): http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/communications/westernElectric/books/Engineering_and_Operations_in_the_Bell_System_2ed_1984.pdf http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/communications/westernEle... Also at (previews faster): https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_westernEleEngineeringandOperationsintheBellSystem2_49741719 https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_westernEleEngineeringa...
- faizshah 7y ago
  Great find! Found some new bed time reading :D