[torontocbm] Archives of 'Bits and Bytes' and 'The Academy'
- From: Peter Dreisiger <prd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: torontocbm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2012 21:29:07 +0800
Hi there,
Sorry for the semi-random email (and from someone quite removed from Toronto),
but I've been searching for episodes of 'The Academy' and 'Bits and Bytes II'
for several years now, and I just came across this email thread so I thought
I'd try to raise Steve Gray or Mike Stein.
The original series of 'Bits and Bytes' also aired back in the 1980s on the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (roughly, our equivalent of your CBC) and
it's the show that really got me into computing, so it definitely holds a
special place for me. But in addition to the nostalgia, I still think that the
first series, at least (I haven't seen the second), does an excellent job of
explaining quite a few key concepts in computing — a view that's been
reinforced by quite a few of the messages and comments I've received since
making the 1983/4 series available online at
http://youtube.com/user/bitsandbytestvo (it's even been included in college
course notes on compilers and interpreters, and computer music). Add to this
my interest in learning about, preserving, restoring and sharing knowledge
about the history of computing (including physical machines that can be used
and interacted with) and, well, here I am.
Anyway, I guess I'm writing to see if I am able to get a hold of a copy of this
DVD set (I am, of course, more than willing to pay for time and materials plus
shipping), partly to satisfy my own curiosity (I've seen neither 'The Academy'
nor the second series), and partly to add to collection (unless someone else
wishes to make the other series available). Near as I can tell from the
messages and emails I've been able to track down, this show is no longer
available for purchase from TVO, and that the episodes they've made available
at http://archive.tvo.org/program/120129/Bits%20and%20Bytes are, likely, all
the episodes they have in their archives.
Well, if anyone is willing to send me a copy of this archive, please let me
know by email (though I'll also be keeping an eye on this list).
Many thanks in advance,
Peter
From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC_T5mvuguw
> HOLY. HELL! Thank you so much for uploading these, I've been wanting to watch
> this series for years, even wrote to TVO a couple of times trying to buy the
> series. The second time they actually got back to me to tell me they don't
> have it available for purchase anymore. I watched this series back when it
> was relevant, and have been requiring a major nostalgia fix for a very long
> time.
From http://www.rickstv.com/tvo/feedback2004.html
> July 5/04 from Mr. E:
>
> Just got word back directly from TVO Sales department, after asking about
> Bits And Bytes' availability. Gone. All gone.
> So, now what?
> Does anyone.....A N Y O N E .....out there have access to this show??? I HATE
> when something like this goes into oblivion, forever to
> be forgotten. Just because the information is out of date doesn't mean it
> means nothing to people. This show got me into computers in the
> first place.
> From: Steve Gray <sjgray@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "torontocbm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <torontocbm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:23:24 -0700 (PDT)
>
> It was interesting to watch those old shows again after all these year. I
> vaguely remember watching them at the time but seeing them now knowing how
> far we've come (well, some of use are still stuck in time) was a little
> weird. Anyway, I was happy to archive them.
>
> I made about 13 sets. Thanks to all that picked them up, and thanks to those
> that donated a little extra. Not required, but still appreciated. I have 3
> sets that I am mailing out to various people and hope to get those out by mid
> next week. For those that couldn't make the meeting please email me when you
> plan to attend a meeting and I will bring your set with me. If anyone still
> wants a set I might be persuaded to make a few more ;-) If anyone somehow got
> a bad disc let me know and I'll replace it.
>
> Steve
>
>
>> From: Mike Stein <mhs.stein@xxxxxxxxx>
>> To: torontocbm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2012 11:08:18 PM
>> Subject: [torontocbm] Re: Toronto PET Users Group April 19 2012
>>
>>
>> Yeah, thanks Steve!
>>
>> As you know, Golan made a set of DVDs of Bits & Bytes a couple of years ago
>> but he didn't think my tapes of The Academy and B&B II were good enough; I'm
>> happy to see that you managed to transfer them, and the parts I've looked at
>> don't look too bad at all.
>>
>> It's also nice that you kept the Academy shows together with the respective
>> B&B shows that they followed and refer to, instead of putting them on a
>> separate disk.
>>
>> Nice work, and thanks again! Fond memories of working with Jim B, Luba and
>> Billy on those shows...
>>
>> As far as putting them "out there", I don't know what the copyright status
>> would be or, more to the point, if anybody would complain. I see that TVO
>> have put several episodes up on their archive site; maybe we should ask them
>> to make them all public...
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