Comments on: Keeping up with Information Systems: the times, they keep a’changin’

By: James Wagler

James Wagler — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 18:10:50 +0000

This article brought back a lot of good memories. I was a work-study student in the computer centre in my Junior and Senior Years from September 1979 to May 1981. I remember though that there was a IBM System 34 computer (if my memory is correct) along with the PDP-11 during my time there. There was also a Radio Shack TRS-80 computer in the student centre for playing computer games. I have one other story. Student Life had arranged a “computer dating” evening. Everyone who signed up filled out a short questionnaires with the answers on the computer cards. The cards were to be ran through the card reader and the computer would find your best match. The result was that you would go on a date with your match. As I worked in the computer centre I had access to the cards before they were processed, so I and a friend were going to go through the cards and find who we wanted to be matched up with, and then change the cards so that would happen. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you would look at it Joe Mast came in, saw what we where doing and put a stop to our devious plan. It probably changed the course of our life.

By: Daniel J. Zook

Daniel J. Zook — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 23:39:54 +0000

Even though I graduated with a degree in CIS (and have been in IT ever since), the most valuable part of my education at 91��Ƶ was my three and half years in the IS department as a work-study student. In the second half of my freshman year I started as a lab monitor in the Science Center computer lab (a windowless room in the basement). The next year I moved to help desk technician. I especially enjoyed that position… helping people and working with Joel Kaufman were highlights of that period. By the time my senior year rolled around I was working with Dan Marple and Kevin Miller, which was a fantastic experience for a future systems admin.

Thanks to all of you for your work and for helping me grow my IT skills!

By: Wayne Kauffman

Wayne Kauffman — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 01:54:24 +0000

I remember being in the room with the original PDP-11 and placing my FORTRAN punch card homework into the reader. It had real ‘core’ memory! Getting homework assignments correct meant typing out new punch cards to correct your original errors.

By: Moderator

Moderator — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 16:32:49 +0000

In reply to Wilmer Lehman. Thanks for the additional information, which has been added to the timeline!

By: Steve Shenk

Steve Shenk — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 19:45:21 +0000

I loved this! The timeline was a great way to see when the campus was first networked, when email interaction and the 91��Ƶ website started, when faculty first got computers for their desk, etc. A highlight for me was the photo of the faculty for computer science and related fields at the top. These folks are all now retired but still active.

By: Wilmer Lehman

Wilmer Lehman — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 21:27:11 +0000

As I remember in 1983 I began teaching a course called Introduction to Computer with the topics of History of Computers, Word Processing, Spreadsheet and Data Base using Appleworks on the Apple IIe. This class was very popular (around 40 per semester) as students were eager to learn about using computers.