Excerpt:
The purpose of this site is to collect information to create a first-hand, historical record regarding Apple Computer and Claris Corporation. The information and stories that are collected will be preserved for use by students, scholars, universities, and other non-profit organizations.
Annotation:
The Computer History Museum began in 1996 to preserve and celebrate computer history, and the Apple Computer History Weblog introduced in August 2003 is one venture to do just this. Overseen by more than 20 former Apple and Claris employees and the Computer History Museum, the historical purpose of the blog is stated in the introduction. A year-by-year timeline of Apple history from 1976-1993 (because it takes a decade to become “history”) is provided, listing company financial and employee numbers, products, marketplace overviews, and executive staff.
Review:
The Computer History Museum began in 1996 to preserve and celebrate computer history, and the Apple Computer History Weblog introduced in August 2003 is one venture to do just this. Overseen by more than 20 former Apple and Claris employees and the Computer History Museum, the historical purpose of the blog is stated in the introduction. A year-by-year timeline of Apple history from 1976-1993 (because it takes a decade to become “history”) is provided, listing company financial and employee numbers, products, marketplace overviews, and executive staff.
The Apple Computer History Weblog began with a promising start. In the first 8 weeks more than 75 stories were collected, although since then only a few more have been added. The medium of collection and presentation is fitting for the intended contributors, and the stories are a fascinating read even for those outside the Apple and Claris community, although attracting new visitors and contributions will be a continual challenge.
Community members can post a comment to a specific year, to a specific category, or begin a new topic. The community is comfortable and not entirely self-congratulatory. A posting entitled “Who Killed Apple Computer " sparked mention in Wired News, among others, and prompted 16 rather full replies in 6 weeks.
The use of blog technology to create a virtual workspace for an existing community with now far-flung members fits this group very well. Familiarity and interest in computer technology is a given, and the desire to commune with former colleagues is present in many members. Repeat contributors to this site comment on different topics is noteworthy, as is the In Memorium section, dedicated to former colleagues.
Critical opinions make it past the vetting process, although the introduction steers the contributor towards stories about the “cool stuff” and “the passion that made everything you did so great and so much fun.”
The design and navigation is simple, however the division of categories and stories can be confusing, as the category sections contain suggested topics rather than related stories. Despite the request for narratives rather than dialog, members have the ability to comment on individual stories. These messages don’t appear in threaded format, however, so viewing the two linked stories together requires more than one browser window. In addition, the author of a particular story is not viewable on the story page unless it was signed by the contributor. Threading the related stories or removing the comment option to prevent related, but unlinked, messages would improve the site and is needed now that there are a large number of messages.
Joan Fragaszy
Center For History and New Media
August 12, 2004