[Spridgets] Birthday

[nory1 at roadrunner.com]

I’m not as active on the list as I once was, but It was invaluable
when I first got into this hobby. Thank you, Mark, for keeping it
alive, and happy birthday. 
-Nory

	-----------------------------------------From: "Mark J Bradakis via
Spridgets" 
To: "healeys at autox.team.net", "Spridget"
Cc: 
Sent: Saturday April 11 2020 9:03:44AM
Subject: [Spridgets] Birthday

April 11th. As many of you know, the domain team.net was officially 
 registered on April 11, 1991, by the late Bill Caloccia. I have been 
 managing the mailing lists on autox.team.net since then, actually for
a 
 while before that. I took over from Jim Muller, who took over from 
 Dale Cook, and I wish I had archives of those first few years.
Actually 
 I may have some in my office, on 1/4 inch tape cassettes. Every now
and 
 then I consider trying to revive some of the old HP-UX boxes I have
to 
 see if I can still read any of those tapes. Maybe someday.

 Anyway, in the beginning I was routing everything through the servers
at 
 the University of Utah Computer Science Department, where I was 
 employed. When my fellow sys admins started noticing just how much 
 network traffic there was on a certain box, my boss strongly
suggested I 
 make other arrangements. So I went about getting a network connection

 at home. Back then, it was not that easy, or cheap. And as I recall, 
 the first dedicated Team Net server was an HP box with one of the
first 
 100+ megahertz CPUs, and even with a deal through HP, who worked
closely 
 with the U in those days the system set me back about $2,500.
Hardware 
 has improved since then. And that money didn't all come out of my 
 pocket, I initiated a fund drive among the list members and got a
great 
 response. Back then it was all checks in the mail, and I mailed a
thank 
 you postcard to every contributor, or at least most of them, no doubt
I 
 missed a few. And for some time there was an annual fund drive to
cover 
 the rather high cost of having sufficient bandwidth from my house.

 So here it is 29 and just everybody has fast network available to 
 them. I dropped the fund drives some years back, though folks do 
 continue to contribute to the cause. Now a few clicks in Paypal can 
 take care of it, though some still prefer to send checks. Yep, things

 are different now. And with the Covid-19 pandemic, a LOT different. 
 But the Team Net mailing lists are still chugging along, providing
those 
 spending more time at home a bit of distraction, entertainment or 
 education as we keep our beloved vehicles rolling along the roads.

 I plan to keep it going as long as I can, who knows how many years I 
 have left. April 11th is also my birthday, 66 this year, and I 
 certainly won't live forever. And I fear that when I die, Team Net
will 
 die. Sigh.

 But for now, enjoy and stay healthy.

 mjb.

 ------------------------

 spridgets at autox.team.net

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