<html> <body> Henry, I don't believe we've talked to Apple about the Apple II ROMs, but I may have some contacts (and influence?) that could be helpful.  It would be good to free those up.  I'll write to you separately. -- Len At 03:59 PM 8/21/2009, Henry Lowood wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""> Dear Len, I'm going to hijack the thread and ask you a question about the conversation you are having with Apple.   Has the issue of cultural repositories having access to Apple II ROMs come up?  In our preservation efforts as part of the Preserving Virtual Worlds project, we are encountering the problem that legal Apple emulators that are available require the customer to acquire ROMs separately, which Apple has not made available.   We can take this off-line or to another thread.   I have some follow-up questions. Best, Henry (the other Henry) Len Shustek wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">I'm sorry you feel that way, Henry.  We do, in fact, invest considerable effort in preserving software.  I think we are the only institution in the world to have a full time software curator on staff.  We have collected many gigabytes of code, and hundreds of thousands of pages of documents.  I am personally involved in working with companies like IBM and Apple to release restrictions on source code so that we may make them publicly accessible, and in getting them to help us find software that has been "lost".  We do oral histories of software pioneers.  We have experimented with an exhibit on software ("Mastering the Game: A History of Computer Chess"). We are including the software story in the big exhibit we are working on.  We have inducted software innovators as Fellows of the museum. I think we are doing our part.  There is certainly more that could be done.  I'm sorry you think our efforts are insufficient. I look forward to welcoming you back as a member when you wish to help us make progress. Regards, Len Shustek Chairman, Computer History Museum At 09:43 AM 8/21/2009, Henry Gladney wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Thank you very much for your invitation to renew my CHM membership. I regret having to inform you that, for the time being at least, I will not renew. This is because I am disappointed that CHM some time ago quit credible interest in preserving software, which I regard as of commensurate importance to the areas that it is investing in.  This happened notwithstanding the fact that there are clear ways of achieving this relatively inexpensively and the efforts of the now-suspended volunteer Software Preservation Group. I will reconsider membership if/when this policy decision is reviewed and CHM displays plausible interest and promising activity in the area.  I trust that you will inform me if and when this happens. Best wishes, Henry H.M. Gladney, Ph.D.     <a href="http://home.pacbell.net/hgladney/"> http://home.pacbell.net/hgladney/</a>   (408)867-3933 _______________________________________________ SCC_active mailing list <a href="mailto:SCC_active@computerhistory.org"> SCC_active@computerhistory.org</a> <a href="http://mail.computerhistory.org/mailman/listinfo/scc_active" eudora="autourl"> http://mail.computerhistory.org/mailman/listinfo/scc_active</a> </blockquote> <pre> _______________________________________________ SCC_active mailing list <a href="mailto:SCC_active@computerhistory.org"> SCC_active@computerhistory.org</a> <a href="http://mail.computerhistory.org/mailman/listinfo/scc_active" eudora="autourl"> http://mail.computerhistory.org/mailman/listinfo/scc_active</a>   </pre></blockquote> <pre>-- Henry Lowood Curator for History of Science & Technology Collections;      Film & Media Collections HRG, Green Library 557 Escondido Mall, Stanford University Libraries Stanford CA 94305-6004 USA <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/~lowood"> http://www.stanford.edu/~lowood</a> <a href="mailto:lowood@stanford.edu">lowood@stanford.edu</a>; 650-723-4602 </pre></blockquote></body> </html>