On 5/3/2013 1:48 PM, Michael Black wrote:
On Fri, 3 May 2013, David Schmidt wrote:On 5/3/2013 10:50 AM, Sean Fahey wrote:I have more info, but I'm investigating it's accuracy. I may just have to have someone visit him in person.The person you're looking for may actually be Norman Henry Hunt or Perry Pollock. ;-) http://www.trs-80.org/world-power-systems-fraud/ "Hello Fellow Computerist...""Spectacular Moments in the early history of Small Computers". I think, though, that that was a high level scam. He got full page ads in Kilobaud, at least, and it looked legit. At the time, who would know? COmpanies were constantly starting out, so the fact that nobody had heard of them meant nothing. THe very fact that the magazine sold the ad space suggested things were okay.
Agreed. Though this (newsgroup) has about the same legitimacy for the "hobbyist" market as a magazine ad did back in the day. Well, maybe a website would be a little more legitimate-looking. But this certainly is a receptive audience, familiar with placing pre-orders with reasonable expectations of delivery.
"Computerist" echoed in my brain from the earliest Conrad writings (it's a little comical to look back on them now) and how he got so, so butthurt when anyone even dared to question his authenticity. It really raised a red flag for me.
In addition to those that (may or may not have) lost real money - we've lost a quantity of old-fashioned good faith. Woe is he or she that wants to bring the next thing to market. As they say - pictures or it didn't happen.