Just in case you were looking for a compelling 5-part documentary series to watch for free over the weekend, consider The Machine that Changed the World, a history of computing jointly produced by WGBH Boston and the BBC in 1991. Last spring it was rescued from oblivion and made available online by Andy Baio, Simon Willison and Jesse Legg. The episodes are available as streaming Flash videos, but there’s also a torrent, if you’re into that.
Baio describes the series as “the longest, most comprehensive documentary about the history of computing ever produced, but since its release in 1992, it’s become virtually extinct. Out of print and never released online, the only remaining copies are VHS tapes floating around school libraries or in the homes of fans who dubbed the original shows when they aired. It’s a whirlwind tour of computing before the Web, with brilliant archival footage and interviews with key players — several of whom passed away since the filming.”
Because the series was completed just a few years before the internet became a part of everyone’s lives, the final episode provides many fascinating glimpses of a world where scientists have begun to communicate with one another on something called ‘internet,’ and where even ordinary people can connect on online discussion boards, whether on Usenet or on bulletin board systems. It’s clear from watching the final episode that — as with most sweeping technological change — we sensed what was on the horizon but didn’t really see it coming.
Via True Films.
