Main VCF Mid-Atlantic Page — Steering Committee Main Page — Nominee Position Statements — Election Info — Election Results
Jeff Salzman – Steering Committee Member
My own personal history, experiences, curiosity, and affinity toward
vintage computing has set me firmly in a hobby that I enjoy. I believe in
the goals of the Vintage Computer Federation (VCF), not only for the
preservation of vintage computer systems, but for the opportunities the
organization provides to the public for those who want to discover and
learn about the history of computing. It would be an honor to be a
committee member, putting forth an effort as part of the process that helps
to define the operation and future vision of the VCF.
I have been an aficionado of vintage computing systems, even long before
they were ever classified as vintage. My personal experiences since my
childhood and young adulthood have always been along the home computing
line, 8-bit and above. VCF introduced me to other forms of computing that
had an impact throughout the world over the ages.
Sometime around 2004, I learned about M.A.R.C.H. and what the organization
was all about. I was even asked to design the organization’s logo. It was
then that I discovered I wasn’t the only one who (even secretly) held a
fondness for vintage computing, thus re-energizing my hobby from simply
collecting vintage computing systems, toward the appreciation and
preservation of vintage computing in general.
I eventually found myself attending the VCF East event as an exhibitor so I
could show off what I had in my collection and demonstrate to others, young
and old, what computing was like for my generation. Since that time, I have
been doing a completely different exhibit each year to show a variety of
vintage computers, along with examples of how they were used back in the
day. I also started engaging in behind-the-scenes activity of the
organization’s events and general operations. I became increasingly
involved with events like the Workshops and Festivus. You would (and still
could) find me at almost every Workshop, if not working on my own stuff,
I’m generally working through items on behalf of the warehouse and museum
to meet their respective needs.
I hate to see broken vintage computer systems. The Workshops give us an
opportunity to do our part in keeping these systems alive, and even more
so, allow us to share that experience with others bearing the same
interests. Those are just a few of the many reasons VCF exists for the avid
hobbyist, or for the piqued interest of a museum visitor, or with whatever
insight the organization discovers can be used to promote the knowledge and
history of computing to the public. That is a primary goal of mine if
elected to the Steering Committee. To put a finger on the pulse of the
hobby and help to find ways to effectively and thoroughly promote the
intent of the Vintage Computer Federation, defined by the “Corporate
Purpose” as written in the organization’s by-laws.
Needless to say, I frequently and deeply engage in VCF activities. I shall
engage in my duties as a member of the VCF Steering Committee with no less
effort than I already put in for the good of the organization.
On behalf of the other candidates and myself, I thank you for your fair
consideration of everyone’s Position Statement before you vote for the
Steering Committee members you feel will properly support and advise the
VCF on its operations and charter.