You're right about those things, but you're forgetting that we had no source control, and almost all software was closed source. You took what you were given and you liked it, and you developed strong attachments to particular versions of software which you clung to well beyond its use-by date (like Python 2.7). MS-DOS 3.3 forever!
replyI started using SCCS in the late 80s, then RCS, then CSV, then subversion, and finally git.
replyWe had version control in the 70s with SCSS and then RCS. They were primitive, but a lot of software were only a few files.
replyIn the 80s, source control was like networking. Yes some orgs had it (mostly academia) but the rest of us just had a precious floppy that we copied the known-good source onto.
replyWe had an own good-releases directory in our svn repository! That's when you realize old habits are hard to change.
replyGoing to CompUSA and looking at the back of the box for not only video games, but spreadsheet and translation software, too; was awesome. As a kid I always wondered about the adults who needed such software as the back of the Deus Ex or Shogun Total War boxes captured my imagination.
replySince it sounds like you built software during that era, thanks. Thanks for the memories.
deleted
reply