DOS ain't dead

"End Of Line" by Trixter (Miscellaneous)

posted by rr  , Berlin, Germany, 14.01.2019, 22:23

Jim "Trixter" Leonard, one of the two founders of MobyGames, posted the following at https://trixter.oldskool.org/2018/12/30/end-of-line/ on 2018-12-30. I'm just reposting.

> I'm leaving myself behind.
>
> Wow, that sounds really melodramatic, doesn't it? I have started this post
> multiple times, and each time, it sounds like some hammy grand exit, like
> I'm taking all of my toys and going home. That's not my intention, but in
> today's social media landscape, there isn't a way to word something like
> this without it sounding sensational. I'm just trying to leave a signpost to
> my friends so that they don't wonder what happened to me.
>
> Let's try the direct approach:
>
> o I am exiting my long-standing hobby circles: The demoscene; personal
> computing history; software preservation and archival; vintage gaming
> history; others.
> o I will neither monitor, nor participate on, social media or online forums.
> o I am completely changing my physical lifestyle: Diet, sleep, and exercise.
>
> Why? While the timing makes this seem like a New Year's resolution, that's
> just a coincidence; the reason is because I need to make improvements to my
> mental health, which suffered trauma some years ago and never quite
> recovered. It surfaces whenever various triggers present themselves, but
> unfortunately for me, there are triggers for this kind of trauma everywhere
> I currently haunt online. So that ends.
>
> (I explained this in great detail in my previous post, which you may notice
> is hidden behind a password. Just before I posted it, I got excellent advice
> from close friends that made me see how posting it in its current form could
> make things worse, but could also go off like a claymore and unduly hurt
> someone else, so I walled it. I'm leaving it up as something I can refer to
> in case I need a therapeutic reminder. If you are a close friend whom I've
> known for over a decade, email me for the password.)
>
> While leaving my previous interests is necessary for mental improvement, it
> is also required for physical improvement: The time I would normally spend
> on hobbies will instead be spent learning how to take care of myself,
> preparing my own food, and getting enough sleep.
>
> The physical aspect of this change intrigues me: I will be trading a
> youthful appearance for health. Since 2000, I've steadily gained about 5
> pounds every year to the point where I'm 90 pounds overweight, but that's
> had the effect of pushing out the skin on my face to fill out whatever
> wrinkles would be there. I don't spend a lot of time in the sun, I have all
> my hair, and my hair isn't gray — all of these factors combine into making
> me look younger than I am. A few times a year, I get mistaken for someone in
> their mid-30s when in fact I am nearly 50. Losing weight will thin my hair,
> and also allow my wrinkles to show. I will finally look my age.
>
> Literally and figuratively, I will become a different person.
>
> So what happens after that? I'm not sure, but I'm hoping it's a return to
> what got me here in the first place. I built Mobygames because of my love
> for computer gaming history and etymology, which ironically led to a drastic
> reduction in playing actual games. I participated in vintage computing
> forums, programming, and archival to help others with the hobby, which again
> led to a drastic decline in my own activity in that area. I wasn't careful
> what I wished for, and got it. Maybe I'll return to those and find my
> passion again. Maybe I'll do something else. I've always wanted to make
> personal computer history videos. I've always wanted to program a game for
> vintage computers. I have some ideas I've always wanted to turn into science
> fiction short stories. I really miss willing things into existence.
>
> But for now, this is it. I'm no longer going to seek validation through
> projects or interaction. I'm not going to follow your achievements or hear
> your opinions — nothing personal. I hope you understand. This is now a
> one-way street, and we're at different intersections.
>
> Can I be contacted? Yes, via email. I'll always respond to email, although
> it might take a few days. I'm also not skipping out on any
> works-in-progress: If you and I are in the middle of something, I'll
> complete that thing. Email me if you're concerned.
>
> If I manage to accomplish something I'm proud of that I feel benefits
> anyone, I might pop in for a second to announce it via the usual haunts.
> Until such time… take care.

I wish him all the best "to become a different person".


I would also like to point you to Total DOS Launcher and TX-DOS.

The Total DOS Launcher is a system for easily loading and running thousands of DOS programs on vintage hardware. -- If you're familiar with vintage gaming console "flash multicarts" that load hundreds of games onto a single console, that's what this is. Think of this project as "console multicart" software for DOS.

TX-DOS is a modification of MS-DOS 1.x and 2.x towards the goal of making it smaller and faster for the sole purpose of executing programs. Nonessential functions, such as support for printers and printing, serial consoles, etc. are removed to make DOS take up less space on diskette. -- This repo was forked from the OSS release of MS-DOS 1.25 and 2.0, and contain my modifications. No compatibility with the original MS-DOS repo is implied or maintained, and no patches/pull requests/merges will be requested of that repo.

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• "End Of Line" by Trixter - rr, 14.01.2019, 22:23 (Miscellaneous)