Re: Project Delta

[Bob and Cecelia <n3lym@amsat.org>]

Hi Paul,

I'm really happy that you found the web page! Fond memories and subsequent
noble accomplishments after Delta have been echoed by many of the Delta
alumni. I don't think it sounds weird that you feel Delta changed your
life; I truly feel the same way myself!

As for the timeline, I'm pretty sure it's right. You may be remembering
the 11/45 which was later upgraded to an 11/50. The 11/70 didn't come
until after the move out of Dupont Hall.

I'm passing along your regards by copying this e-mail to the Deltoids
Mailing List. Feel free to join the list if you want to keep in touch.
It's pretty low traffic these days.

Thanks for checking in!

-Bob  

On Wed, 6 Sep 2000, Paul and Paula Butzi wrote:

> Bob-
> 
> I was firing up a web search engine to see if some of recent web page
> additions had been indexed.
> 
> You can't image my surprise when I stumbled across a page titled
> "Delta Account Listing Circa 1979" which included my name and ppn.
> 
> Talk about a blast from the past.
> 
> I first encountered Project Delta when I was 15 (ca. 1975) and
> attending Brandywine High School.  I was an unhappy, disaffected geek.  
> Then I discovered, via Project Delta, programming computers. It was
> like coming home.  I don't want to sound too weird but it quite
> literally changed the course of my life.  I was still a disaffected
> geek but now I was a relatively happy geek with a mission.
> 
> I went on to get a degree in Computer Science and Statistics, to work
> at Bell Labs and at Microsoft.
> 
> I have a lot of very, very happy memories of poring over RSTS/E
> manuals, of sitting at an ASR-33 teletype connected at 110 baud, and
> of the friends I made because of Project Delta.
> 
> I do wonder about the timeline on your web page, though.  My
> recollection is that Delta was running on an 11/70 in 1975 or so, but
> of course I could easily be mistaken.
> 
> Reading your timeline it appears that Delta met with a somewhat
> ignominious end.  But it certainly touched the life of at least one
> high school student in a very important way.  My life would be a whole
> hell of a lot different (and a hell of a lot less pleasant) today if
> it hadn't been there.
> 
> I don't know if you're in contact with any of the people who were
> responsible for Delta, but if you are, kindly pass on my fondest
> regards.  If they have doubts about whether Delta had any impact I can
> assure them that it had a tremendous positive impact in my life.
> 
> -Paul
>