The Don Maslin Software Archive

[chris]

>I AM NOT SUGGESTING ACTION AT THIS POINT. I AM
>SUGGESTING A DISCUSSION WITHIN THIS GROUP (WHERE DON
>SPENT MOST OF HIS ONLINE TIME), FOLLOWED BY A GROUP
>DECISION TO BE IMPLEMENTED. (For that purpose, I will 
>be turning on individual messages instead of the
>digest
>form in which I read this group.)

My guess would be, she is still mourning the loss of her husband. The 
archive is all she has left of him. She may not understand it, but as 
long as it is in her garage, she still has something to hold onto. Death 
is a funny thing and makes people do equally funny things.

She doesn't want to complete the transaction, because she isn't mentally 
ready to let the items go. But I also believe you are correct, eventually 
she will be ready, and if someone isn't standing at the door, she will 
just hire some local kid to haul it all to the trash.

I think the best course of action is to discuss the matter with someone 
OTHER than Winnie, but who is going to be close enough all the time to 
keep a careful eye on the items. The Debbie person may be the best 
contact. Someone other than Winnie will not be in a mental state that 
keeps them from wanting to let the items go. So you will have a better 
chance of really pointing out the historical value of the items, and 
stress the importance that they not be thrown out. That person can then 
keep a careful passive eye on the items, and will know when the time is 
right to press for giving them to the classic computer community where 
they can be saved.

-chris
<http://www.mythtech.net>