a personal digital haven
old tools still have a purpose
recently i've developed an interest in using, researching, and learning more about older software. (when i say 'older software', i'm talking about desktop applications and assets that were created sometime between 1990 and 2010 or so). you know... the kind of tool that most would consider out-of-date at best and useless at worst. the way that most people see it is that they should use the software tools that are new enough to be up to date, but not so new that they don't function as intended. this is a perfectly understandable viewpoint, of course, and i don't expect many people to have much interest in software any older than, say, 2015 or so.
however, since i've started my work at my university's library, i've been more and more drawn to older software and games. i've come to strongly prefer physical media such as discs when possible as well. there's something magical about the feeling of a cd in your hand and hearing it whir to life in the hands of the computer that a download just can't capture. besides... a cd won't ever become unavailable so long as you have access to its contents. a download, though, can be moved or taken down at any time by those who manage it.
i'm also very drawn to things such as cds with clip art files, stock images, and fonts. not only are these useful for my personal design projects, but they also serve as a sort of time capsule of my childhood. it's a pity that these kinds of assets are not sold in stores anymore, but the reason that they are preserved and not lost to time is because of the existence of cds and iso files.
i'm tentatively considering creating a sort of catalog with information about such digital assets. if this is something that anyone at all would be interested in, feel free to let me know.
if you have any interest or experience in the use of older software, feel free to contact me!