Oral History Questions from Faisal Sheikh

 

Mr. Sheikh was one of our students at Wright College. After leaving Wright he went on to get a four year degree in IT followed by a Master's degree. For one of his classes he needed to do an intgerview with a person who had been in IT for a long time. I was the oldest person he knew - so he asked me the following questions.

 

1-     What is your background?

Back in the late 50’s my aunt who had worked for General Electric’s Nela Park Research facility as head librarian had given my father a set of IBM 650 documentation thinking that it might be something he might be interested in.  He had not idea what to make of it so he passed it on to me.  I was fascinated!

I learned how to program at a summer institute for high school students by a lady who worked for NASA’s Lewis research center.  She taught us ForTran I for a main frame IBM computer.

By the time I entered college I was a pretty decent programmer and within a couple of years I was put in charge of the team that was supporting and enhancing the Algol 60 compiler at Case Institute of Technology.

Back in those days programmers were involved in operating systems, device handlers, hardware development (both CPU and peripheral) and user applications. Those were really exciting days.

When Case sold the compiler to UNIVAC for their 1100 operating system I applied for a software development job in their Roseville Minnesota plant.

From there I transferred into their marketing division and was on site technical support at their installation at the University of Wisconsin and met Admiral Grace Hopper, who was also a UNIVAC employee at the time. From there I transferred into their divisional technical support team working with computers at many Midwest locations including Marshall Field, Sergeant & Lundy, Illinois Institute of Technology, Michigan Technological University,

Consolidated Paper.

2-     What is the first technology that you remember?

Paper tape I/O on the Burroughs Datatron 220 TTY ASR 33 console. IBM Unit record equipment that was converted into functioning as I/O devices.  Mercury delay memory tanks on the UNIVAC III computer.  Steel magnetic tapes (as opposed to the metallic oxide coated mylar tapes that came along later.  Preventive maintenance on the Burroughs - replacing vacuum tubes that had burned out.

3-     What are some of the most useful technologies that you remember?

Multi user/shared file stuff

4-     What are some of your contributions to the field?

Enhancements to the ALGOL language that allowed us to implement the SIMULA functionality.

Development of an on-line teller system for Highland Community Bank using IBM PC’s, pre-ethernet networking and the FOXbase database environment.

Utility programs to support our educational mission at Wright College.

Multi user CPM applications for a payroll company

5-     Name an area where you can make an improvement?

Huh? World Peace?

6-     How did you go from books (manual) to computers?

What are books or manuals?

7-     Area of improvement.  How things have evolved and improved?

Not.

8-     How much time it took to learn the new technology?

You mean stuff that I developed?

9-     What technological development has had the most impact on education?

outsourcing

10- What are some of the technologies that seemed very popular at the time, but didn’t take of?  Why so?

I was never an early adopter - I’m still not sold on OOP

11- What did you like or dislike about a particular technology?

People.

12- What are some of the advantages of new technologies?

 none

13- How did you handle coping and learning with new technology?

Coping?

14- Describe the origins of Instructional Technology (IT) at your institution?

You mean like automating the registration process?

15- How did you promoting new technology and use?

Technology fairs, seminars, classes

16- What were some of challenges you faced with some of the new technology?

Challenges?

17- Any funny or horror stories to share?

Many. 

18- Given the modern technology what would you do differently?

Nothing

19- Assessing technology use in classroom?  What did you assess it?  Was it successful or not?

If it doesn’t promote student’s wanting to learn, it is just a cute form of entertainment.

20- New interface to the technology?

You mean like clickers and pod-casts.  See Q 19

21- Discuss some technology that is extinct and why is it extinct?

8 inch floppy disks, 7 track tape, mercury delay tanks.  Obviously they have all gone the way of the dinosaurs due to the fact that cheaper and faster technology came along.

22- What technology have you seen that has helped / benefited the students the most and why?

The internet. It makes stuff that I had to work for, available to anyone who cares enough to want to go after it.

23- What would you advise new comers in this field?

Try something else

24- Most forgettable technologies?

?

25- What has been most beneficial to you?

My paycheck

26- Where is the current technology headed?

I have no clue

27- What is your vision of Technology?

It’s a great way to keep busy.