Completely Authentic
Posted on 09/10/2004 10:41:09 PM PDT by Crazieman
Whenever the topic has turned to the Selectric Composer, it has been dismissed out-of-hand as being far too expensive an item to find in an office on an Air National Guard base: The machine sold for anywhere from $3,600 to $4,400, and fonts were extra and not cheap. Furthermore, the Composer was widely agreed to be far too complicated and slow a machine to use for typing up memoranda, especially ones that were destined to go into a file and not even be distributed.
But the nagging question remained: Could an IBM Selectric Composer have been used to produce these documents?
I found my answer the same place everybody finds everything these days: Google. Typing "IBM Selectric Composer" into that search site took me to the aptly named ibmcomposer.org, which describes itself as "the only site on the Internet completely dedicated to the IBM 'Selectric' Composer line of typesetting machines." The site, which is run by Gerry Kaplan, includes information, scanned user manuals, and photographs of the only working IBM Selectric Composer I've been able to find. And, fortunately for me, it also includes an e-mail address.
When I first heard back from Gerry, I felt a little bad for having bothered him. He'd been fielding calls and letters all day, he told me, including an inquiry from CNN. But he was a trouper, willing — enthusiastic even — to help out.
I asked Gerry, in a fit of hubris, if he wouldn't mind trying to reproduce a sample from one of the CBS memos on his Selectric Composer. Just over an hour later, he emailed me back a sample, typed up on his Composer using the 11-point Press Roman type ball and scanned into his computer.
(Excerpt) Read more at shapeofdays.typepad.com ...
(Can I be credited for that line, or did someone hit it earlier)
Crap, misspelled evaluation.
I can't imagine a non-typist Officer going through all of the gymnastics required to produce the memo CBS posted on a fancy typewriter.
I hope the story does not die and Rather and company get a proper slow roasting. Lord knows they are years overdue for one.
You rock. Great work!!!!!
bump
Very nice analysis. The centering is particularly revealing.
Its not my weblog. Mine is on a seperate site and I've never really done with it. The only credit I deserve is trying to make sure it stays in the spotlight.
LOL!! Excellent!
damm good work...
The info I've seen does not support the existence of IBM Selectric with removable balls.Perhaps the same person you contacted who got back to you so soon had an earliar request.I see the balls transported from dim party to media ball-handlers.
http://img41.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img41&image=60minbusted.swf
check this one out..
That's EXTREMELY well done.
Thanks for the link.
Was it Monday or Tuesday that Kerry went to the Clintonistas for help? He needed to know how he can get everyone to stop talking about his Vietnam service.
And then what happened on Wednesday?
I think people understand that or if they bother to look will not take your post as trying to take credit. That is just how posting is on FR in September 2004.
That is not to say that in 2034 that CBS might not accuse you of trying to take credit. But those of us still around then can vouch for you when 60 Live at the DNC tries to smear you with this.
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