Christopher Drum
@christopherdrum.bsky.social
A nerd doing nerdy things that sometimes delight other nerds.
My blog about retro productivity software is at: stonetools.ghost.io
Most of my dev projects are at: christopherdrum.itch.io
Fediverse (Mastodon, et al): @[email protected]
My blog about retro productivity software is at: stonetools.ghost.io
Most of my dev projects are at: christopherdrum.itch.io
Fediverse (Mastodon, et al): @[email protected]
Pinned
My childhood computing path never crossed with Bank Street Writer, though I've met many over the years who hold very fond memories of it. It wasn't just popular with kids, adults loved it too. I spent some time getting to know it, and explored the whole "classroom of tomorrow" a bit as well.
Reposted by Christopher Drum
Trying stuff out in Deluxe Poly.
Vector/frame animation is gonna be so good :D
Vector/frame animation is gonna be so good :D
December 9, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Trying stuff out in Deluxe Poly.
Vector/frame animation is gonna be so good :D
Vector/frame animation is gonna be so good :D
Reposted by Christopher Drum
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
December 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
Reposted by Christopher Drum
Sneering douchebag: "You're gonna be famous on the internet!"
The Internet:
The Internet:
December 5, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Sneering douchebag: "You're gonna be famous on the internet!"
The Internet:
The Internet:
Reposted by Christopher Drum
🪨 Bank Street Writer on the Apple 2 🛠️
The "Oregon Trail" of word processors. Ostensibly built for children, it also hooked adults, including at least one lawyer who refused to give it up. I find out why!
stonetools.ghost.io/bankstreetwriter-apple2
#RetroComputing #apple2 #wordprocessing #bankstreet
The "Oregon Trail" of word processors. Ostensibly built for children, it also hooked adults, including at least one lawyer who refused to give it up. I find out why!
stonetools.ghost.io/bankstreetwriter-apple2
#RetroComputing #apple2 #wordprocessing #bankstreet
Bank Street Writer on the Apple II
There was a time when society was hell-bent on getting "computers in the classroom." It was going to utterly transform learning! The drive fell short of that goal, but it did deliver us a sharp little...
stonetools.ghost.io
December 5, 2025 at 10:45 PM
🪨 Bank Street Writer on the Apple 2 🛠️
The "Oregon Trail" of word processors. Ostensibly built for children, it also hooked adults, including at least one lawyer who refused to give it up. I find out why!
stonetools.ghost.io/bankstreetwriter-apple2
#RetroComputing #apple2 #wordprocessing #bankstreet
The "Oregon Trail" of word processors. Ostensibly built for children, it also hooked adults, including at least one lawyer who refused to give it up. I find out why!
stonetools.ghost.io/bankstreetwriter-apple2
#RetroComputing #apple2 #wordprocessing #bankstreet
Reposted by Christopher Drum
Frank Gehry No Longer Allowed To Make Sandwiches For Grandkids
December 5, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Frank Gehry No Longer Allowed To Make Sandwiches For Grandkids
Reposted by Christopher Drum
Addressing the claim that America was built by "hard working people" by reminding everyone that America was *actually* built on the backs of enslaved Africans and on the genocide of Indigenous people.
Support my advocacy: www.qasimrashid.com/subscribe
Support my advocacy: www.qasimrashid.com/subscribe
December 5, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Addressing the claim that America was built by "hard working people" by reminding everyone that America was *actually* built on the backs of enslaved Africans and on the genocide of Indigenous people.
Support my advocacy: www.qasimrashid.com/subscribe
Support my advocacy: www.qasimrashid.com/subscribe
Reposted by Christopher Drum
My childhood computing path never crossed with Bank Street Writer, though I've met many over the years who hold very fond memories of it. It wasn't just popular with kids, adults loved it too. I spent some time getting to know it, and explored the whole "classroom of tomorrow" a bit as well.
November 28, 2025 at 10:12 PM
My childhood computing path never crossed with Bank Street Writer, though I've met many over the years who hold very fond memories of it. It wasn't just popular with kids, adults loved it too. I spent some time getting to know it, and explored the whole "classroom of tomorrow" a bit as well.
Reposted by Christopher Drum
November 20, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Reposted by Christopher Drum
I already have it shared everywhere and commented on Mastofon. But again, what a great article ! Thanks for the kind update about pydpainter, it means a lot to the dev team.
November 19, 2025 at 6:39 AM
I already have it shared everywhere and commented on Mastofon. But again, what a great article ! Thanks for the kind update about pydpainter, it means a lot to the dev team.
I've never gotten into "outliners" and other, similar "knowledge management" software. More to the point, I've never *allowed* myself to get into them, for reasons I cannot articulate. For Stone Tools, I spent a couple of weeks getting to know ThinkTank, the first outliner, to see what it can do.
🪨 ThinkTank on the PC w/DOS 🛠️
Before we process words, we must first process ideas! So says "idea processor" ThinkTank's creator, Dave Winer. A veritable religion has formed around this genre. Did I see the light?
stonetools.ghost.io/thinktank-dos/
#RetroComputing #thinktank #dos #outliner #pkm
Before we process words, we must first process ideas! So says "idea processor" ThinkTank's creator, Dave Winer. A veritable religion has formed around this genre. Did I see the light?
stonetools.ghost.io/thinktank-dos/
#RetroComputing #thinktank #dos #outliner #pkm
ThinkTank on the PC w/DOS
Obsession takes many forms. Some of us sift through decades of ancient software for a blog, while others spend decades reinventing the same software repeatedly. Outliner software seems to attract the ...
stonetools.ghost.io
November 15, 2025 at 3:03 AM
I've never gotten into "outliners" and other, similar "knowledge management" software. More to the point, I've never *allowed* myself to get into them, for reasons I cannot articulate. For Stone Tools, I spent a couple of weeks getting to know ThinkTank, the first outliner, to see what it can do.
Repost with an iconic fictional band.
November 13, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Repost with an iconic fictional band.
Reposted by Christopher Drum
This article from the excellent Stone Tools blog illustrates something that I think is really missing in modern tech life. The author calls it "friction," which I think is a great descriptor. Friction isn't bad in and of itself. We need friction to make fire, for example.
🪨 CAD-3D on the Atari ST 🛠️
Examining the grandfather to #3DSMax also gave me my first experience with the GEM environment. Plus, I learn the surprising ties to #DeluxePaint and
...is this right?
#Starfox for the #SNES?!
stonetools.ghost.io/cad3d-atarist
#RetroComputing #cad3d #atarist #3dsoftware
Examining the grandfather to #3DSMax also gave me my first experience with the GEM environment. Plus, I learn the surprising ties to #DeluxePaint and
...is this right?
#Starfox for the #SNES?!
stonetools.ghost.io/cad3d-atarist
#RetroComputing #cad3d #atarist #3dsoftware
CAD-3D on the Atari ST
Computing history is full of "what if" scenarios. What if Babbage built a working analytical engine? What if IBM adopted CP/M over DOS? What if Atari delivered their promised TT line on time and becam...
stonetools.ghost.io
November 8, 2025 at 8:03 PM
This article from the excellent Stone Tools blog illustrates something that I think is really missing in modern tech life. The author calls it "friction," which I think is a great descriptor. Friction isn't bad in and of itself. We need friction to make fire, for example.
Reposted by Christopher Drum
Hey!
Calling all Wonder Women!
We all are sisters…pulling together with one spirit.
50 years ago today the first episode of the series Wonder Woman aired.
Calling all Wonder Women!
We all are sisters…pulling together with one spirit.
50 years ago today the first episode of the series Wonder Woman aired.
November 8, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Hey!
Calling all Wonder Women!
We all are sisters…pulling together with one spirit.
50 years ago today the first episode of the series Wonder Woman aired.
Calling all Wonder Women!
We all are sisters…pulling together with one spirit.
50 years ago today the first episode of the series Wonder Woman aired.
Back in my magazine publishing days I used Infini-D on the Mac to illustrate articles. I can't say I was good, but it was fun and helped me meet the tight budget of our struggling company. Recently I explored an early #3D modeler and mused on the value of friction when making art.
#retrocomputing
#retrocomputing
🪨 CAD-3D on the Atari ST 🛠️
Examining the grandfather to #3DSMax also gave me my first experience with the GEM environment. Plus, I learn the surprising ties to #DeluxePaint and
...is this right?
#Starfox for the #SNES?!
stonetools.ghost.io/cad3d-atarist
#RetroComputing #cad3d #atarist #3dsoftware
Examining the grandfather to #3DSMax also gave me my first experience with the GEM environment. Plus, I learn the surprising ties to #DeluxePaint and
...is this right?
#Starfox for the #SNES?!
stonetools.ghost.io/cad3d-atarist
#RetroComputing #cad3d #atarist #3dsoftware
CAD-3D on the Atari ST
Computing history is full of "what if" scenarios. What if Babbage built a working analytical engine? What if IBM adopted CP/M over DOS? What if Atari delivered their promised TT line on time and becam...
stonetools.ghost.io
October 31, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Back in my magazine publishing days I used Infini-D on the Mac to illustrate articles. I can't say I was good, but it was fun and helped me meet the tight budget of our struggling company. Recently I explored an early #3D modeler and mused on the value of friction when making art.
#retrocomputing
#retrocomputing
Reposted by Christopher Drum
I have been charged in a federal indictment sought by the Department of Justice.
This political prosecution is an attack on all of our First Amendment rights. I’m not backing down, and we’re going to win.
This political prosecution is an attack on all of our First Amendment rights. I’m not backing down, and we’re going to win.
October 29, 2025 at 4:55 PM
I have been charged in a federal indictment sought by the Department of Justice.
This political prosecution is an attack on all of our First Amendment rights. I’m not backing down, and we’re going to win.
This political prosecution is an attack on all of our First Amendment rights. I’m not backing down, and we’re going to win.
Reposted by Christopher Drum
In the audience tonight is Charlotte Bennett, one of the 13 women that Andrew Cuomo is credibly alleged to have sexually harassed while they worked in his government.
She can't speak for herself because Cuomo's lawyers have hounded her.
So I confronted him.
She can't speak for herself because Cuomo's lawyers have hounded her.
So I confronted him.
October 23, 2025 at 12:27 AM
In the audience tonight is Charlotte Bennett, one of the 13 women that Andrew Cuomo is credibly alleged to have sexually harassed while they worked in his government.
She can't speak for herself because Cuomo's lawyers have hounded her.
So I confronted him.
She can't speak for herself because Cuomo's lawyers have hounded her.
So I confronted him.
Reposted by Christopher Drum
Shohei Ohtani propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers back to the World Series with a two-way performance for the ages. n.pr/43hFotw
Shohei Ohtani hits 3 homers and strikes out 10 in Dodgers' clinching 5-1 NLCS win over Brewers
Shohei Ohtani propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers back to the World Series with a two-way performance for the ages.
n.pr
October 18, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Shohei Ohtani propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers back to the World Series with a two-way performance for the ages. n.pr/43hFotw
Reposted by Christopher Drum
Thank you for this wonderful software archeology. The history of "productivity" (whatever that means exactly) software is really not well explored.
I'm hoping for a Lotus Agenda article (or PIM in general) in the future! :D
I'm hoping for a Lotus Agenda article (or PIM in general) in the future! :D
October 17, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Thank you for this wonderful software archeology. The history of "productivity" (whatever that means exactly) software is really not well explored.
I'm hoping for a Lotus Agenda article (or PIM in general) in the future! :D
I'm hoping for a Lotus Agenda article (or PIM in general) in the future! :D
New post just went live. I examine the first #spreadsheet, #VisiCalc, and learn a lesson about the benefits of mundanity in software. Guest appearance by your favorite grain: sorghum! #retrocomputing
🪨🛠️ VisiCalc on the Apple 2
Happy #SpreadsheetDay! This time, I examine how much DNA from the first spreadsheet remains in today's software by calculating protein levels of ration formulation for swine, as you do.
stonetools.ghost.io/visicalc-app...
#RetroComputing #visicalc #spreadsheet #apple2
Happy #SpreadsheetDay! This time, I examine how much DNA from the first spreadsheet remains in today's software by calculating protein levels of ration formulation for swine, as you do.
stonetools.ghost.io/visicalc-app...
#RetroComputing #visicalc #spreadsheet #apple2
VisiCalc on the Apple II
In 1978, Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston took out a loan to fund development of "Calcu-ledger," the very tool that could project if taking out a loan were fiscally prudent. In 2025, VisiCalc still has ...
stonetools.ghost.io
October 17, 2025 at 1:11 PM
New post just went live. I examine the first #spreadsheet, #VisiCalc, and learn a lesson about the benefits of mundanity in software. Guest appearance by your favorite grain: sorghum! #retrocomputing
Reposted by Christopher Drum
this is the dumbest shit i have ever read
October 15, 2025 at 7:52 PM
this is the dumbest shit i have ever read
Reposted by Christopher Drum
I’m enjoying reading @christopherdrum.bsky.social deep dive into vintage productivity software at stonetools.ghost.io
Stone Tools
Exploring retro productivity software from the 8/16-bit era. No games, just work.
stonetools.ghost.io
October 4, 2025 at 3:43 PM
I’m enjoying reading @christopherdrum.bsky.social deep dive into vintage productivity software at stonetools.ghost.io
I spent some time getting to know Superbase on the C64. While using it, I was revisited by a ghost from the past who tried to make trouble for me. When all hope was lost, with the power of BASIC, I overcame my enemy. Intrigued to know more? Read on!
#retrocomputing #stonetools #superbase #c64
#retrocomputing #stonetools #superbase #c64
🪨🛠️ "Superbase on the Commodore 64"
Dreaming of a "paperless office?" You'll need a database to make it happen. Superbase promises to help you ditch those antiquated filing cabinets. If only the manual would explain how.
stonetools.ghost.io/superbase-c64
#RetroComputing #Superbase #Databases #C64
Dreaming of a "paperless office?" You'll need a database to make it happen. Superbase promises to help you ditch those antiquated filing cabinets. If only the manual would explain how.
stonetools.ghost.io/superbase-c64
#RetroComputing #Superbase #Databases #C64
Superbase on the Commodore 64
In the 70s and 80s, the "office of the future" remained tantalizingly close, ever slightly out of reach, but definitely almost here. I'll commandeer the family C64 and rebuild my business into a "pape...
stonetools.ghost.io
October 3, 2025 at 10:22 PM
I spent some time getting to know Superbase on the C64. While using it, I was revisited by a ghost from the past who tried to make trouble for me. When all hope was lost, with the power of BASIC, I overcame my enemy. Intrigued to know more? Read on!
#retrocomputing #stonetools #superbase #c64
#retrocomputing #stonetools #superbase #c64
Reposted by Christopher Drum
There have been 6 mass shootings in the USA over the past 24 hours. The casualty count stands at 41.
Here’s the President of the United States of America.
Here’s the President of the United States of America.
September 29, 2025 at 12:08 AM
There have been 6 mass shootings in the USA over the past 24 hours. The casualty count stands at 41.
Here’s the President of the United States of America.
Here’s the President of the United States of America.
Reposted by Christopher Drum
Starbucks is closing stores and cutting 900 jobs in a restructuring move.
1,100 jobs were slashed earlier this year.
Reminder that Starbucks’ CEO made 6,666x more than the company's median employee in 2024.
This was the widest CEO-to-Worker pay gap in the entire S&P 500.
1,100 jobs were slashed earlier this year.
Reminder that Starbucks’ CEO made 6,666x more than the company's median employee in 2024.
This was the widest CEO-to-Worker pay gap in the entire S&P 500.
September 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Starbucks is closing stores and cutting 900 jobs in a restructuring move.
1,100 jobs were slashed earlier this year.
Reminder that Starbucks’ CEO made 6,666x more than the company's median employee in 2024.
This was the widest CEO-to-Worker pay gap in the entire S&P 500.
1,100 jobs were slashed earlier this year.
Reminder that Starbucks’ CEO made 6,666x more than the company's median employee in 2024.
This was the widest CEO-to-Worker pay gap in the entire S&P 500.