Dave F
@siliconundergro.bsky.social
He/him. INTJ. I blog 4-5 times a week about vintage and retro computers. Day job in information security, specifically vulnerability management. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. You can find my blog, The Silicon Underground, at https://dfarq.homeip.net
Reposted by Dave F
Following up on that last repost, the reason why "ffi" is sometimes a single character in typefaces is that it's what's called a ligature, in which characters are merged to make them look better on the page, as seen here:
December 21, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Following up on that last repost, the reason why "ffi" is sometimes a single character in typefaces is that it's what's called a ligature, in which characters are merged to make them look better on the page, as seen here:
26 years ago this weekend, the share price of Internet America, a random Internet provider, doubled for reasons nobody could explain. It was dotcom-era FOMO on overdrive much like we see with AI today. #retrocomputing #dotcom dfarq.homeip.net/the-most-exc...
The most excessive dotcom: Internet America
Fear of missing out is a powerful thing. Or at least it was that day.
dfarq.homeip.net
December 19, 2025 at 10:11 PM
26 years ago this weekend, the share price of Internet America, a random Internet provider, doubled for reasons nobody could explain. It was dotcom-era FOMO on overdrive much like we see with AI today. #retrocomputing #dotcom dfarq.homeip.net/the-most-exc...
Reposted by Dave F
With tiktok *officially* becoming a Nazi propaganda organ, now's a good time to remind you that you can use several browser extensions to simply disappear any tiktok content.
Don't even let it load, you can make it vanish. You don't need to ever even see a thumbnail of Nazi tinged AI slop.
Don't even let it load, you can make it vanish. You don't need to ever even see a thumbnail of Nazi tinged AI slop.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — TikTok signs deal to sell US unit to American investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake.
December 19, 2025 at 1:41 AM
With tiktok *officially* becoming a Nazi propaganda organ, now's a good time to remind you that you can use several browser extensions to simply disappear any tiktok content.
Don't even let it load, you can make it vanish. You don't need to ever even see a thumbnail of Nazi tinged AI slop.
Don't even let it load, you can make it vanish. You don't need to ever even see a thumbnail of Nazi tinged AI slop.
51 years ago this week, the Altair 8800 went on sale. This was a direct ancestor of the computer you're using to read this today. It cost $439 in kit form. Soldering skills were required. #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing dfarq.homeip.net/altair-8800-...
Altair 8800 kits went on sale December 19, 1974
Even Bill Gates and Paul Allen couldn't get one
dfarq.homeip.net
December 18, 2025 at 11:38 PM
51 years ago this week, the Altair 8800 went on sale. This was a direct ancestor of the computer you're using to read this today. It cost $439 in kit form. Soldering skills were required. #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing dfarq.homeip.net/altair-8800-...
Reposted by Dave F
I take it all back we should absolutely let AI run the vending machines
December 18, 2025 at 4:55 PM
I take it all back we should absolutely let AI run the vending machines
It was 25 years ago this week that 3dfx sold out to Nvidia, after its creditors forced it into bankruptcy. It remains a fascinating case of what might have been. #retrocomputing #retrogaming dfarq.homeip.net/why-3dfx-fai...
What happened to 3dfx
Their bet on vertical integration turned out not to be the best idea
dfarq.homeip.net
December 18, 2025 at 1:26 AM
It was 25 years ago this week that 3dfx sold out to Nvidia, after its creditors forced it into bankruptcy. It remains a fascinating case of what might have been. #retrocomputing #retrogaming dfarq.homeip.net/why-3dfx-fai...
Reposted by Dave F
My personal favorite:
Stalin and his driver were on their way to Moscow in a car when all of a sudden they hit a pig near a farmhouse, killing it instantly.
Stalin told his driver to go up to the farmhouse and explain to the owners what had happened. (1/x)
Stalin and his driver were on their way to Moscow in a car when all of a sudden they hit a pig near a farmhouse, killing it instantly.
Stalin told his driver to go up to the farmhouse and explain to the owners what had happened. (1/x)
December 16, 2025 at 5:53 PM
My personal favorite:
Stalin and his driver were on their way to Moscow in a car when all of a sudden they hit a pig near a farmhouse, killing it instantly.
Stalin told his driver to go up to the farmhouse and explain to the owners what had happened. (1/x)
Stalin and his driver were on their way to Moscow in a car when all of a sudden they hit a pig near a farmhouse, killing it instantly.
Stalin told his driver to go up to the farmhouse and explain to the owners what had happened. (1/x)
Reposted by Dave F
My favorite tyrant joke: a man comes every day and peers at the front page of the newspaper without buying it.
The newspaper vendor says, "what are you looking for?"
"An obituary."
"Obituaries aren't on the front page."
"This one will be."
The newspaper vendor says, "what are you looking for?"
"An obituary."
"Obituaries aren't on the front page."
"This one will be."
December 16, 2025 at 5:02 PM
My favorite tyrant joke: a man comes every day and peers at the front page of the newspaper without buying it.
The newspaper vendor says, "what are you looking for?"
"An obituary."
"Obituaries aren't on the front page."
"This one will be."
The newspaper vendor says, "what are you looking for?"
"An obituary."
"Obituaries aren't on the front page."
"This one will be."
Reposted by Dave F
STL peeps: Remember with single digit temps overnight to set your faucets to drip to avoid frozen pipes. I sometimes always forget myself.
December 14, 2025 at 12:17 AM
STL peeps: Remember with single digit temps overnight to set your faucets to drip to avoid frozen pipes. I sometimes always forget myself.
Stand up to the willfully health ignorant. We got a hot water heater this year. My wife is immunocompromised. The installer refused to wear a mask, saying, "I'm a flat earther." I said, "Then we'll be buying a hot water heater from someone else." Flat Earther was pissed but wore the mask.
December 13, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Stand up to the willfully health ignorant. We got a hot water heater this year. My wife is immunocompromised. The installer refused to wear a mask, saying, "I'm a flat earther." I said, "Then we'll be buying a hot water heater from someone else." Flat Earther was pissed but wore the mask.
It pisses me off that my mother in law said, in response to my wife's Type 1 Diabetes, "I don't want people to think you're seriously ill." A century ago, Type 1 Diabetes was fatal. Actually it still is, modern technology just makes it take decades to kill you now when it used to take days or weeks.
I’m from the generation that remembers when these diseases ran rampant. Perhaps we need to be reminded with a dose of repeated history
December 7, 2025 at 5:03 PM
It pisses me off that my mother in law said, in response to my wife's Type 1 Diabetes, "I don't want people to think you're seriously ill." A century ago, Type 1 Diabetes was fatal. Actually it still is, modern technology just makes it take decades to kill you now when it used to take days or weeks.
Icehouse by Flowers came up in a playlist today. I'd forgotten how dark this song is. Flowers was the name of the band, but they couldn't use the name internationally, so they changed their name to Icehouse, after this song. #newwave www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhQR...
Flowers - Icehouse
YouTube video by icehousebandVEVO
www.youtube.com
December 5, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Icehouse by Flowers came up in a playlist today. I'd forgotten how dark this song is. Flowers was the name of the band, but they couldn't use the name internationally, so they changed their name to Icehouse, after this song. #newwave www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhQR...
Reposted by Dave F
How does global warming cause colder winter storms? whowhatwhy.org/2019/11/23/t...
The Paradox of Global Warming and Colder Winters - WhoWhatWhy
If the cold weather makes it harder for you to argue with climate change deniers about the existence of global warming, this story is for you.
whowhatwhy.org
December 5, 2025 at 5:47 PM
How does global warming cause colder winter storms? whowhatwhy.org/2019/11/23/t...
I hear a lot about IBM's "Death Star" hard drives, the infamous 75GXP. The thing is, the 75GXP was a fluke. Other IBM hard drives were (and are) outstanding. In this blog post, we explore what happened to IBM's hard drive business. #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing dfarq.homeip.net/the-death-st...
The death star that blew up IBM's hard drive business
A misstep with just one generation drove IBM to leave the hard drive business
dfarq.homeip.net
December 5, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I hear a lot about IBM's "Death Star" hard drives, the infamous 75GXP. The thing is, the 75GXP was a fluke. Other IBM hard drives were (and are) outstanding. In this blog post, we explore what happened to IBM's hard drive business. #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing dfarq.homeip.net/the-death-st...
The original Playstation turns 31 today, if I did my math right before coffee. Did you know that for a time some models maintained a following as a very affordable high quality CD player? #retrogaming dfarq.homeip.net/playstation-...
Original Sony Playstation: Audiophile CD player too?
Its qualities as a CD player just add to the legend of this 30-year-old console
dfarq.homeip.net
December 3, 2025 at 1:51 PM
The original Playstation turns 31 today, if I did my math right before coffee. Did you know that for a time some models maintained a following as a very affordable high quality CD player? #retrogaming dfarq.homeip.net/playstation-...
The Fairchild Channel F was the first cartridge-based game console. Jerry Lawson, the engineer who made it all work, was born 85 years ago this week. #retrogaming dfarq.homeip.net/fairchild-ch...
Fairchild Channel F: First of its kind
Fairchild's idea kept video games from being a 1970s passing fad like pet rocks
dfarq.homeip.net
December 2, 2025 at 1:54 PM
The Fairchild Channel F was the first cartridge-based game console. Jerry Lawson, the engineer who made it all work, was born 85 years ago this week. #retrogaming dfarq.homeip.net/fairchild-ch...
The Magnavox Odyssey 2 is the forgotten second-generation video game console. Before Colecovision came along, it was the third most successful console of its era behind Atari and Mattel. Its secret: Appeal to teenage audiences. It launched Dec 1, 1978. #retrogaming dfarq.homeip.net/magnavox-ody...
Magnavox Odyssey 2: 1978-1984
By the time it was discontinued March 20, 1984, 2 million units sold worldwide
dfarq.homeip.net
December 1, 2025 at 3:57 PM
The Magnavox Odyssey 2 is the forgotten second-generation video game console. Before Colecovision came along, it was the third most successful console of its era behind Atari and Mattel. Its secret: Appeal to teenage audiences. It launched Dec 1, 1978. #retrogaming dfarq.homeip.net/magnavox-ody...
Atari's Pong turns 53 this week. While it wasn't the first video game, the first home video game, or even Atari's first video game, we can consider it the first commercially successful video game on all three fronts. #retrogaming #atari dfarq.homeip.net/pong-introdu...
Pong introduced November 29, 1972
Everyone forgets that Magnavox was first
dfarq.homeip.net
November 28, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Atari's Pong turns 53 this week. While it wasn't the first video game, the first home video game, or even Atari's first video game, we can consider it the first commercially successful video game on all three fronts. #retrogaming #atari dfarq.homeip.net/pong-introdu...
I didn't always sail the high seas, I bought some of my software back in the golden era. And one of my favorite stores was Babbage's. In this blog post, I trace this store's history and recounted my final visit. #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing dfarq.homeip.net/babbages-rem...
Babbage's remembered
Babbage's is pretty high on my list of mall stores I miss
dfarq.homeip.net
November 26, 2025 at 2:35 PM
I didn't always sail the high seas, I bought some of my software back in the golden era. And one of my favorite stores was Babbage's. In this blog post, I trace this store's history and recounted my final visit. #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing dfarq.homeip.net/babbages-rem...
Reposted by Dave F
A detailed run through of literature and claims concerning vaccines and autism. Long story shot: vaccines do not cause autism.
No, Vaccines Don’t Cause Autism—Here’s the Proof Parents Need to See
Countless studies have shown no link between vaccines and an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder. But some parents still hold onto that belief.
www.parents.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:59 PM
A detailed run through of literature and claims concerning vaccines and autism. Long story shot: vaccines do not cause autism.
27 years ago, AOL paid $4.2 billion for the hollowed out shell of Netscape. In this blog post, we explore what they were thinking. They had reasons, even if the reasons weren't great. #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing dfarq.homeip.net/why-aol-boug...
Why AOL bought Netscape
It was mostly to cozy up to Sun Microsystems, believe it or not.
dfarq.homeip.net
November 24, 2025 at 4:43 PM
27 years ago, AOL paid $4.2 billion for the hollowed out shell of Netscape. In this blog post, we explore what they were thinking. They had reasons, even if the reasons weren't great. #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing dfarq.homeip.net/why-aol-boug...