mastodon.social is one of the many independent Mastodon servers you can use to participate in the fediverse.
The original server operated by the Mastodon gGmbH non-profit

Administered by:

Server stats:

373K
active users

Brian Dear

Wow…. end of an era.

Dr. Donald L. Bitzer, creator of the PLATO system, and co-inventor of many key technologies like the AC gas-plasma flat-screen display, passed away yesterday at 90. Don was the main person I wrote about in my book THE FRIENDLY ORANGE GLOW.

No words. RIP, Don.

@brianstorms if it wasn't for your book I would have no idea who he was. Thank you! 🙇

@brianstorms I never used Plato, but I have friends who did as kids, and they think of it as a formative experience.

@brianstorms I had the great luck to spend a Saturday playing on a PLATO network at Control Data headquarters when I was a kid, it was such an incredible experience. I still remember playing Empire all day long.

daleske.com/plato/empire.php

daleske.comPLATO Empire - Game Innovations - Timelineproto-Internet PLATO Empire online Game Design Guanogap first online virtual story Netrek by John Daleske

@brianstorms I read your book a few years ago. Prior to that, I had no idea about this history.

@brianstorms supreme being of p salutes the Creator

@brianstorms

Read your book this year.

Went never having heard of PLATO to being utterly enthralled.

You helped bring Donald Bitzer, and his pretty amazing vision, to a wider audience.

Thank you.

@brianstorms (hm, should i tell dad and possibly spoil his birthday)

@tonwood

Please send Bruce my warmest regards