Tag: history

The First Airfield at Sand Point in Seattle

Carl Setzer1 Comment
Naval Station Puget Sound Sign

When I was a boy, we re-settled in Seattle as my dad was transitioning out of the Navy. Proximity to the commissary, Navy Exchange, and other amenities of the Sandpoint Naval Station were key elements to our choices of housing. This facility has long been a key part of my life.

Valarie, at Wedgwood in Seattle History, wrote a fun article about a piece of its history: The First Airfield at Sand Point in Seattle. As something of a scholar of regional history, I appreciate people who can expand my knowledge. And Valarie delivers in this regard! I won’t give away too much of her post, but here are two of my favorite tidbits:

  • I never heard of the First World Flight, whose centennial is coming up.
  • I appreciate the details of how the Airfield was established because of insights from WWI.

So, I recommend heading over and checking out this article. If you’re interested in Seattle’s history, you should subscribe to her blog.

A Bit Of Internet History: Microsoft FrontPage

Carl Setzer1 Comment
silver imac displaying collage photos

Microsoft FrontPage: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

FrontPage was one of my early forays into web design. I started with cobbling together basic HTML, but my skills in the late 90s/early 2000s were pretty weak. I then discovered Netscape Navigator’s editor. I can’t remember if they stopped supporting the WYSIWYG tool, or if I outgrew it, but the next tool I used was FrontPage.

When I created the website for Christ Episcopal Church (in Seattle’s University District), this was the tool I used.  One of our members was on staff at Microsoft, so was able to donate a copy to us. And so I was able to bring the church into the 21st century.

I knew enough HTML to edit the code that FrontPage crafted, and I remember tweaking things from time-to-time. But I don’t really remember much in the way of detail. Reading this article taught me several FrontPage features that I was oblivious to, key amongst them: tasks. It’s pretty cool how the tool was built with a project management focus.

The article goes into the acquisition of Vermeer (the creators of FrontPage), and ensuing issues with hyper-proprietary technology. (Side note: I had no idea that FrontPage was created outside of Microsoft and then brought in by acquisition). And also looks at the other WYSIWG competing editors, and what all of them lack.

It was fun looking back at this clunky tool. It was almost great. That, and a Starbucks gift card, will get you a cup of coffee.

YouTube Video Unboxing of an iBook G3

Carl Setzer

I just stumbled upon this video with iJustine and Marques with MKBHD from 2018. I don’t know where they found an unopened iBook G3 in 2018, but that’s particularly cool to me.

Anyway, what’s particularly fun for me: I had one of these! I loved this! And I enjoyed the odd stares from my techy friends. That was especially true when I used the handle. Though that was convenient, especially when I was moving a short distance (didn’t need/want to load it into my backpack), in hindsight, it was rather weird.

Kinda weird that I’ve lived so many of these historic tech moments. I’m not old!