decompilation as archiving?

[Tony Duell]

> 
> On Dec 1, 2006, at 12:26 PM, Richard wrote:
> > Someone asked me in private email why I'd want to do this -- I
> > consider the source code just as an important historical artifact as
> > the compiled binaries and physical hardware.  For the same reason that
> > people want schematics for vintage hardware, having source code for
> > vintage software is also useful.
> 
>    Not only useful, but highly educational.  A lot of this sort of  

I would argue software sources are more educational than useful (not that 
education is not a very important 'use' :-)). I like scheamtics of old 
computers for 2 reasons, firstly to learn how they worked, and secondly 
to be able to repair them if something failes. Only the first is really 
applicable to software, software doesn't fail in the same sense that 
hardware can.

FWIW, even though I don't consdier myself to be a programmer, I do like 
reading source listings, the lower the level the better. I have 
certainly read through a fair number of microcode sources in my time...

-tony