SevenQuestions: Dwight Silverman, Texas tech columnist

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Seven Questions

Dwight Silverman covers the tech beat for the Houston Chronicle and is one of the best in the biz. His Web site is quirky and personal, as one should be. 21 August 1998

1 How does your first reaction to the Internet compare to the way you view it now? Back to the 7Q index

I discovered the Internet in 1992, in the pre-Mosaic days. Then, it was like a huge BBS. I remember describing it to someone as being dark ... I felt as I navigated the Net that I was groping around in an unlit world. It was quite wond'rous.

Today, the lights are on full-blast. There's a lot of noise and fire. It's irritating at times. And it's still pretty wond'rous. I let my daughters who are in grade school watch part of the open-heart surgery on the Web the other day, and they were as astounded as I was.

2 Name something that needs to happen before computers become as ubiquitous as telephones and VCRs.

They need to become as cheap and as easy to use as VCRs and telephones. I think the "killer app" is here - the Internet - but computers are still too klutzy and too expensive.

3 Tell a story about your first computer.

I bought my first computer, a Commodore 64, in 1983 with plans to write at home and send the copy in via my blazing, 300-baud modem. I never was able to make the Commodore talk to the San Antonio Light's funky Atex system. But, I did discover computer bulletin boards, just because I was trying to figure out some way to make sure the modem was working right. Someone at a local Commodore store gave me a list of numbers and suggested I try dialing 'em as a test. Sure enough, I got on - and was instantly hooked. I've been online ever since.

4 What are the real chances of Zap, the Web initiative of George Bush's Zapata Co?

They're aggressive, they have money, and anything can happen in Internetland.

By the way, they're no longer owned by George Bush ... he hasn't had a stake in Zapata in a long, long time.

5 What should every traveler to Houston know before they get there?

Don't come between late May and mid-September; try to plan a trip in the spring or fall, when it's beautiful. Bring mosquito repellent. Don't bring as much money as when you go to San Francisco or New York -- it's really inexpensive here. And bring your own tapes if you are into music. Houston radio sucks, big-time.

6 Tell something about covering the tech beat that you learned the hard way.

I learned not to trust people who insist they have the greatest technology since microprocessors. I learned that every ware is vaporware until it's on the shelf.

7 How has the Chronicle changed since the Post closed down?

Not much. The Chronicle is an Institution, with a capital I. Not much changes it. To paraphrase Jeff Bridges in "The Big Lebowski": The Chron abides.

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Copyright 1998, Thomas L. Mangan >Back to SevenQuestions

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Dwight Silverman covers the tech beat for the Houston Chronicle and is one of the best in the biz. His Web site is quirky and personal, as one should be.		21 August 1998
1	How does your first reaction to the Internet compare to the way you view it now?	Back to the 7Q index
	I discovered the Internet in 1992, in the pre-Mosaic days. Then, it was like a huge BBS. I remember describing it to someone as being dark ... I felt as I navigated the Net that I was groping around in an unlit world. It was quite wond'rous. Today, the lights are on full-blast. There's a lot of noise and fire. It's irritating at times. And it's still pretty wond'rous. I let my daughters who are in grade school watch part of the open-heart surgery on the Web the other day, and they were as astounded as I was.
2	Name something that needs to happen before computers become as ubiquitous as telephones and VCRs.
	They need to become as cheap and as easy to use as VCRs and telephones. I think the "killer app" is here - the Internet - but computers are still too klutzy and too expensive.
3	Tell a story about your first computer.
	I bought my first computer, a Commodore 64, in 1983 with plans to write at home and send the copy in via my blazing, 300-baud modem. I never was able to make the Commodore talk to the San Antonio Light's funky Atex system. But, I did discover computer bulletin boards, just because I was trying to figure out some way to make sure the modem was working right. Someone at a local Commodore store gave me a list of numbers and suggested I try dialing 'em as a test. Sure enough, I got on - and was instantly hooked. I've been online ever since.
4	What are the real chances of Zap, the Web initiative of George Bush's Zapata Co?
	They're aggressive, they have money, and anything can happen in Internetland. By the way, they're no longer owned by George Bush ... he hasn't had a stake in Zapata in a long, long time.
5	What should every traveler to Houston know before they get there?
	Don't come between late May and mid-September; try to plan a trip in the spring or fall, when it's beautiful. Bring mosquito repellent. Don't bring as much money as when you go to San Francisco or New York -- it's really inexpensive here. And bring your own tapes if you are into music. Houston radio sucks, big-time.
6	Tell something about covering the tech beat that you learned the hard way.
	I learned not to trust people who insist they have the greatest technology since microprocessors. I learned that every ware is vaporware until it's on the shelf.
7	How has the Chronicle changed since the Post closed down?
	Not much. The Chronicle is an Institution, with a capital I. Not much changes it. To paraphrase Jeff Bridges in "The Big Lebowski": The Chron abides.
Back to SQ index Copyright 1998, Thomas L. Mangan		>Back to SevenQuestions