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Comment by jasonwatkinspdx | Hacker News Reader

There's an episode of Nova about it as well, that's up free online various places. Cliff is such a unique and energetic personality it's really entertaining to watch.

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The episode is called "The KGB, the Computer, and Me". Here's one on YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=hTx9h3Sm29I

Hmmm -- that guy doesn't have grey hair! Or a cellphone. Or a web browser. I don't recognize him.

Oh wow thank you, I’ve looked for this for years. I am pretty sure this story and King’s Quest are the two major reasons I ended up in computer engineering.

I'm sure it's that way for quite a lot of us that are of a similar age. I have a really distinct memory of watching it as a child. I wasn't really interested in computers beyond the (rudimentary) games we had on ours, but this episode planted a lot of ideas in my head I'm sure.

Jason, I thought I was an oldster when I chased down that hacker and wrote about it.

  Thirty plus years later, I think of how young I was back then.  
 
  There must be some lesson in this, but I can't find it.

I would have been roughly kindergarten age at the time. That kid back then watching a face on tv would have never predicted the world would change in such ways that we'd be here chatting. As ugly as some things have gotten on the internet of late, that still fills me with something like awe, joy, and hope for the future.

I may only be 2/3rds your age, but every time I look back on life I feel the same way. I hope I always feel that way, because I think that means I'm continuing to learn and grow.

My friend, I am doing my best and really hope to catch up. But I always seem to be almost 600 days behind you. Please, can we do something to fix this? (Without any danger to either of us, of course!)

OH! You need a simple one-way time machine. You're welcome to borrow mine, but it seems to be out of order for the moment.

Wait a minute!

You have an out of order time machine? That is what I've been looking for all my life.

I already have an in order time machine, and it keeps going the same direction. I want an out of order machine!

Can we trade? Today, tomorrow, or yesterday.

I will give you a Klein bottle for it. And even do your dishes!

Hey Scope of the Stratos,

I'm unable to wait a minute. My time machine's out of order.

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