Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Meet the Guy Who Holds the Guinness World Record For Collecting Spreadsheets (fastcompany.com)

Posted by msmash on from the how-about-that dept.

harrymcc writes: Ariel Fischman, a financial advisor in Mexico City, has been using spreadsheet software for 30 years. And in recent years he's been collecting it: VisiCalc, 1-2-3, Excel, Quattro, and lesser lights in their once-familiar boxes, in a dizzying array of variants stretching back to the 1970s. Last year, Guinness World Records certified that his collection is without peer. I recently spoke to him about it -- starting with the obvious question -- Why spreadsheets? -- for Fast Company.

3 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. No mention of GEOS for the 64? by fat+man's+underwear · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Bringing a graphical spreadsheet with graphing capability on a 64 was a tour de force. Not mentioned in this article?

    Here's a weird little web page about it

    http://geowriter.blogspot.com/...

  2. enquiring minds want to know by cellocgw · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So, which spreadsheet program does this guy use to organize and manage his collection?

    --
    https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
  3. Kudos to him by wired_parrot · · Score: 5, Interesting

    for preserving a slice of software history. Not only has he collected a rich historical collection preserving the evolution of spreadsheet software, but from the article he's also interviewed and corresponded with the software pioneers from the field, most of whom are in their 80s and 90s now, preserving their historical testimony. Without him an important part of software history might otherwise have been forgotten. I suspect his collection, and his research into the field, will be an invaluable archive for those interested in computing history. It's a shame that his interest in preserving software history is being met with more mockery than support by the slashdot community.