On Sat, 29 Aug 2020 08:06:56 -0700 (PDT), Thomas RUX <xxxxxx@comcast.net>
wrote:

>The problem is that computer's can fail or the programs go out of date or
>need emulators to run, or like the links to the sites you shared below go
>away.

This is one reason I like to have source code for programs, and why I like
programs that, rather than using pretty pointyclicky interfaces, use
command-line parameters and/or the standard-input and standard-output
streams. As long as I can find a "current" interpreter or compiler for the
language (or the language is simple enough for me to write one (see, for
example: PILOT, and specifically my psPILOT implementation at
https://github.com/freetrav/pspilot)), and the environment conforms to that
minimum, I can keep the program running; if the language is 'dead' or not
available at reasonable cost (I'm looking at you, COBOL and PL/I, as
examples), I have sufficient skill to reimplement the old code in a new
language. Granted, there are people who do _not_ have my ability to do
this; for them, programs going obsolete and unusable is always a "danger".
For them, being able to say ...

>I can still roll-up characters and systems when the power goes out.

... is also a good thing, and even I will do this occasionally when it's
more convenient than firing up a program (such as if I need to do it on the
fly at a gaming session, especially at a convention).

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