Levy_S-Hackers-Heroes-Computer-Revolution

a sort of rehabilitation project on some of the underutilized people around Oakhurstand Coarsegold.The area had been suffering from the recession, especially in the industrial-miningrealm which once supported it. There hadn't been any boom since the Gold Rush.On-Line Systems quickly became the largest employer around. Despite Ken'sunorthodox management style, the appearance of a high-tech firm in town was agodsend they were, like it or not, part of a community. Ken enjoyed his role asnouveau riche town father, dispatching his civic responsibilities with his usual bentfor excess huge donations to the local fire department, for example. But the closefriends Ken and Roberta would make did not seem to come from the upper reachesof Oakhurst society. They were, instead, the people Ken lifted from obscurity bythe power of the computer.Rick Davidson's job was sanding boats, and his wife Sharon was working as amotel maid. Ken hired them both; Rick eventually became vice-president in chargeof product development, and Sharon headed the accounting department. Larry Bainwas an unemployed plumber who became Ken's head of product acquisition.A particularly dramatic transformation occurred in the person of Bob Davis. Hewas the prime specimen in Ken's On-Line Systems human laboratory, a missionaryventure using computers to transmogrify life's has-beens and never-weres intomasters of technology. At twenty-seven, Davis was a former musician and shortordercook with long red hair and an unkempt beard. In 1981, he was working in aliquor store. He was delighted at the chance to reform his life by computers, andKen was even more delighted at the transformation. Also, the wild streak in BobDavis seemed to match a similar kink in Ken's personality.Whenever Ken Williams went into the liquor store to buy his booze, Bob Daviswould beg him for a job. Davis had heard of this new kind of company and wascurious about computers. Ken finally gave him work copying disks at night. Davisbegan coming in during the day to leam programming. Though he was a highschool dropout, he seemed to have an affinity for BASIC and he sought extra helpfrom Ken's crew of young hackers. Street-smart Davis saw that a hell of a lot ofmoney was coming in to On-Line from those games, and vowed to write onehimself.Bob and his wife began hanging out with the Williamses. On-Line Systems was aloose enough company to accommodate an arrangement that flouted traditionaltaboos between owners and employees. They went on trips together, to places likeLake Tahoe. Bob's status at the company rose. He got appointed to programmer,and was project director of the Time Zone venture. Mostly, he typed in ADL code,not knowing much about assembly language. It bothered a few people even amiable