Dear Jim,
I was a programmer in the mid-1980s, and I remember that we made so many trips to the drinks machine (for coffee, tea, chocolate, fizzy drinks, you name it) because compiling and link-editing a programme
took up so much time, we wouldn’t stay glued to our screens and wait.
Hence the trips to get something in a cup that would give a kick to our taste buds – and usually, these were still the days, smoke a cigarette. Coffee + cigarette: that was a match made in heaven
(or hell?). So I’m wondering whether you’ve come across smoking-related memorabilia, before smoking became banned (rightfully so) from the workplace?
Good luck with the project!
Christine Aicardi
From: Members <members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org>
On Behalf Of James Cortada
Sent: 20 July 2020 20:42
To: members@sigcis.org
Subject: [SIGCIS-Members] Help on Coffee and Computing
The IT community of users, programmers, vendors, etc have for decades had a reputation for being extensive consumers of coffee. In some parts of the IT ecosystem, especially among those who work odd hours, such as programmers, computer
operators, and vendor field engineers. I am studying the corporate ephemera of this industry and its cultural attachments, such as coffee cups and what they tell us about computing. Do any of you have any information, ephemera, or sources and citations on
this specific issue of coffee and computing? I can get many industry folks, such as IBM retirees, to wax eloquently on the subject in their private FB accounts, but that is not enough. Corporate culture is tough to study. Thanks in advance for your help.
Jim
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James W. Cortada
Senior Research Fellow
Charles Babbage Institute
University of Minnesota
608-274-6382