So I have to ask...has anyone here met Jim Butterfield?

I had my chance at the World of Commodore-Amiga Toronto, 1992. But I didn't.
I still regret it. I think Jim was one of the most important boosters of Commodore technology...although I do think he still favoured the 8-bit machines
over the 16-bit ones.

The AHK Gang! Live on Riot.im. When we feel like it.
--- SBBSecho 3.10-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

On Friday, September 20, 2019 at 8:48:10 PM UTC-4, Chicken Head wrote:

So I have to ask...has anyone here met Jim Butterfield?

I had my chance at the World of Commodore-Amiga Toronto, 1992. But I

didn't.

I still regret it. I think Jim was one of the most important boosters of Commodore technology...although I do think he still favoured the 8-bit

machines

over the 16-bit ones.

The AHK Gang! Live on Riot.im. When we feel like it.

I never met him but his writing style was so folksy that we all felt like we had. I communicated with him by email. His death was a great loss to the Commodore community. You have no doubt seen his C64 videos. If not, they're available on YouTube. As
knowledgeable as he was, he never made me feel stupid and always made sure I understood the concepts he was presenting. Yup, he was one of the greats.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Friday, September 20, 2019 at 8:48:10 PM UTC-4, Chicken Head wrote:

So I have to ask...has anyone here met Jim Butterfield?

I had my chance at the World of Commodore-Amiga Toronto, 1992. But I

didn't.

I still regret it. I think Jim was one of the most important boosters of Commodore technology...although I do think he still favoured the 8-bit

machines

over the 16-bit ones.

The AHK Gang! Live on Riot.im. When we feel like it.

He and I worked together on TV Ontario's 'Bits and Bytes' and 'The Academy' series and we'd also meet at some of the old World of Commodore shows. On Bits and Bytes he was more of a behind-the-scenes consultant but on The Academy he was a co-host along
with Jack Livesley; definitely worth watching: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHBSleF-26L97nI805_Zccfoku09XfQnn

He knew 6502 systems inside out and had an exceptional knack for explaining computers in a way that everyone could understand, not to mention the many utilities and other programs that he contributed to the community; a great loss
indeed.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 21 Sep 2019, MikeS said the following...

He and I worked together on TV Ontario's 'Bits and Bytes' and 'The Academy' series and we'd also meet at some of the old World of Commodore shows. On Bits and Bytes he was more of a behind-the-scenes consultant
but on The Academy he was a co-host along
with Jack Livesley; definitely worth watching: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHBSleF-26L97nI805_Zccfoku09XfQnn

Mikes, Great share, thanks!

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On Friday, September 20, 2019 at 8:48:10 PM UTC-4, Chicken Head wrote:

So I have to ask...has anyone here met Jim Butterfield?

On page 4 of Commodore World issue 25, I'm photographed talking with Jim at one
of the Chicago Expos https://archive.org/details/commodore-world-25/page/n5 I've also managed to get one of his books autographed.

Snogpitch

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On Sun, 22 Sep 2019 11:39:50 -0700 (PDT), Snogpitch wrote:

On Friday, September 20, 2019 at 8:48:10 PM UTC-4, Chicken Head wrote:

So I have to ask...has anyone here met Jim Butterfield?

On page 4 of Commodore World issue 25, I'm photographed talking with
Jim at one of the Chicago Expos https://archive.org/details/commodore-world-25/page/n5 I've also
managed to get one of his books autographed.

Nice.
--
Andreas

My random thoughts and comments
https://news-commentaries.blogspot.com/

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At 6:17 AM on 21 Sep 19, MikeS said to Chicken Head:

He knew 6502 systems inside out and had an exceptional knack for
explaining computers in a way that everyone could understand, not to mention the many utilities and other programs that he contributed to the community; a great loss indeed.

When did he die? I read the On The Edge book a year or so ago (brilliant book, and I think that's the name of it) and recall the name from there.

* Q-Blue 2.4 *
--- SBBSecho 3.10-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

On Friday, September 20, 2019 at 8:48:10 PM UTC-4, Chicken Head wrote:

So I have to ask...has anyone here met Jim Butterfield?

I had my chance at the World of Commodore-Amiga Toronto, 1992. But I

didn't.

I still regret it. I think Jim was one of the most important boosters of Commodore technology...although I do think he still favoured the 8-bit

machines

over the 16-bit ones.

The AHK Gang! Live on Riot.im. When we feel like it.

2007

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Butterfield

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Re: Re: Jim Butterfield
By: MikeS to Chicken Head on Sat Sep 21 2019 06:17 am

I'm quite fond of the Bits & Bytes series, as well as the Academy. I'm actually quite happy to see that both series are on Youtube now, despite Tv Ontario's habit of deleting and destroying their old content.

I guess you could say that Bits and Bytes/The Academy is where I first met Jim.


The AHK Gang! Live on Riot.im. When we feel like it.
--- SBBSecho 3.10-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

On Fri, 27 Sep 2019 16:50:07 +1300, Chicken Head wrote:

I'm quite fond of the Bits & Bytes series, as well as the Academy. I'm actually quite happy to see that both series are on Youtube now, despite Tv Ontario's habit of deleting and destroying their old content.

A guy from Canada who knows that I computers from the late 1970s to mid
1980 notified me about Bits And Bytes. There are also some people from the
US and UK. Reading that they pointed me to The Computer Chronicles (US)
and The Computer Programme (UK).

Watch only the first 46 seconds of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtMWEiCdsfc what became a cult in the
UK. "Don't expect the computer revolution to happen tomorrow - it happens
now". Then similar like Bits & Bytes intro music borrowed heavily from Kraftwerk's Neon Lights, in the Computer Programme a slightly altered
Computer World kicks in.

Computer Programme predates Bits And Bytes by more than a year.
--
Andreas

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Re: Re: Jim Butterfield
By: Andreas Kohlbach to Chicken Head on Sat Sep 28 2019 02:45 pm

I have been meaning to look into the old Computer Chronicle episodes on archive.org recently...

You are very right about the Bits & Bytes theme song...it was very much taken from Kraftwerk. Harry Forbes was the composer, and he did a lot of music for TV Ontario.

Oddly enough, there is the Scottish band "Boards of Canada." They sound a LOT like Harry Forbes music, and they admit to being influenced by Canadian documentaries. One has to wonder...

The AHK Gang! Live on Riot.im. When we feel like it.
--- SBBSecho 3.10-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

Greetings.

On 20/09/2019 06.33, Chicken Head wrote:

So I have to ask...has anyone here met Jim Butterfield?

I had my chance at the World of Commodore-Amiga Toronto, 1992. But I didn't.
I still regret it. I think Jim was one of the most important boosters of Commodore technology...although I do think he still favoured the 8-bit machines
over the 16-bit ones.

I also never met him, and also regret not having done so when I had the
chance. (I lived in Toronto from 2000 until 2003 and could easily have
sought him out at some TPUG event, though I never attended any. Since
2003 I've been living in Europe.) I tried to make up for this by
working Jim Butterfield in-jokes into the articles I submitted to the
TPUG Newsletter in 2015. It turns out his widow, Vicki, still reads the newsletter. She wrote me a mock letter of protest and I wrote back a
mock counterprotest. One thing led to another, and before long the conversation had bloomed into an entire Jim Butterfield fanfic, which incredibly also got published by TPUG. Vicki was so amused by this that
she invited me to her home, an offer that I was able to accept in 2017
while I was passing through Toronto on the way home from a conference in Vancouver. She showed me Jim's old office, which still had some of the original books and furnishings, and gave me a copy of his "First Book of
KIM" and a few other books he had owned. What a nice lady! I'm so
grateful to have received these mementos and to have had the chance to
listen to her speak about Jim.

In case anyone wants to read the articles, here they are:

"The Great Commodore/Microsoft Easter Egg War", which appears on page 7
of the Fall 2015 TPUG Newsletter: http://www.tpug.ca/tpug-media/nl/91-Fall2015.pdf

"Some notes concerning the history and genealogy of the late F. Jacques Beurrechamp", which appears on pages 6 to 8 of the Spring 2016 TPUG
Newsletter: http://www.tpug.ca/tpug-media/nl/92-Spring2016.pdf

Regards,
Tristan

--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Tristan Miller
Free Software developer, ferret herder, logologist
https://logological.org/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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Yes, I met Jim Butterfield twice.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - http://www.portcommodore.com/sccan

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Greetings.

On 15/08/2020 18.59, Robert Bernardo wrote:

Yes, I met Jim Butterfield twice.

And what were he and your meetings like? Care to reminisce?

Regards,
Tristan

--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Tristan Miller
Free Software developer, ferret herder, logologist
https://logological.org/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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FWIW, I met and visited with Jim in person and virtually over the years.
I think the last time was in 2006 at one of the C4 shows (here's the
two of us (I'm on right) in 2005 at the SWRAP show:

https://www.lyonlabs.org/commodore/swrap2005/butterfield-party.jpg

I also found a pic of us at the 2005 C4 Expo:

https://postimg.cc/TKBfdcSN

I found Jim to be absolutely pleasant and not predisposed to focus
conversation on computers or Commodore. He could converse on pretty
much any topic, though he was happy to regale with stories about his interactions with CBM through the years.

Probably the most interesting thing about Jim is his normalcy. I don't
think Jim was an uber coder or somehow revolutionary (sorry to burst
bubbles). He was a capable programmer, had a knack for explaining
things to people (in books, talks, etc.), and somehow had picked up some connections with Commodore in years where those connections amplified
his reach.

IN the years he attended the shows, his talks were rudimentary, but
humorous, and he did not go out of his way to court celebrity. He
seemed happy just to be "another one of the group" interested in the
machines. Compare to Steve Punter, who was genuinely dismissive when he attended WoC 2004 and people were asking about the Punter protocol or
the apps he wrote. Jim probably was internally wondering why people
were still clinging to an ancient machine with little computing power,
but he never voiced any discontent.

Obviously, his physical appearance added to the legend. Not everyone
can pull off that mustache. His Canadian dialect and mannerisms no
doubt helped.

He and I chatted on topics technical and cultural in the times I visited
with him.

I think, though, it'll be tough to get much response to this inquiry.
Jim liked to just blend in, and we let him. As such, the interactions
and discussions don't stand out.

Jim Brain

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Greetings.

On 16/08/2020 21.54, Jim Brain wrote:

FWIW, I met and visited with Jim in person and virtually over the years.

Thanks for sharing your memories, Jim!

By the way, I don't expect you remember, but the two of us corresponded
briefly by e-mail back in 1995. You very patiently explained to me the
details of the Doodle file format and arranged for a copy of Commodore
Hacking #11 to be sent to me -- but not before conspicuously warning me
that the file was a whopping 170KB and suggesting that I might want to
have it split up into smaller pieces for transmission!

Regards,
Tristan

--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Tristan Miller
Free Software developer, ferret herder, logologist
https://logological.org/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

On 8/16/2020 3:57 PM, Tristan Miller wrote:

Greetings.

On 16/08/2020 21.54, Jim Brain wrote:

FWIW, I met and visited with Jim in person and virtually over the years.

Thanks for sharing your memories, Jim!

By the way, I don't expect you remember, but the two of us corresponded briefly by e-mail back in 1995. You very patiently explained to me the details of the Doodle file format and arranged for a copy of Commodore Hacking #11 to be sent to me -- but not before conspicuously warning me
that the file was a whopping 170KB and suggesting that I might want to
have it split up into smaller pieces for transmission!

Regards,
Tristan

I do remember conversations with a Tristan (it's a somewhat unique
name), but time has erased the specifics. I hope I was helpful...

As to the concerns, it's rather impressive how things have changed in
the intervening years. However, while they have changed, there's still
plenty to share concerns about in this hobby. Now it's how many carts
can be placed in an X-Pander, whether EasyFlash 3 works on the C128, etc.

Jim


--
Jim Brain, brain@jbrain.com

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 8/16/2020 3:54 PM, Jim Brain wrote:

FWIW, I met and visited with Jim in person and virtually over the years.
 I think the last time was in 2006 at one of the C4 shows (here's the
two of us (I'm on right) in 2005 at the SWRAP show:

https://www.lyonlabs.org/commodore/swrap2005/butterfield-party.jpg

Nice pic of Jim B., Jim, but why is he wearing Jeri Ellsworth's name
tag? What's going on here? "Enquiring" minds want to know ;-) Sincerely,


--
J. B. Wood e-mail: arl_123234@hotmail.com

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Tristan Miller <psychonaut@nothingisreal.com> writes:

Greetings.

On 16/08/2020 21.54, Jim Brain wrote:

FWIW, I met and visited with Jim in person and virtually over the years.

Thanks for sharing your memories, Jim!

By the way, I don't expect you remember, but the two of us corresponded briefly by e-mail back in 1995. You very patiently explained to me the details of the Doodle file format and arranged for a copy of Commodore Hacking #11 to be sent to me -- but not before conspicuously warning me
that the file was a whopping 170KB and suggesting that I might want to
have it split up into smaller pieces for transmission!

Regards,
Tristan

What a great memory. Too bad you don't have the old email exchange. It
would be a hoot to read his description of the doodle format.

--
Daniel

Visit me at: gopher://gcpp.world

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

Greetings.

On 17/08/2020 21.56, Daniel wrote:

Tristan Miller <psychonaut@nothingisreal.com> writes:

On 16/08/2020 21.54, Jim Brain wrote:
By the way, I don't expect you remember, but the two of us corresponded
briefly by e-mail back in 1995. You very patiently explained to me the
details of the Doodle file format and arranged for a copy of Commodore
Hacking #11 to be sent to me -- but not before conspicuously warning me
that the file was a whopping 170KB and suggesting that I might want to
have it split up into smaller pieces for transmission!

What a great memory. Too bad you don't have the old email exchange. It
would be a hoot to read his description of the doodle format.

Who says I don't have the old e-mail exchange?

Regards,
Tristan

--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Tristan Miller
Free Software developer, ferret herder, logologist
https://logological.org/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

Tristan Miller <psychonaut@nothingisreal.com> writes:

Greetings.

On 17/08/2020 21.56, Daniel wrote:

Tristan Miller <psychonaut@nothingisreal.com> writes:

On 16/08/2020 21.54, Jim Brain wrote:
By the way, I don't expect you remember, but the two of us corresponded
briefly by e-mail back in 1995. You very patiently explained to me the
details of the Doodle file format and arranged for a copy of Commodore
Hacking #11 to be sent to me -- but not before conspicuously warning me
that the file was a whopping 170KB and suggesting that I might want to
have it split up into smaller pieces for transmission!

What a great memory. Too bad you don't have the old email exchange. It
would be a hoot to read his description of the doodle format.

Who says I don't have the old e-mail exchange?

Sorry, didn't mean to ruin your day. My bad.

--
Daniel

Visit me at: gopher://gcpp.world

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)

On Friday, September 20, 2019 at 8:48:10 PM UTC-4, Chicken Head wrote:

So I have to ask...has anyone here met Jim Butterfield?

I had my chance at the World of Commodore-Amiga Toronto, 1992. But I didn't. I still regret it. I think Jim was one of the most important boosters of Commodore technology...although I do think he still favoured the 8-bit machines
over the 16-bit ones.

The AHK Gang! Live on Riot.im. When we feel like it.

I had a few conversations with Jim Butterfield at a gathering in Louisville, KY, and then again a year or two later in Chicago. He was pretty outgoing and it seemed to me that he enjoyed all the attention he got. I thought he was super charming. I
remember him giving a presentation, and it was pretty basic stuff. POKEing BASIC into RAM and changing the keywords, etc. But he was amusing, and, hey, it was Jim Butterfield. It was a highlight for me.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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