Guide to the Community Memory records
Finding aid prepared by Bo Doub, Kim Hayden, and Sara Chabino Lott
Processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered
through the Council on Library and Information Resources' Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives grant.
Computer History Museum
1401 N. Shoreline Blvd.
Mountain View, CA, 94043
(650) 810-1010
research@computerhistory.org
September 2015
Title: Community Memory records
Identifier/Call Number: X3090.2005
Contributing Institution:
Computer History Museum
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
32.59 Linear feet,
21 record cartons, 3 manuscript boxes, and 5 custom boxes of varying sizes
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1974-1991
Date (inclusive): 1974-2000
Abstract: The Community Memory records are made up of material from 1974 to 2000, with the bulk from 1974 to 1991, that document the
development and implementation of the first computer-based public bulletin board, Community Memory (CM), which was created
and operated by a cooperative nonprofit entity called the Community Memory Project, based in Berkeley, California. CM-specific
material includes administrative records, promotional material, discussion board printouts, usage statistics, designs and
specifications, manuals, and training records. Also included are materials collected, but not created, by CM, including reports
and essays, computing manuals, books, conference and workshop material, and articles and newsletters. The majority of the
non-CM material reflects the sociopolitical ethos of CM, focusing on social issues and technology.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Bo Doub and Kim Hayden, June 2015.
Access Restrictions
Materials in boxes 6, 9, and 12 contain social security numbers. Researchers must use redacted photocopies of this restricted
material for research. All other material is open for research.
Publication Rights
The Computer History Museum (CHM) can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying
any claims of the copyright holder. Requests for copying and permission to publish, quote, or reproduce any portion of the
Computer History Museum's collection must be obtained jointly from both the copyright holder (if applicable) and the Computer
History Museum as owner of the material.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of Item], [Date], Community Memory records, Lot X3090.2005, Box [#], Folder [#], Catalog [#], Computer History
Museum.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Lee Felsenstein, 2003.
Biographical/Historical Note
Community Memory (CM) was the first computer-based public bulletin board, operating from 1973 through 1992 with most terminals
located in public spaces in Berkeley, California, such as libraries, senior centers, co-ops, and laundromats. Born out of
the Free Speech and countercultural movements of the 1960s, CM's purpose was to provide a free community-based space that
linked people together through the unmediated sharing of ideas and knowledge, collective planning, and classified ads via
messages and discussion forums.
Working as a nonprofit called Resource One Inc., which was dedicated to making computers available to the counterculture,
Lee Felsenstein, Efrem Lipkin, Ken Colstad, and other developers created CM using a donated mainframe computer. The terminals,
which consisted of a computer display and keyboard that was originally housed in a cardboard box, then later in a wooden one,
were networked and messages were indexed, making all content available and searchable on any CM machine at any location. While
messages were free to read, adding a message cost 25 cents. Posting could be anonymous or signed, and registration was not
required.
The first terminals operated from 1973 to 1974 at Leopold's Records, a communal house, and Whole Earth Access Store in Berkeley;
Vocations for Social Change in Oakland; and the San Francisco Public Library's Mission branch. Although it was popular, the
group temporarily shut down the project because they could not easily replicate the equipment and languages being used, and
the computer that acted as the central hub in the network was not sufficient to support expansion of the project.
The three men regrouped and in 1977 created a collectively run nonprofit entity called the Community Memory Project to support
CM (this group was interchangeably referred to as the Community Memory Project and Community Memory). They developed their
own software, a database called Sequitur, and a communications package called X.dot, and began placing terminals with the
overhauled system throughout Berkeley. That pilot program ran from 1984 to 1988, after which they made adjustments based on
research and evaluations, then released new terminals in 1989 in Berkeley and licensed their software for similar systems
to be set up in places like San Francisco State University and Los Angeles' Electronic Cafe. Due to a shortage of funding
and inconsistent marketing and outreach, Community Memory shutdown in 1992.
Scope and Content of the Collection
The Community Memory records contain material authored and collected by members of the Community Memory Project. The collection
spans 1974 to 2000, with the bulk of the material being from 19694 to 1991. Parts of the collection that were created by employees
and users of CM include administrative records, promotional material, discussion board printouts, usage statistics, designs
and specifications, and manuals and training records. CM's administrative records document a wide variety of activities devoted
to running the nonprofit, including material related to planning and research, finance, funding, legal issues, and personnel.
There is also a small amount of unprocessed audiovisual material.
The promotional parts of the collection are mostly composed of overviews summarizing CM's mission and functions and articles
and clippings featuring CM. Also included in the collection are printouts of messages and dialogue written at CM terminals
by users, along with directories and indices that were made to collate posts about certain topics together. Related to these
discussion board printouts are the usage statistics that were also printed by CM members documenting how people used the terminals
and what kind of searches and messages they wrote to browse and interact with other users. Material that reveals how the terminals
were set up and operated are contained in the "designs and specifications" series and records relating to the training of
CM users, volunteers, and employees are contained in the "manuals and training records."
The parts of this collection that were collected, but not created, by the CM community are made up of reports and essays,
computing manuals, books, conference and workshop material, and articles and newsletters. The majority of the non-CM essays,
books, and articles reflect the sociopolitical ethos of CM in that they focus on social issues in computing, including works
on gender, economics, power, and community and how those topics intersect with technology. The computing manuals of this collection
are primarily related to Plexus systems, Unix, and the C programming language.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 12 series:
Series 1, Administrative records, 1974-2000, bulk 1977-1991
Series 2, Promotional material, outreach, and press, 1974-1991
Series 3, Discussion board printouts, 1974-1991
Series 4, Usage information and statistics, 1985-1991
Series 5, Designs and specifications, 1977-1991
Series 6, Manuals and training records, 1981-1992
Series 7, Non-CM reports and essays, 1964-1991
Series 8, Non-CM manuals, 1974-1990
Series 9, Non-CM books, 1967-1991
Series 10, Non-CM conference and workshop material, 1976-1991
Series 11, Non-CM articles and newsletters, 1971-1993
Series 12, Unprocessed AV material, ca. 1990-1996
Separated Material
Physical objects were separated from the main collection, including two Community Memory public input terminals, and a time
capsule in a large plastic water-cooler bottle, as well as software, posters, and signs. To view catalog records for separated
material search the CHM catalog at
http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/search/ .
Related Collections at CHM
Lee Felsenstein Collection, Lot X6014.2011.
Related Collections at Other Repositories
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Community Memory Project.
Felsenstein, Lee
Resource One, Inc.
Berkeley (Calif.)
Bulletin boards
Community Memory Project
Computer networks
Cooperatives (business enterprises)
Intellectual freedom
Nonprofit organization
Resource One, Inc.
Administrative records, Series 1,
Bulk, 1977-1991
1974-2000
Series Scope and Content
This series contains documents related to the administrative side of CM as a business. Material dates from 1974 to 2000, with
the bulk from 1977 to 1991. Included are documents related to business planning and development, company finances, fundraising
and grants, legal issues, and employment.
Arrangement
This series is arranged in 5 subseries:
Subseries 1.1, Planning and research, 1974-2000, bulk 1974-1991
Subseries 1.2, Finance, 1977-1990
Subseries 1.3, Funding, 1974-1991
Subseries 1.4, Legal, 1977-1992
Subseries 1.5, Personnel, 1984-1991
Planning and research, Subseries 1.1,
Bulk, 1974-1991
1974-2000
Subseries Scope and Content
This subseries contains material related to the research and planning that went into the creation and development of CM as
both a business and a product, from 1974 to 2000, with the bulk of material from 1974 to 1991. The largest part of this subseries
consists of Berkeley and San Francisco Bay Area resources that offered services that could be included in the CM listings,
or provided information useful to the development of a nonprofit business, including material from the City of Berkeley. Another
large part of this collection includes information about other organizations and projects that CM staff presumably used as
research tools while fine-tuning its terminals and business model, including promotional material, correspondence, company
overviews, and clippings. There is also material related to the development of CM's business model and terminal site selection,
including notes, proposals, bylaws, meeting minutes, business and evaluation planning documents, correspondence, and evaluations
and maintenance logs of terminal sites. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
102734467
Berkeley resources
1981-1991
102734459
Business planning and development
ca. 1983-1991
102734458
Correspondence
1983-1992
102734456
Evaluations and evaluation planning
1984-1990
102734481
Information about other organizations, projects, and products
ca. 1974-1991
102734457
Meeting minutes
1977-1991
102734473
Notes on people interested in CM
ca. 1989-1990
102734476
San Francisco Bay Area resources
ca. 1978-2000
102734455
Terminal sites
1983-1991
102734460
Video display terminal hazard information
1980-1990
Finance, Subseries 1.2,
1977-1990
Subseries Scope and Content
This subseries contains material related to CM's business finances and accounting from 1977 to 1990. The majority consists
of records of annual income, expenses, and taxes, including budgets, balance sheets, ledgers, journals, income statements,
loans, invoices, receipts, tax forms, and handwritten notes. The rest of this subseries consists of payroll records, workers'
compensation documents, financial account statements, returned checks, and check registers. This subseries is arranged alphabetically
by folder title.
102734420
Annual budget, income, and expenses
1977-1993
102734422
Check registers and returned checks
1977-1989
102734412
Financial account statements
1977-1990
102734423
Payroll [RESTRICTED]
1981-1988
102734417
Tax records [RESTRICTED]
1977-1990
102734424
Undated records
undated
102734413
Workers' compensation
1982-1989
Funding, Subseries 1.3,
1974-1991
Subseries Scope and Content
This subseries is made up of material related to the funding of CM from 1974 to 1991. A large portion consists of correspondence
between CM and organizations and people it requested funding and donations from, plus receipts for donations and lists of
donors. There is also a large amount of material related to a Telecommunications Education Trust (TET) grant CM received,
including the grant proposal, press releases, and correspondence. One of the smaller groups of material in this subseries
consists of material related to CM's fundraising strategy planning, including handwritten notes, correspondence, and planning
reports. More generally, there is material related to potential sources of funding, such as promotional material, notes and
articles about grant-funding organizations, and resources for nonprofits interested in fundraising, like reports, articles,
and brochures. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
102734430
Donation receipts
1974-1980
102734432
Funding requests and related correspondence
1979-1991
102734431
Fundraising strategy planning
1978-1991
102734433
Information about potential donors and grant-funding organizations
1987-1991
102734437
Nonprofit fundraising and management resources
1975-1991
102734429
Telecommunications Education Trust (TET) grant
1989-1991
Legal, Subseries 1.4,
1977-1992
Subseries Scope and Content
This subseries consists of records related to CM's legal matters from 1977 to 1992. Documents related to licensing agreements,
contracts, trademarks, and royalties make up a large portion of material. There is also a number of material related to CM's
application for tax-exempt nonprofit status, including IRS forms, correspondence, and articles of incorporation. One folder
contains material related to a settlement between Symantec and CM. Also included are business licenses, building leases, and
nondisclosure agreements, plus insurance and state audit records. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
102734445
Business licenses
1983-1984
102734452
Correspondence with legal counsel
1978-1984
102734440
Insurance
1984-1992
102734444
Lease and property records
1985-1991
102734451
Legal resources
1977-1989
102734446
Licensing agreements and contracts
1981-1991
102734439
Nondisclosure agreements
1980-1983
102734443
Nonprofit status
1977-1991
102734447
Royalties
1981-1984
102734450
State audits
1985-1986
102734442
Symantec settlement
1984-1988
102734441
Trademarks
1982-1988
Personnel, Subseries 1.5,
1984-1991
Subseries Scope and Content
This subseries contains material related to employees and prospective employees of CM from 1984 to 1991. Records include resumes
and handwritten notes about job applicants, job descriptions, staff personnel files, a company personnel policy, and documents
related to the University of California, Berkeley, work study program and the students who worked at CM. This subseries is
arranged chronologically.
102734427
Applicant and job information
ca. 1984-1989
102734426
Personnel files and policy [RESTRICTED]
1987-1991
102734425
University of California, Berkeley, work study program [RESTRICTED]
1988-1991
Promotional material, outreach, and press, Series 2,
1974-1991
Series Scope and Content
This series contains overviews of the Community Memory Project, articles and clippings featuring CM, photographs, promotional
material, newsletters published by CM and Resource One, and internal correspondence relating to CM outreach and events. The
largest part of this series is composed of articles, clippings, and other writings that feature CM. A portion of the overviews
and promotional material created by CM relates to "The Young People's Yellow Pages"—a catalogue written by CM volunteers focusing
on youth-oriented places and activities in Berkeley. The Community Memory Alameda County War Memorial project is also commonly
featured in this series. One other highlight of this series is a small amount of photographs picturing people—including Lee
Felsenstein—using the CM terminal at Leopold's Records. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
102703231
Community Memory demonstration booth, outside
ca. 1975
102734415
Community Memory events
1989-1991
102703229
Community Memory terminal at Leopold's Records, Berkeley, California
ca. 1975
102734421
Newsletters
1974-1991
102734418
Outreach
1990-1991
102734414
Overviews and promotional material
1982-1991
102734416
Personal narratives
1979
102734419
Press featuring Community Memory
1976-1991
Discussion board printouts, Series 3,
1974-1991
Series Scope and Content
This series is primarily made up of printouts of online posts from various Community Memory terminals. The earliest bulletin
posts are from the first CM terminal at Leopold's Records in Berkeley—mostly written in 1974. CM posts in this series span
to the early 1990s, with some of the later content printed as screen captures, which reveal aspects of the CM interface at
that time. Also included in this series are indices and directories that isolate CM content by the keywords employed by users,
such as the printout of a directory of posts relating to music and musicians that was left at the terminal at Leopold's Records
on a weekly basis for people to browse. This series also contains keyword indices that list and order terms used in discussion
board posts along with their frequency of use. Common topics discussed on CM include music, politics, housing, offered services,
women's groups, and technology. Lastly, public discussions focusing on specific topics, often labeled “conferences,” are documented
in this series. Most of the conferences are coordinated through the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES), an early
online conferencing bulletin board system, though at least one is mediated by Resource One. This series is arranged chronologically.
102703230
Community Memory indices and directories
1974
102703232
Community nose
1974
102734436
Directories on music and musicians
1974
102734434
Interzone interplay
1974
102734435
Keyword indices from Leopold's Records terminal
1974
102734428
Discussion board printouts from Leopold's Records terminal
1974-1975
102734448
Online conferences
1979-1989
102734438
Discussion board printouts from various terminals
1984-1991
Usage information and statistics, Series 4,
1985-1991
Series Scope and Content
This series contains usage statistics and feedback about the CM system. Statistics covered in the usage reports include, for
a given time period: the amount of minutes each terminal is in use, number of sessions, operations performed, searches performed,
Unix usage, messages added, messages read, responses, and charts showing changes in use over time. Also included in this series
are suggestions and feedback messages written by users on CM terminals and feedback questionnaire forms filled out by users,
which CM staff would use for improving the system. Lastly, this series contains a table from 1987 listing index words used
in CM searches, the total number of searches performed, and the average number of searches per day. The index words most commonly
searched for (with the total number of times searched in parenthesis) are: adam (379), sex (316), love (205), jokes (147),
housing (138), car (134), eku (133), art (117), computer (114), gay (96), fantasy (90), joke (88), and apartment (83). This
series is arranged chronologically.
102734453
Usage statistics
1985-1991
102734454
Community Memory index word searches
1987
102734449
Suggestions and feedback
1991
Designs and specifications, Series 5,
1977-1991
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of design drawings, notes, program listings, correspondence, and specifications regarding the design
and maintenance of CM equipment and software. The largest part of this series relates to software design and programming.
Also included are drawings and notes specifically about the setup of CM terminals in different locations. Other records in
this series relate to designing and implementing different iterations of the CM interface and setting up the telephone system
at CM. This series is arranged chronologically.
102734464
Telephone system
1977-1980
102734465
Software design and programming
1982-1987
102734461
Design specifications
1987-04-08
102734462
Interface design
1988-1991
102734463
Terminal design and setup
1989
Manuals and training records, Series 6,
1981-1992
Series Scope and Content
This series contains CM manuals, correspondence, technical papers, and presentation material used in reference and training
for CM users, volunteers, and employees. The bulk of this series is comprised of manuals and technical papers relating to
X.Dot: an object based implementation of X.25, the protocol suite for packet switched wide area network (WAN) communication.
The Community Memory Project had a role in X.Dot's creation and held intellectual property rights over X.Dot. Much of this
material also relates to Provos Data Simulator. Material relating to CM user and volunteer training include user's manuals
and workshop proceedings covering the more basic functions and procedures of CM terminals and software. Maintenance and administration
procedures for employees of CM are documented in log books and manuals relating to the operation of CM machines and programs
as well as instructions and papers on how to use UNIX. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
102734471
Community Memory user's manuals
1987-1992
102734468
Community Memory workshops
ca. 1985
102734470
Maintenance and administration procedures
1981-1985
102734469
Volunteer and user training
1984-1991
102734472
X.Dot
1981-1991
Non-CM reports and essays, Series 7,
1964-1991
Series Scope and Content
This series contains essays, technical papers and reports, periodicals, and correspondence primarily regarding computing and
society. Most of the writings in this series explore intersections between social factors--such as community, power, politics,
gender, nuclear weapons, and economics--and issues in computing. These works include both published papers and unpublished
theses and drafts. A significant portion of these papers were authored by Michael Rossman, a well-known activist and participant
of Berkeley's free speech movements in the 1960s. Other topics covered in these reports and essays include cable television
and computer conferencing. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
102734478
Journal of community communications
1980
102734482
Reports and essays on cable television
1973-1978; 1991
102734475
Reports and essays on computer conferencing and teleconferencing
1977-1978
102734480
Reports and essays on computing and society
1971-1989
102734507
Reports and essays on nuclear energy and weapons
1980
102734483
Technical reports and papers
1964-1988
102734479
WORLDTECH Reports
1975-1976
102734477
Writings by Michael Rossman
1972-1977
Non-CM manuals, Series 8,
1974-1990
Series Scope and Content
This series contains manuals for computer programs, languages, and systems from 1974 to 1990. The majority of manuals are
for various Plexus systems and Unix System V. A smaller number of manuals are related to the C programming language, computer
applications, and other computers and operating systems. Also included are two manuals related to grassroots and collective
projects. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
102734488
Applications
1983-1987
102734492
C programming language
1978-1985
102734487
Computers and operating systems
ca. 1985-1986
102734486
Grassroots projects
ca. 1977
102734485
Networking
1974-1990
102734484
Plexus
1979-1984
Non-CM books, Series 9,
1967-1991
Series Scope and Content
This series contains books collected by CM on a wide variety of topics. The majority of the books in this series relate to
topics of computing and society, such as the social impact of cybernetics, mass communications and U.S. imperialism, and information
technology's effects on rural development. Other topics include cable television, women and computing, communalism and working
collectively, guides to Berkeley, and instructional books on computers, business and nonprofit administration, and legal guides.
This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
102734491
Berkeley inside/out : a guide to restaurants, entertainment, people and politics
1989
102734494
Books on cable television
1974-1989
102734495
Books on community, communalism, and working collectively
1974-1976; 1990
102734496
Books on computing and society
1967-1989
102734497
Books on grants and funding
1988-1991
102734493
Books on law
1979-1988
102734498
Books on women and computing
1981-1986
102734500
Computers for kids
1980-1982
102734499
Instructional books on computers and business administration
1976-1990
Non-CM conference and workshop material, Series 10,
1971-1993
Series Scope and Content
This series contains material from conferences, symposia, workshops, and classes from 1976 to 1991. The bulk of this series
is made up of conference proceedings, including individual and bound collections of papers. The remaining material consists
of programs, brochures, a class syllabus, and handwritten notes. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
102734505
Conference proceedings and papers
1978-1990
102734504
Notes, brochures, syllabi, and programs
1976-1991
Non-CM articles and newsletters, Series 11,
1971-1993
Series Scope and Content
This series contains clippings, articles, newsletters, and periodicals from 1971 to 1993 on subjects related to the technology
and ethos of CM, but not about the company or project itself. The majority of material is related to telecommunications, networking,
and computer technology, with a smaller portion focused on Berkeley, nonprofits, politics, co-ops, and grassroots activism.
This subseries is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
102734474
Clippings and articles related to technology, telecommunications, and nonprofits
1971-1991
102734502
Clippings and periodicals related to Berkeley
1973; 1989-1991
102734501
Clippings, articles, and newsletters related to activism, co-ops, and politics
1977-1991
102734503
Newsletters and periodicals
1973-1993
Unprocessed AV material, Series 12,
circa 1990-1996
Series Scope and Content
This series contains unprocessed audiovisual material from circa 1990 to circa 1996. Included are photographs, negatives,
contact sheets, slides, cassette tapes, and VHS tapes. The cassette tapes include radio broadcast recordings and one VHS tape
is labeled "Computers in Laundromats." This series is unarranged.
102651551
Community Memory Project audio and video recordings
ca. 1996
102726263
Community Memory Project photographs, audio and video recordings
1990-1991
