533: The Garage Is Open
Summary
Susan Lammers, author of the 40th-anniversary edition of *Programmers at Work*, joins hosts Alicia and Christopher White to discuss her interviews with early personal computing pioneers. They explore the book’s historical context, the shift from individual creativity to corporate dominance, and Lammers’ current project reviving her 1990s Headbone Interactive games for modern platforms.
Topics discussed
Introduction and Susan Lammers' background
Lightning round: Favorites and a robot encounter
Origins of 'Programmers at Work' and interview selection
Interview settings and the obscurity of early programmers
Risk-taking, personal computing freedom, and cloud trends
The absence of women in the original book
Interview techniques and handling technical jargon
The 40th anniversary edition and timeless advice
Preserving the book as a historical time capsule
Susan's career at Microsoft and the CD-ROM era
The book's impact and the value of constraints
Reviving Headbone Interactive games and final thoughts
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