news Cut, Copy and Paste inventor has died

Mister Funsky · Feb 20, 2020

The control v and control c function is/are the most used functions in my daily domaining journey. Thought it was appropriate to note his passing.

"The pioneering computer scientist Lawrence 'Larry' Tesler whose accomplishments included inventing the cut, copy and paste commands for computers has died.

Bronx-born Mr Tesler died on Monday at the age of 74. A cause of death has not been released.

Xerox, the company where he spent part of his career, tweeted: 'The inventor of cut/copy & paste, find & replace, and more was former Xerox researcher Larry Tesler."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...opy-paste-commands-computers-died-age-74.html

lennco · Feb 20, 2020

I remember the first time I learned how to copy and past.

It was around Aug/Sept 1997 and someone from an AOL chat room talked me through it..lol

Ah...those were the days

lennco · Feb 20, 2020

I just looked up Mr. Tesler and I do remember him.

He was in my favorite documentary on the history of personal computers from 1996

The Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires

If you haven't seen this doc I strongly recommend it. Even if its 24 years old it is still extremely interesting.
And Mr. Tesler is in a lot of it.

The best part of it is about Xerox P.A.R.K researchers and how they unofficially invented the PC back in 1971/73 (the mouse, email, eithernet and windows)

Xerox could have been Microsoft and Apple combined today but they dropped the ball and Steve Jobs and Bill Gates picked it up and ran with it.

Mister Funsky · Feb 20, 2020

Thanks for finding that video...I saw it years ago and forgot about it.

lennco said:
Xerox could have been Microsoft and Apple combined today but they dropped the ball

VERY true. Many years ago I did some work for a senior executive of theirs...bulletin board era...and he was frustrated the company was not tacking a little differently considering the new competition that was brewing.

lennco · Feb 20, 2020

Mister Funsky said:
Thanks for finding that video...I saw it years ago and forgot about it.

VERY true. Many years ago I did some work for a senior executive of theirs...bulletin board era...and he was frustrated the company was not tacking a little differently considering the new competition that was brewing.

Wow. BB era.
That was a little before my time but I do remember when people were using it. I just didn't understand it at the time.

Where do you think we would be today if Xerox had continued developing the PC?
I have always thought we could be at least 10 years more advanced.

Mister Funsky · Feb 20, 2020

lennco said:
Wow. BB era.
That was a little before my time but I do remember when people were using it. I just didn't understand it at the time.

Where do you think we would be today if Xerox had continued developing the PC?
I have always thought we could be at least 10 years more advanced.

I was but a pup at that time

and there were others much more qualified to do what I was doing (outside contractor) but I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to get a little work.

The mind boggles at where things might be...with the capital at their disposal, the little leaps that the 'startups' were doing would have been left in the dust by the engineers at Xerox. My father was a legitimate genius and worked for both Xerox and IBM at one point. He died when I was young and he would tell me about the R&D departments at both and of some of the things they were working on or talking about. Much of it flew over my head but several things (what we now call cell phones and GPS) were a couple I remember him describing.

When PARC was spun off, I got excited that some new innovations were being brewed but it appears not. If they had taken the ball and run with it back in the 80's rather than let Jobs get hold of some of the tech, we might all be using 3D immersive systems on a personal level rather than just commercial/entertainment. It is coming soon enough though!

btw, I will try and find a plaque all IBM execs had on their desks...before vulturous family members raided my fathers home office, I snagged it because it looked cool (someone got a primo alto workstation). I'l post a pic if I can find it

lennco · Feb 20, 2020

Mister Funsky said:
I was but a pup at that time and there were others much more qualified to do what I was doing (outside contractor) but I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to get a little work.

The mind boggles at where things might be...with the capital at their disposal, the little leaps that the 'startups' were doing would have been left in the dust by the engineers at Xerox. My father was a legitimate genius and worked for both Xerox and IBM at one point. He died when I was young and he would tell me about the R&D departments at both and of some of the things they were working on or talking about. Much of it flew over my head but several things (what we now call cell phones and GPS) were a couple I remember him describing.

When PARC was spun off, I got excited that some new innovations were being brewed but it appears not. If they had taken the ball and run with it back in the 80's rather than let Jobs get hold of some of the tech, we might all be using 3D immersive systems on a personal level rather than just commercial/entertainment. It is coming soon enough though!

btw, I will try and find a plaque all IBM execs had on their desks...before vulturous family members raided my fathers home office, I snagged it because it looked cool (someone got a primo alto workstation). I'l post a pic if I can find it

Wow an Alto? Someone you know got a real Alto? Damn!

This is one of my favorite parts of the documentary about the Alto and it features Larry Tesler

You're right, the mind boggles of what could ave been.

Just maybe had they knew what they had and ran with it Jobs and Gates might have just went to work for Xerox instead on venturing out on their own, who knows...lol

lennco · Feb 20, 2020

As of today,

Xerox Market Cap $8 Billion

Microsoft Market Cap $1.4 Trillion

Apple Market Cap $1.4 Trillion!

Just incredible.

.X. · Feb 20, 2020

Mr.Tesler Rocks!!

RIP Mr.Tesler

Matt Morgan · Feb 23, 2020

Copy and paste is used by many. RIP Mr Tesler

Samer · Feb 23, 2020

Wow. Legend

Samer · Feb 23, 2020

legacy lives on everyday. Forever!

Samer

WatchDogue · Feb 23, 2020

Sometimes we take the things we use frequently for granted, things we simply use and never think about or know about their origins or the person or persons behind those items.

Mr. Tesler surely has enhanced everyone's online presence with his knowledge and inventive mind.

steely · Feb 23, 2020

Mr. Tesler, this is for you.

Mr. Tesler, this is for you.

Yes, I just did a copy & paste.

Matt Morgan · Feb 23, 2020

steely said:
Mr. Tesler, this is for you.

Mr. Tesler, this is for you.

Yes, I just did a copy & paste.

haha, nice one

news Cut, Copy and Paste inventor has died

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