Louis F. Ohland, 3 Feb 2014:
Folks, it has been a trip. The website "9595 Ardent Tool of Capitalism" was
started with the sole purpose of enabling those using MCA systems to keep them
running, far past what IBM and Microsoft would want you to. When I first came
up with the "MCA Militia", or "Micro Channel Militia" it was a parody of the
Judas Priest song, "Metal Militia" (refer to the artwork from JP at top). As
"Commander" of the MCA Militia, I have alerted members to good stuff on ebay,
location of drivers or documentation, and uncovering of trivia or workarounds
for our beloved machines.
However, time, software, hardware, and criminal intent have surged over us
and our beloved Micro Channel Architecture. At first, I wanted to properly
credit people that provided advice or "how-to" with their name and email. Then
the rise of spamming nixed that. Went through the pages and removed all the
links. Except, for some reason, this page. It was one I didn't have to go to
(living the MCA dream), so it slumbered. A mobilization and a deployment also
pulled my attention away from this site.
Things that were benign and had no deeper meaning are being scrutinized in
this era of zero defect mentality. Various words now evoke connotations which
NOBODY on the comp.sys.ps2.hardware
newsgroup ever made.
The individuals that were listed here formed an impromptu "support group"
for IBM Micro Channel Systems, long after IBM shoved MCA into the shadows. The
shattered remains of the PS/2 colossus are spread over the internet, and we
collect and share that information.
For anyone searching for the "real truth" about this site (The Ardent Tool
of Capitalism) please Contact Me. It is mostly boring, techie, and a refusal to throw away
perfectly good computers "just because". As a last service to those that
struggled to keep our beloved systems running, I am quite ready to answer
inquiries about the "MCA Militia". Only blood ever spilled was from those
darned MCA slot covers and the 95 side wall.
Always celebrate the true purpose of Micro Channel - to serve its users with
(usually) rock solid hardware, year after year!
Obey your Micro Channel urges - it's the logical thing to do.
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