>> I have a complete run of afc back to mid 2003 and the last is:
>> From: CBFalconer <cbfalco...@yahoo.com>
>> Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers
>> Subject: Re: A Complete History Of Mainframe Computing
>> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:31:23 -0400
>> Message-ID: <4A4ABC6B.A1FA8...@yahoo.com>
>> He had up to that point been a very prolific poster, 447 since Jan 1.
> Has it been that long?I suppose it's the fact that he was a
> recognizable name (because he posted here) that if I had to say when he
> last posted, it would be "not that long ago". I didn't notice that he'd
> been gone, but I assumed he hadn't been gone that long when the notice
> hit here.
That was my reaction. I realized it had been "a while", but *three years*? Time's zipping by now.
> Meanwhile, the degradation of Usenet means in some groups people beomce
> "famous" because they are obnoxious, and I've seen people worry about
> their absence if they go missing for a few days
Or indulge in premature celebration, but I suppose some people feel the same way about me.
>I am sorry to report that C.B. "Chuck" Falconer has passed away. He used to >be a regular in alt.folklore.computers, comp.os.cpm, and comp.lang.c. He >had a long and involved history with computers and programming. He was born >in Switzerland on September 13, 1931 and passed away in Damariscotta, Maine >on June 4, 2012. I'm sure most everyone here remembers him and his posts to >Usenet. One of his many accomplishments was writing an article for an early >Dr. Dobbs magazine on implementing floating point on the Intel 8080 >microprocessor.
>His resent resume and the downloadable files from a recent web page of >his... can be found at You can a recent resume of his at the ClassicCmp >website:
>I know I'm *not* the only person he has helped in his time on Usenet. I'm >sure many here will mourn his passing.
While I didn't get any help from C.B., I did appreciate his posts. I remembered his name from the DDJ article ("Falconer Floating point, 16 bit floating point for the 8080", complete with Trig and Transcendental functions IIRC).
He is one of the people I have noticed not posting here, including some other people I have occasionally wondered about: Roland Hutchinson and Frank McCoy for instance (and there was another guy that posted from Barrow, AK, I can't remember his name). I actually live close enough to Roland I could go see one of his "concerts".
> In article <k6c6db$tp...@dont-email.me>, numer...@aquaporin4.com says...
> >I am sorry to report that C.B. "Chuck" Falconer has passed away. He used to > >be a regular in alt.folklore.computers, comp.os.cpm, and comp.lang.c. He > >had a long and involved history with computers and programming. He was born > >in Switzerland on September 13, 1931 and passed away in Damariscotta, Maine > >on June 4, 2012. I'm sure most everyone here remembers him and his posts to > >Usenet. One of his many accomplishments was writing an article for an early > >Dr. Dobbs magazine on implementing floating point on the Intel 8080 > >microprocessor.
> >His resent resume and the downloadable files from a recent web page of > >his... can be found at You can a recent resume of his at the ClassicCmp > >website:
> >I know I'm *not* the only person he has helped in his time on Usenet. I'm > >sure many here will mourn his passing.
> While I didn't get any help from C.B., I did appreciate his posts. I > remembered his name from the DDJ article ("Falconer Floating point, 16 bit > floating point for the 8080", complete with Trig and Transcendental functions > IIRC).
> He is one of the people I have noticed not posting here, including some other > people I have occasionally wondered about: Roland Hutchinson and Frank McCoy > for instance (and there was another guy that posted from Barrow, AK, I can't > remember his name).
Floyd Paterson I think.
> I actually live close enough to Roland I could go see > one of his "concerts".
On Wed, 31 Oct 2012, Nick Spalding wrote:
>> While I didn't get any help from C.B., I did appreciate his posts. I
>> remembered his name from the DDJ article ("Falconer Floating point, 16 bit
>> floating point for the 8080", complete with Trig and Transcendental functions
>> IIRC).
>> He is one of the people I have noticed not posting here, including some other
>> people I have occasionally wondered about: Roland Hutchinson and Frank McCoy
>> for instance (and there was another guy that posted from Barrow, AK, I can't
>> remember his name).
> Floyd Paterson I think.
I think that's Floyd Davison or Davidson. He seems less active to the newsgroups in recent years, but I've seen him in the digital photography newsgroup in recent months, and I think in one of the Linux newsgroups.
I had the impression he came and went, posting for a bit, then disappearing, returning later.
> I am sorry to report that C.B. "Chuck" Falconer has passed away. He used
> to be a regular in alt.folklore.computers, comp.os.cpm, and comp.lang.c.
> He had a long and involved history with computers and programming. He
> was born in Switzerland on September 13, 1931 and passed away in
> Damariscotta, Maine on June 4, 2012. I'm sure most everyone here
> remembers him and his posts to Usenet. One of his many accomplishments
> was writing an article for an early Dr. Dobbs magazine on implementing
> floating point on the Intel 8080 microprocessor.
> His resent resume and the downloadable files from a recent web page of
> his... can be found at You can a recent resume of his at the ClassicCmp
> website:
> [link]
> His obituary is at:
> [link]
> I know I'm *not* the only person he has helped in his time on Usenet. I'm
> sure many here will mourn his passing.
Every truly great man needs a quote on his tombstone which truly captures
the essence of the man, what he stood for, his achievements in life, and
most importantly, what, if anything, humanity will remember him for:
*PLONK*
As you treated others in life, so too shall you be treated in death.
"Rod Pemberton" <do_not_h...@notemailnotz.cnm> wrote:
>"Charles Richmond" <numer...@aquaporin4.com> wrote in message
>news:k6c6db$tp4$1@dont-email.me...
>> I am sorry to report that C.B. "Chuck" Falconer has passed away. He used
>> to be a regular in alt.folklore.computers, comp.os.cpm, and comp.lang.c.
>> He had a long and involved history with computers and programming. He
>> was born in Switzerland on September 13, 1931 and passed away in
>> Damariscotta, Maine on June 4, 2012. I'm sure most everyone here
>> remembers him and his posts to Usenet. One of his many accomplishments
>> was writing an article for an early Dr. Dobbs magazine on implementing
>> floating point on the Intel 8080 microprocessor.
>> His resent resume and the downloadable files from a recent web page of
>> his... can be found at You can a recent resume of his at the ClassicCmp
>> website:
>> [link]
>> His obituary is at:
>> [link]
>> I know I'm *not* the only person he has helped in his time on Usenet. I'm
>> sure many here will mourn his passing.
>Every truly great man needs a quote on his tombstone which truly captures
>the essence of the man, what he stood for, his achievements in life, and
>most importantly, what, if anything, humanity will remember him for:
> *PLONK*
>As you treated others in life, so too shall you be treated in death.
Yeah, but in death you won't
give a flyin' fahootch. :-)
>>"Charles Richmond" <numer...@aquaporin4.com> wrote in message
>>news:k6c6db$tp4$1@dont-email.me...
>>> I am sorry to report that C.B. "Chuck" Falconer has passed away. He >>> used
>>> to be a regular in alt.folklore.computers, comp.os.cpm, and comp.lang.c.
>>> He had a long and involved history with computers and programming. He
>>> was born in Switzerland on September 13, 1931 and passed away in
>>> Damariscotta, Maine on June 4, 2012. I'm sure most everyone here
>>> remembers him and his posts to Usenet. One of his many accomplishments
>>> was writing an article for an early Dr. Dobbs magazine on implementing
>>> floating point on the Intel 8080 microprocessor.
>>> His resent resume and the downloadable files from a recent web page of
>>> his... can be found at You can a recent resume of his at the ClassicCmp
>>> website:
>>> [link]
>>> His obituary is at:
>>> [link]
>>> I know I'm *not* the only person he has helped in his time on Usenet. >>> I'm
>>> sure many here will mourn his passing.
>>Every truly great man needs a quote on his tombstone which truly captures
>>the essence of the man, what he stood for, his achievements in life, and
>>most importantly, what, if anything, humanity will remember him for:
>> *PLONK*
>>As you treated others in life, so too shall you be treated in death.
> Yeah, but in death you won't
> give a flyin' fahootch. :-)
Depends on whether there is a hell or not and whether you end up there.
>>> "Charles Richmond" <numer...@aquaporin4.com> wrote in message
>>> news:k6c6db$tp4$1@dont-email.me...
>>>> I am sorry to report that C.B. "Chuck" Falconer has passed away. He
>>>> used
>>>> to be a regular in alt.folklore.computers, comp.os.cpm, and
>>>> comp.lang.c.
>>>> He had a long and involved history with computers and programming. He
>>>> was born in Switzerland on September 13, 1931 and passed away in
>>>> Damariscotta, Maine on June 4, 2012. I'm sure most everyone here
>>>> remembers him and his posts to Usenet. One of his many accomplishments
>>>> was writing an article for an early Dr. Dobbs magazine on implementing
>>>> floating point on the Intel 8080 microprocessor.
>>>> His resent resume and the downloadable files from a recent web page of
>>>> his... can be found at You can a recent resume of his at the ClassicCmp
>>>> website:
>>>> [link]
>>>> His obituary is at:
>>>> [link]
>>>> I know I'm *not* the only person he has helped in his time on
>>>> Usenet. I'm
>>>> sure many here will mourn his passing.
>>> Every truly great man needs a quote on his tombstone which truly
>>> captures
>>> the essence of the man, what he stood for, his achievements in life, and
>>> most importantly, what, if anything, humanity will remember him for:
>>> *PLONK*
>>> As you treated others in life, so too shall you be treated in death.
>> Yeah, but in death you won't
>> give a flyin' fahootch. :-)
> Depends on whether there is a hell or not and whether you end up there.
The good news is: when you end up in Hell, you can then rent our
Texas.
>>>> "Charles Richmond" <numer...@aquaporin4.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:k6c6db$tp4$1@dont-email.me...
>>>>> I am sorry to report that C.B. "Chuck" Falconer has passed away. He
>>>>> used
>>>>> to be a regular in alt.folklore.computers, comp.os.cpm, and
>>>>> comp.lang.c.
>>>>> He had a long and involved history with computers and programming. He
>>>>> was born in Switzerland on September 13, 1931 and passed away in
>>>>> Damariscotta, Maine on June 4, 2012. I'm sure most everyone here
>>>>> remembers him and his posts to Usenet. One of his many accomplishments
>>>>> was writing an article for an early Dr. Dobbs magazine on implementing
>>>>> floating point on the Intel 8080 microprocessor.
>>>>> His resent resume and the downloadable files from a recent web page of
>>>>> his... can be found at You can a recent resume of his at the >>>>> ClassicCmp
>>>>> website:
>>>>> [link]
>>>>> His obituary is at:
>>>>> [link]
>>>>> I know I'm *not* the only person he has helped in his time on
>>>>> Usenet. I'm
>>>>> sure many here will mourn his passing.
>>>> Every truly great man needs a quote on his tombstone which truly
>>>> captures
>>>> the essence of the man, what he stood for, his achievements in life, >>>> and
>>>> most importantly, what, if anything, humanity will remember him for:
>>>> *PLONK*
>>>> As you treated others in life, so too shall you be treated in death.
>>> Yeah, but in death you won't
>>> give a flyin' fahootch. :-)
>> Depends on whether there is a hell or not and whether you end up there.
> The good news is: when you end up in Hell, you can then rent our Texas.
I have my own much better than texas that I don't
even need to rent back here before I end up in hell.
> "Charles Richmond" <numer...@aquaporin4.com> wrote in message
> news:k6c6db$tp4$1@dont-email.me...
>> I am sorry to report that C.B. "Chuck" Falconer has passed away.
>> [snip...] [snip...] [snip...]
> Every truly great man needs a quote on his tombstone which truly captures
> the essence of the man, what he stood for, his achievements in life, and
> most importantly, what, if anything, humanity will remember him for:
> *PLONK*
> As you treated others in life, so too shall you be treated in death.
Mr. C.B. Falconer treated people *justly* in his life, so I believe that he will be treated fairly in death. If Chuck *plonked* you in his life... you must have *richly* deserved it, Mr. Pemberton.
>> Every truly great man needs a quote on his tombstone which truly captures
>> the essence of the man, what he stood for, his achievements in life, and
>> most importantly, what, if anything, humanity will remember him for:
>> *PLONK*
>> As you treated others in life, so too shall you be treated in death.
> Mr. C.B. Falconer treated people *justly* in his life, so I believe that he > will be treated fairly in death. If Chuck *plonked* you in his life... you > must have *richly* deserved it, Mr. Pemberton.
Chuck had his faults - I must have missed the good times that many
people fondly remember - my strongest memory of him is that almost every
message he posted contained at least one error. However, plonking RP
doesn't seem to have been one of those errors.
-- James Kuyper
