The Galapagos Times: Difference between revisions

From Research Realm
← Older editNewer edit →
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 35: Line 35:


== History ==
== History ==
The first issue of ''The Galapagos Times'' was published on 20 August 1997.{{efn|The first issue is dated 19 August 1997 in its header, but was sent out the next day. Furthermore, its header lists the day as Wednesday, which 20 August fell on in 1997.}} Kusumoto started the newsletter to report news gathered from weekly manager meetings and keep "Darwinites" updated on events, policies, and projects.<ref name="GT01 intro"/> Starting in issue 3, Kusumoto credited each week's contributors.<ref name="GT03 fine"/> Publication paused during the Christmas season, as most of the LEGO Group's internal operations ceased from 23 December until early January.<ref name="GT14 holidays"/> After the 3 March issue, the newsletter went on hiatus for two months due to budget planning, which took up all computers in the office for several weeks until an accountant was hired,<ref name="GT26 financial"/> followed by editor Kusumoto going on holiday.<ref name="GT25 resuming"/> Publication resumed in May, though only two more issues are known to exist.
The first issue of ''The Galapagos Times'' was published on 20 August 1997.{{efn|The first issue is dated 19 August 1997 in its header, but was sent out the next day. Furthermore, its header lists the day as Wednesday, which 20 August fell on in 1997.}} Kusumoto started the newsletter to report news gathered from weekly manager meetings and keep "Darwinites" updated on events, policies, and projects.<ref name="GT01 intro"/> Starting in issue 3, Kusumoto credited each week's contributors,<ref name="GT03 fine"/> and in issue 14 the newsletter started accepting project stories from readers.<ref name="GT14 project"/> Publication paused during the Christmas season, as most of the LEGO Group's internal operations ceased from 23 December until early January.<ref name="GT14 holidays"/> After the 3 March issue, the newsletter went on hiatus for two months due to budget planning, which took up all computers in the office for several weeks until an accountant was hired,<ref name="GT26 financial"/> followed by editor Kusumoto going on holiday.<ref name="GT25 resuming"/> Publication resumed in May, though only two more issues are known to exist.


The newsletter is named after the [[Wikipedia:Galápagos Islands|Galápagos Islands]],<ref name="GT01 intro"/> which [[Wikipedia:Charles Darwin|Charles Darwin]] visited in 1835 during his [[Wikipedia:Second voyage of HMS Beagle|five-year voyage]] aboard [[Wikipedia:HMS Beagle|HMS ''Beagle'']]; his studies of the archipelago's [[Wikipedia:Endemic|endemic]] species helped [[Wikipedia:Inception of Darwin's theory|inspire]] his theory of [[Wikipedia:Evolution|evolution]] by [[Wikipedia:Natural selection|natural selection]]. According to former Darwin employee Julian Gómez, ''Galapagos'' here referred to the "virtual space" being explored by SPU-Darwin's work, with the goal being the "evolution" of LEGO products from physical to digital.<ref name="Galapagos Archive"/> The office space that SPU-Darwin operated out of was referred to in the newsletter as the HMS ''Beagle'',<ref name="GT10 Beagle"/><ref name="GT19 Beagle"/> and the meeting rooms used after a move were named after [[Wikipedia:Wildlife of the Galápagos Islands|animals from the Galápagos Islands]] in a contest.<ref name="GT17 room"/><ref name="GT21 room"/>
The newsletter is named after the [[Wikipedia:Galápagos Islands|Galápagos Islands]],<ref name="GT01 intro"/> which [[Wikipedia:Charles Darwin|Charles Darwin]] visited in 1835 during his [[Wikipedia:Second voyage of HMS Beagle|five-year voyage]] aboard [[Wikipedia:HMS Beagle|HMS ''Beagle'']]; his studies of the archipelago's [[Wikipedia:Endemic|endemic]] species helped [[Wikipedia:Inception of Darwin's theory|inspire]] his theory of [[Wikipedia:Evolution|evolution]] by [[Wikipedia:Natural selection|natural selection]]. According to former Darwin employee Julian Gómez, ''Galapagos'' here referred to the "virtual space" being explored by SPU-Darwin's work, with the goal being the "evolution" of LEGO products from physical to digital.<ref name="Galapagos Archive"/> The office space that SPU-Darwin operated out of was referred to in the newsletter as the HMS ''Beagle'',<ref name="GT10 Beagle"/><ref name="GT19 Beagle"/> and the meeting rooms used after a move were named after [[Wikipedia:Wildlife of the Galápagos Islands|animals from the Galápagos Islands]] in a contest.<ref name="GT17 room"/><ref name="GT21 room"/>
Line 70: Line 70:
|-
|-
| 4 || 10 September 1997 || {{flatlist|
| 4 || 10 September 1997 || {{flatlist|
* ''[[Klik Chix]]''/''Girls' World'' development started
* ''[[Klik Chix]]'' (''Girls' World'') development started
* ''[[Rubber Duck]]'' version 1.1
* ''[[Rubber Duck]]'' version 1.1
* Darwin 6 and AUF updates
* Darwin 6 and AUF updates
Line 114: Line 114:
|-
|-
| 10 || 22 October 1997 || {{flatlist|
| 10 || 22 October 1997 || {{flatlist|
* WIP
* L3D switching from [[Wikipedia:3DMF|3DMF]] file format to [[Wikipedia:VRML|VRML]]
* Updated dates for office moves and LMX roof repairs
* Special product training course offered
* Suggestion box coming soon
}}
}}
|-
|-
| 11 || 29 October 1997 || {{flatlist|
| 11 || 29 October 1997 || {{flatlist|
* WIP
* Testing new LEGO.com design with American children
* Software usability testing
* [[Lars Bo Jensen|Jensen]]'s car accident
* Volunteers for family room
* New Darwin representative
}}
}}
|-
|-
| 12 || 5 November 1997 || {{flatlist|
| 12 || 5 November 1997 || {{flatlist|
* WIP
* Anthrobotics tool for Dynasty project
* Seating plans for the LMX building
* "Happy Landings" program
* DOGs computer systems management
}}
}}
|-
|-
| 13 || 12 November 1997 || {{flatlist|
| 13 || 12 November 1997 || {{flatlist|
* WIP
* [[LEGO Mindstorms]] Learning Center unveiled in Chicago
* Darwin work bicycles
* Computer file management
* Darwin named the sloppiest group at LEGO
* Seating plan for LMX completed
* TimeCruiser calendar product failed user test
}}
}}
|-
|-
| 14 || 17 November 1997 || {{flatlist|
| 14 || 17 November 1997 || {{flatlist|
* WIP
* Reader-submitted stories
* Tax on extra hours
* Darwin 6 follow-up
* Voice mail available
* 100 gigabytes needed for ''Burning Rubber'' and Spirit projects
* Networking during the holiday season
}}
}}
|-
|-
| 15 || 3 December 1997 || {{flatlist|
| 15 || 3 December 1997 || {{flatlist|
* WIP
* Mindstorms software development
* New Mindstorm Learning Centres planned
* Working with kids at Darwin
* Office party
* Free drinks and 4-D Pizza abuse
}}
}}
|-
|-
Line 198: Line 222:


<ref name="GT14 holidays">{{cite news |title=Networking through the holidays |editor-first=Laura |editor-last=Kusumoto |date=19 November 1997 |work=The Galapagos Times |volume=1 |issue=14 |url=https://www.spu-darwin.org/galapagos/gtv1r14.html}}</ref>
<ref name="GT14 holidays">{{cite news |title=Networking through the holidays |editor-first=Laura |editor-last=Kusumoto |date=19 November 1997 |work=The Galapagos Times |volume=1 |issue=14 |url=https://www.spu-darwin.org/galapagos/gtv1r14.html}}</ref>
<ref name="GT14 project">{{cite news |title=Tales of projects large and small |editor-first=Laura |editor-last=Kusumoto |date=19 November 1997 |work=The Galapagos Times |volume=1 |issue=14 |url=https://www.spu-darwin.org/galapagos/gtv1r14.html}}</ref>


<ref name="GT17 room">{{cite news |title=Contest: Name the meeting rooms |editor-first=Laura |editor-last=Kusumoto |date=17 December 1997 |work=The Galapagos Times |volume=1 |issue=17 |url=https://www.spu-darwin.org/galapagos/gtv1r17.html}}</ref>
<ref name="GT17 room">{{cite news |title=Contest: Name the meeting rooms |editor-first=Laura |editor-last=Kusumoto |date=17 December 1997 |work=The Galapagos Times |volume=1 |issue=17 |url=https://www.spu-darwin.org/galapagos/gtv1r17.html}}</ref>

Revision as of 21:28, 22 May 2025

The Galapagos Times
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

         The Galapagos Times
         an email newsletter

  SPU-Darwin, LEGO A/S, Planet Earth
   Dateline Thursday, May 14, 1998

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Header for issue 26
EditorLaura Kusumoto
FrequencyWeekly
FormatEmail
First issueAugust 20, 1997; 27 years ago (1997-08-20)
Final issue
Number		May 14, 1998; 27 years ago (1998-05-14)
26
CompanySPU-Darwin
CountryDenmark
LanguageEnglish

The Galapagos Times is an email newsletter that was distributed to employees of SPU-Darwin. Twenty-six issues were published on a weekly schedule between August 1997 and May 1998. It was edited and published by Laura Kusumoto, who was the Director of Operations at SPU-Darwin.

History

The first issue of The Galapagos Times was published on 20 August 1997.[note 1] Kusumoto started the newsletter to report news gathered from weekly manager meetings and keep "Darwinites" updated on events, policies, and projects.[1] Starting in issue 3, Kusumoto credited each week's contributors,[2] and in issue 14 the newsletter started accepting project stories from readers.[3] Publication paused during the Christmas season, as most of the LEGO Group's internal operations ceased from 23 December until early January.[4] After the 3 March issue, the newsletter went on hiatus for two months due to budget planning, which took up all computers in the office for several weeks until an accountant was hired,[5] followed by editor Kusumoto going on holiday.[6] Publication resumed in May, though only two more issues are known to exist.

The newsletter is named after the Galápagos Islands,[1] which Charles Darwin visited in 1835 during his five-year voyage aboard HMS Beagle; his studies of the archipelago's endemic species helped inspire his theory of evolution by natural selection. According to former Darwin employee Julian Gómez, Galapagos here referred to the "virtual space" being explored by SPU-Darwin's work, with the goal being the "evolution" of LEGO products from physical to digital.[7] The office space that SPU-Darwin operated out of was referred to in the newsletter as the HMS Beagle,[8][9] and the meeting rooms used after a move were named after animals from the Galápagos Islands in a contest.[10][11]

In June 2008[7] Gómez uploaded an archive of The Galapagos Times issues to SPU-Darwin.org, a website created to be a "digital gathering place" for former Darwin employees after its dissolution.[12]

Issues

The table below lists and describes all known issues of The Galapagos Times, based on the issues listed in Gómez's archive. The issue references has been simplified to "number"; the original issues are labelled with a volume (which is the same for all issues) and a "Ren" (eg. "Vol 1 Ren 5"), apparently short for "Rendering".

No. Date Topics covered
1 20 August 1997
  • Introducing The Galapagos Times
  • Current plans for future Darwin department moves
  • New mailing addresses
  • DOGs group testing new calendar system software
2 27 August 1997
  • Fast-Fill project starts at Darwin
  • Awards for "LEGO Underwater Base" and Build a Duck
  • Office migration for Darwin and LEGO.com teams
  • Darwin 6 seminar announced
3 3 September 1997
  • Yoda version 1.0 announced
  • Darwin 6 details
  • AUF representative requested
  • Fast-Fill bug report
4 10 September 1997
5 17 September 1997
  • KIDS Group finishing presentation for the Input meeting at LEGO Futura
  • Darwin 6 seminar aftermath
  • New Facilities Coordinator
6 24 September 1997
  • Redesigning LEGO.com for 1998
  • Darwin 6 documentation
  • ATG move date confirmed
  • Ventilation system costs for the LMX building
  • Improving the invoice process
7 1 October 1997
  • Burning Rubber development started
  • KIDS Group's concepts at the Input meeting
  • Awards for Primo Looper and Technic Scanner Truck toys
8 8 October 1997
  • New agreement for Internet services
  • Dynasty project by WiZard Group announced
  • Virtual library launched
  • Email virus warning
  • New reception service
  • ATG move date changed
9 15 October 1997
  • Girls' World project now in proof-of-concept stage
  • Darwin firewall online
  • New office move dates for LEGO.com and ATG teams
  • Timetable for improving Darwin operations
10 22 October 1997
  • L3D switching from 3DMF file format to VRML
  • Updated dates for office moves and LMX roof repairs
  • Special product training course offered
  • Suggestion box coming soon
11 29 October 1997
  • Testing new LEGO.com design with American children
  • Software usability testing
  • Jensen's car accident
  • Volunteers for family room
  • New Darwin representative
12 5 November 1997
  • Anthrobotics tool for Dynasty project
  • Seating plans for the LMX building
  • "Happy Landings" program
  • DOGs computer systems management
13 12 November 1997
  • LEGO Mindstorms Learning Center unveiled in Chicago
  • Darwin work bicycles
  • Computer file management
  • Darwin named the sloppiest group at LEGO
  • Seating plan for LMX completed
  • TimeCruiser calendar product failed user test
14 17 November 1997
  • Reader-submitted stories
  • Tax on extra hours
  • Darwin 6 follow-up
  • Voice mail available
  • 100 gigabytes needed for Burning Rubber and Spirit projects
  • Networking during the holiday season
15 3 December 1997
  • Mindstorms software development
  • New Mindstorm Learning Centres planned
  • Working with kids at Darwin
  • Office party
  • Free drinks and 4-D Pizza abuse
16 12 December 1997
  • WIP
17 17 December 1997
  • WIP
18 9 January 1998
  • WIP
19 15 January 1998
  • WIP
20 22 January 1998
  • WIP
21 3 February 1998
  • WIP
22 14 February 1998
  • WIP
23 23 February 1998
  • WIP
24 3 March 1998
  • WIP
25 6 May 1998
  • WIP
26 14 May 1998
  • WIP

Notes

  1. ↑ The first issue is dated 19 August 1997 in its header, but was sent out the next day. Furthermore, its header lists the day as Wednesday, which 20 August fell on in 1997.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kusumoto, Laura, ed. (19 August 1997). The Galapagos Times. Vol. 1.
  2. ↑ Kusumoto, Laura, ed. (3 September 1997). "Fine print". The Galapagos Times. Vol. 1, no. 3.
  3. ↑ Kusumoto, Laura, ed. (19 November 1997). "Tales of projects large and small". The Galapagos Times. Vol. 1, no. 14.
  4. ↑ Kusumoto, Laura, ed. (19 November 1997). "Networking through the holidays". The Galapagos Times. Vol. 1, no. 14.
  5. ↑ Kusumoto, Laura, ed. (14 May 1998). "Financial health at Darwin". The Galapagos Times. Vol. 1, no. 26.
  6. ↑ Kusumoto, Laura, ed. (6 May 1998). "The Galapagos Times is back". The Galapagos Times. Vol. 1, no. 25.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Gómez, Julian (11 June 2008). "The Galapagos Times Archive". SPU-Darwin. Archived from the original on 20 May 2025. Retrieved 20 May 2025. Date obtained using wget.
  8. ↑ Kusumoto, Laura, ed. (22 October 1997). "H.M.S. Beagle". The Galapagos Times. Vol. 1, no. 10.
  9. ↑ Kusumoto, Laura, ed. (15 January 1998). "Ship-shape on the HMS Beagle". The Galapagos Times. Vol. 1, no. 19.
  10. ↑ Kusumoto, Laura, ed. (17 December 1997). "Contest: Name the meeting rooms". The Galapagos Times. Vol. 1, no. 17.
  11. ↑ Kusumoto, Laura, ed. (3 February 1998). "Meeting room animals". The Galapagos Times. Vol. 1, no. 21.
  12. ↑ Gómez, Julian (6 November 2001). "SPU-Darwin.org". Archived from the original on 6 December 2001.

External links

Retrieved from "https://wiki.researchrealm.net/index.php?title=The_Galapagos_Times&oldid=7348"