I Miss Microsoft Encarta (hanselman.com)

Article summary

The article discusses the author's nostalgia for Microsoft Encarta, a CD-ROM encyclopedia that was first released in 1993 and discontinued in 2009. The author reflects on the significance of Encarta as a pioneering product that brought a vast amount of information to people's homes, and how it compared to the internet and online resources available today. The author also notes that Encarta is still used in some parts of the world where internet access is limited. The article highlights the unique features of Encarta, such as its interactive multimedia content and curated information.

Main themes

• Nostalgia for old technology
• Evolution of information access
• Comparison of Encarta and online resources
• Digital divide and access to information
• Curation and quality of information

What commenters say

• Wikipedia and Google are superior to Encarta in terms of breadth and depth of information, but lack its interactive and curated features.
• The value of Encarta lies in its engaging and educational multimedia content, which is still unmatched by online resources.
• The abundance of information available online can be overwhelming and may not always be trustworthy or of high quality.
• Encarta's curated approach to information is preferable to the vast, unfiltered amounts of data available online.
• The digital divide is still a significant issue, and offline resources like Encarta can be valuable in areas with limited internet access.
• The quality of information on Wikipedia can be inconsistent and prone to bias, making Encarta a more reliable source for certain topics.
• The interactive features of Encarta, such as its timeline and maps, are still unique and useful tools for learning and research.
• The idea that more information is always better is not necessarily true, and curated resources like Encarta can be more effective for learning and education.