Microsoft Comic Chat is now open source (opensource.microsoft.com)

Article summary

Microsoft has released the source code of its 1990s-era chat client, Comic Chat, as open source on GitHub. The software, which presented conversations as comic panels with illustrated characters and speech bubbles, was first released in 1996 and was known for introducing the Comic Sans font. The release allows developers to explore, learn from, and build upon the code. The project is seen as a nostalgic artifact from the early days of the internet and a reminder of the experimentation that occurred during that time.

Main themes

• Microsoft Comic Chat
• Open source release
• Nostalgia
• Internet history
• Software development
• Version control systems

What commenters say

• The release of Comic Chat's source code is a significant event for those who remember using the software in the 1990s and want to explore its inner workings.
• Some commenters are excited about the potential for modernizing the code and creating new projects based on it.
• The use of Comic Sans in Comic Chat is still a topic of debate, with some defending its use and others criticizing it.
• Microsoft's version control systems in the 1990s, such as SourceSafe, were limited and problematic, leading to difficulties in managing code and collaborating on projects.
• The release of Comic Chat's source code is seen as a way to preserve a piece of software history and allow developers to learn from it.
• Some commenters are skeptical about the value of releasing old code, citing the limitations of older version control systems and the challenges of working with legacy code.