New Mexico State University (NMSU) has announced the closure of the Hobbes OS/2 Archive on April 15, 2024. The archive has been a valuable resource for users of the IBM OS/2 operating system and its successors for over three decades. However, NMSU has made the difficult decision to discontinue the service due to a reassessment of priorities.
Hobbes, hosted by the Department of Information & Communication Technologies at NMSU, has been a significant software archive on the internet. It has been compared to the University of Michigan’s archives and ibiblio at UNC in terms of its historical importance. The earliest record of the Hobbes archive dates back to a 1992 Walnut Creek CD-ROM collection that gathered its contents for offline distribution. As one of the oldest software archives on the internet, its closure marks the end of an era.
Despite the closure, archivists such as Jason Scott of the Internet Archive have assured users that the files hosted on Hobbes are safe and already mirrored elsewhere. Scott expressed confidence in handling Hobbes and ensuring its preservation. OS/2 World.com has also stated its intention to create a mirror of the archive. While alternative options are available, the closure of Hobbes still represents a significant loss for the internet’s historical records.
Hobbes initially began as an FTP site, which was the primary distribution method for files on the internet at the time. Over the years, it has served as a crucial resource for users of the IBM OS/2 operating system and its successors, providing access to a wide range of software and documentation. However, with changing priorities and the availability of alternative platforms, NMSU has made the difficult decision to discontinue the service, bringing an end to a long-standing and important piece of internet history.
In conclusion, the closure of the Hobbes OS/2 Archive at New Mexico State University marks the end of an era for users of the IBM OS/2 operating system. While alternative options exist and assurances have been given about the safety of the files hosted on Hobbes, its closure represents a significant loss for the internet’s historical records. The decision to discontinue the service was made after a reassessment of priorities, and it signifies the changing landscape of technology and the internet.
