THE SCOPE
Source collections, tagged releases, preserved file histories and technical context.
This starting dossier establishes a research remit and reference points for the section. It does not claim to be a comprehensive historical survey. Future articles will identify primary evidence, publication or artifact dates, competing accounts and the limits of verification.
Repositories are not self-explanatory
Repository histories reveal commits and changes, but cannot by themselves prove who first conceived an idea or whether a feature was publicly deployed.
A preservation record needs context
A source artifact becomes more useful with a version identifier, license, build instructions, dependencies and a description of what has been preserved.
Authenticity and reconstruction
Transcribed listings, emulated demonstrations, reconstructed builds and untouched original files should be labeled differently.
OPEN QUESTIONS / NOT ASSUMPTIONS
Questions that guide the reporting.
- 01What constitutes the earliest surviving source artifact for a feature?
- 02Can the file be linked to a dated release, commit or publication?
- 03Does the surviving code compile or run in a documented environment?
PRIMARY & TECHNICAL REFERENCES
Starting sources
The references below are paths into the evidence, not a claim that every historical question is settled. Each future article will provide its own direct citations and version-specific evidence.
- 01Software Heritage — archive www.softwareheritage.org
- 02Git project — core data model github.com
VERSION RECORD / 1.0
This dossier is revisable.
2026-10-08 — Initial edition. Research scope, evidence lenses, questions and reference starting points published. No external submissions have been reviewed for this initial edition. Future substantive changes should be documented with supporting evidence.
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