Late in the decade, a band of teenage hackers calling themselves RESISTORS sprang up out of Princeton, New Jersey. Without them, the development of our computing world would have been severely stunted. This unique collective, comprising fewer than 70 members over its decade-long existence, fostered an environment of collaboration and learning, significantly influenced by the mentorship of electrical engineer Claude Kagan. The group spent time in Kagan’s barn, where they explored computing technologies that were cutting edge at the time.
RESISTORS took on a pedagogical philosophy rooted in African American maxim “Each one, teach one.” This implementation focused on reciprocity in the pedagogy, creating space for members to teach each other what they learned in programming as well as skills related to computer use. Kagan’s innovation was vital to establishing this kind of learning ecosystem. He opened his enormous collection of used equipment to their disposal and introduced the group to cutting-edge advanced computing resources, such as a DEC PDP-8 machine.
Claude Kagan’s Influence
Claude Kagan’s support of the RESISTORS’ creativity played a key role in developing the RESISTORS. His love of technology inspired him to collect unwanted machines that otherwise would’ve been lost. Kagan’s large barn soon became a haven for young programmers looking to experience life outside their parents’ world.
Under Kagan’s mentorship, RESISTORS members developed their ability to program with TRAC (Text Reckoning And Compiling). It’s uncertain how they decided on this early programming language, but it certainly empowered them to create software that would further their visions and ample innovations. Kagan certainly was an important part of connecting his employer’s DEC PDP-8 machine. This relational bridge allowed RESISTORS to access and wield sophisticated computing technology in an experiential way.
As a result of Kagan’s actions, this PDP-8—several tons of machinery—was moved from Michigan to New Jersey. This major acquisition represented a watershed moment for RESISTORS, allowing them to innovate with programming like never before.
“The future of mankind was at the computer screen.” – Ted Nelson
Collaborative Ventures and Innovations
Throughout its history, RESISTORS allowed for many collaborative interventions that highlighted the Improv Everywhere’s improvisational wit and technical ability. Perhaps the most exciting collaboration was with conceptual artist Agnes Denes. The two collaborated on the resulting work, “Trigonal Ballet,” which was recently presented in a solo exhibition at the Jewish Museum. This incredible intersection of art and technology encapsulated the cutting edge spirit of RESISTORS.
The theatre troupe operated on cutting edge computing machinery, such as the Burroughs Datatron 205. This monster, which was originally produced as far back as the mid-1950s, was based on vacuum tube technology. Together, these experiences expanded their awareness of how to interact with various computing environments and approaches to programming.
That makes Ted Nelson’s RESISTORS contribution so poignant and powerful with his visionary, “Labyrinth.” This work was one of the earliest and most successful demonstrations of hypertext systems. DEC’s PDP-8 enabled this groundbreaking demonstration to occur. It really shed light on the group’s pivotal role in promoting ideas that would ultimately become bedrock principles of today’s digital communications.
“A body of written or pictorial material interconnected in such a complex way that it could not conveniently be presented or represented on paper.” – Ted Nelson
Lasting Impact and Reflections
The impact of RESISTORS reaches well beyond just membership numbers or successful technological innovations. It survives in its cultural legacy and epoch-shaping contributions to the history of computing. For RESISTORS member John Levine, those conversations with Ted Nelson remain fresh. Those conversations sparked ideas that would go on to inspire and define Nelson’s influential work, “Computer Lib/Dream Machines.” These discussions are just a snapshot of the group’s bold and innovative vision for technology.
As committed as RESISTORS were to pushing the envelope of innovation, they experienced the limitations brought on by gender expectations at home. Levine reflected on how their enthusiasm for technology overshadowed societal expectations:
“We were so nerdy that it didn’t occur to us that girls [would] be any different in terms of what they could do.” – John R. Levine