[sword-devel] An Interview With Larry Pierce

[Geoffrey W Hastings]

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When the Online Bible first came out in DOS on installation the message
said to "please make 2 copies to give away ..." The goal was stated to be
that of speading the Bible around the world on desktop computors for
free. I believe that is the major reason that attracted all the
volunteers to freely give their time and talents to the project in the
beginning.
The following article is found at http://www.onlline-bible.com/larry.htm 
and http://www.davepohl.com/larry.html the RED text is supplied by me.  
This is the text of a 1995 interview with Larry Pierce by Bob Rutter, a
freelance writer based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada (near Toronto).
An Interview With Larry Pierce 
With a background in data processing, Larry Pierce's search for an
effective computer-driven Bible study tool was truly a natural desire.
And in the process, it became a mission which today requires a full-time
commitment. From his home office in Winterbourne Ontario Larry publishes
and distributes what many regard as the most useful computer Bible
available. 
When he was searching in 1987 and could not find the answer to his needs,
he started developing a software program which has grown into a popular
and valuable reference tools for pastors, theology students and devoted
Christians. 
The Online Bible is known to many Christians throughout the world.
Because of its compact size and light weight, a CD-ROM provides an
advantage to missionaries in remote corners of the globe. In the jungles
of Papua-New Guinea, New Tribes missionaries don't have the burden of
hauling a large number of books overland to preach the Gospel. Instead,
they use a battery-operated portable computer with the latest technology
-- and a complete reference library on compact disk. 
What began as a simple search and locate computer program eight years ago
has evolved into a compendium of theological reference materials which
currently has 15 versions of the English Bible and at least 30 foreign
versions, including Hebrew and Greek. Also included are lexicons,
Strong's Numbers, Creationism material and 644,000 cross-references. 
Just how many copies are out there, no one knows. "Not a clue," Pierce
explains. "It's a misleading question because we allow the material to be
copied which is really unique because nobody else allows that. Anything
we produce we allow people to freely copy. Not republish, there's a
difference. We have a lot of volunteer help and it's not fair someone
should profit from it." 
What Larry Pierce does know is that various distributors have shipped out
more than 60,000 manuals which represents only registered owners of the
Online Bible who purchased their copy. "That's the tip of the iceberg for
the number floating around out there because most don't bother to get the
manuals." Since June, 1994, when he shifted production from floppy disk
to CD-ROM, tens of thousands have been shipped. 
"We basically got in on the ground floor," he said. "The few programs
that were out there were prohibitively expensive -- around $1,200 for a
complete package. Prices have dropped considerably since 1987 and Bible
students can now choose from a wide range of excellent Bible study tools
for a very reasonable cost." 
In true Christian charity, Pierce said "our policy has always been to
give them the (Online) Bible if they cannot afford it." The philosophy is
simple: freely received; freely given. "Anyone who is interested in
studying God's Word will have it." 
"It is really not a business," he said. "It is more like a hobby that
takes a lot of time each day. The reason I say that is that is that
whatever money we receive, we either reinvest in new materials or find a
good cause that needs help. We have revenue from other sources to live
on." 
In the early days, the simplicity of the program only allowed an
authorised version Bible text. Today's CD-ROM has all the texts, notes,
topics and commentary modules amounting to hundreds of megs of data. As
technology advances, Pierce predicts the Online Bible will advance with
it. On the horizon is new CD technology which will push disk capacity to
3 gigabytes, more than a fourfold increase, from today's nearly 600
megabytes. 
The need to change to the CD format resulted from the Online Bible
growing "bigger and bigger each year". Things got a little out of hand,
Pierce admits, when Version 6 was completed in 1992 requiring between 20
and 30 high density floppy disks. 
Using the CD-ROM technology will also help that missionary in Papua-New
Guinea because it avoids a destructive virus which strikes computer
floppy disks. It is a literal virus, a fungus which grows on the disk and
separates the magnetic media, it contaminates the read-write heads and
contaminates all future disks going into the (disk) drive," Pierce said.
"What they have to do is keep all their disks in a hot box, a box with a
light in it to keep the humidity out of it." 
The first Bible text proofed by Pierce in 1987 showed eight verses
missing. Because this is God's Word, no labour was spared in producing an
accurate text. This took two years. The result is a reputation for
accuracy which resulted in a unique request from the Queen's Printer in
the United Kingdom. After 400 years, an electronic copy of an English
language Bible goes back to where the print original came from. 
One of his major projects has been Gill's Expositor. Three volunteers
have been working with Pierce to proof the text of John Gill's Expositor.
The work takes up about 55 megs of disk space. Gill's work gives him the
distinction of having the most words in electronic form. 
In the future is also the works of C.H. Spurgeon, the 63-volume
Metropolitan Pulpit, who now has the most words in print. That should
take up about 150 million characters of disk space. "The fact it's still
in print after 100 years should tell you a lot." It will take five years
to proof the entire work. Matthew Henry's and Matthew Poole's complete
commentaries are also being looked at seriously for inclusion into the
Online Bible. All this work takes time and Pierce devotes much of the
working day, from about six onward to scanning, proofing and other
duties. "It took us months to add in the Strong's numbers support. Now
with the advances in technology, we can do much more than that each
month." 
Online Bible has financed putting Strong's Numbers into the French Bible,
which was never done before. It also mapped the French back into Hebrew
and Greek. And the same is now happening in Holland and Germany. Much of
this work was done by volunteers who freely gave of their time. Eastern
Europe has not been forgotten. Since the lifting of the Iron Curtain,
translations have been made into Russian, Romanian and Albanian.
Vietnamese was recently completed. But what Pierce really desires is a
translation in Portuguese. There are several translations into other more
popular languages, two in Italian, for example, but nothing in
Portuguese. 
The Online Bible takes a strict theological view, with a very high view
of the Scriptures especially Genesis. "I find it amazing that people will
take the word of fallible scientists who do not know everything and were
not present when God created the world instead of God who was there,
knows everything and has yet to make his first mistake." 
The Lord called him to salvation when he was eight and he was baptized at
the age of eight. He is currently in fellowship at the Brethren assembly,
Woodside Bible Fellowship. 
----__JNP_000_410c.6e34.0d50
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<P><B><FONT size=3D2>When the Online Bible first came out in DOS on =
installation=20
the message said to "please make 2 copies to give away ..." The goal was =
stated=20
to be that of speading the Bible around the world on desktop computors for =
free.=20
I believe that is the major reason that attracted all the volunteers to =
freely=20
give their time and talents to the project in the beginning.</FONT></B>
<P><B><FONT size=3D2>The following article is found at <A=20
href=3D"http://www.onlline-bible.com/larry.htm">http://www.onlline-bible.=
com/larry.htm</A>&nbsp;&nbsp;and=20
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.davepohl.com/larry.html">http://www.davepohl.com/larry.=
html</A>&nbsp;the=20
<FONT color=3D#ff0000>RED</FONT> text is supplied by me.&nbsp; </FONT></B>
<P><B><FONT size=3D3>This is the text of a 1995 interview with Larry Pierce=
 by Bob=20
Rutter, a freelance writer based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada (near=20
Toronto).</FONT></B>
<P><B><FONT color=3D#400040><FONT size=3D+2>An Interview With Larry=20
Pierce</FONT></FONT></B>=20
<P><B>With a background in data processing, Larry Pierce's search for an=20
effective computer-driven Bible study tool was truly a natural desire. And =
in=20
the process, it became a mission which today requires a full-time =
commitment.=20
>From his home office in Winterbourne Ontario Larry publishes and =
distributes=20
what many regard as the most useful computer Bible available.</B>=20
<P><B>When he was searching in 1987 and could not find the answer to his =
needs,=20
he started developing a software program which has grown into a popular and=
=20
valuable reference tools for pastors, theology students and devoted=20
Christians.</B>=20
<P><B>The Online Bible is known to many Christians throughout the world. =
Because=20
of its compact size and light weight, a CD-ROM provides an advantage to=20
missionaries in remote corners of the globe. In the jungles of Papua-New =
Guinea,=20
New Tribes missionaries don't have the burden of hauling a large number of =
books=20
overland to preach the Gospel. Instead, they use a battery-operated =
portable=20
computer with the latest technology -- and a complete reference library on=
=20
compact disk.</B>=20
<P><B>What began as a simple search and locate computer program eight years=
 ago=20
has evolved into a compendium of theological reference materials which =
currently=20
has 15 versions of the English Bible and at least 30 foreign versions, =
including=20
Hebrew and Greek. Also included are lexicons, Strong's Numbers, Creationism=
=20
material and 644,000 cross-references.</B>=20
<P><B>Just how many copies are out there, no one knows. "Not a clue," =
Pierce=20
explains. "It's a misleading question because we allow the material to be =
copied=20
which is really unique because nobody else allows that. <FONT=20
color=3D#ff0000>Anything we produce we allow people to freely copy</FONT>. =
<FONT=20
color=3D#ff0000>Not republish, there's a difference. We have a lot of =
volunteer=20
help and it's not fair someone should profit from it."</FONT></B>=20
<P><B>What Larry Pierce does know is that various distributors have shipped=
 out=20
more than 60,000 manuals which represents only registered owners of the =
Online=20
Bible who purchased their copy. "That's the tip of the iceberg for the =
number=20
floating around out there because most don't bother to get the manuals." =
Since=20
June, 1994, when he shifted production from floppy disk to CD-ROM, tens of=
=20
thousands have been shipped.</B>=20
<P><B>"We basically got in on the ground floor," he said. "The few programs=
 that=20
were out there were prohibitively expensive -- around $1,200 for a complete=
=20
package. Prices have dropped considerably since 1987 and Bible students can=
 now=20
choose from a wide range of excellent Bible study tools for a very =
reasonable=20
cost."</B>=20
<P><B><FONT color=3D#ff0000>In true Christian charity</FONT>, Pierce said "=
our=20
policy has always been to give them the (Online) Bible if they cannot =
afford=20
it." <FONT color=3D#ff0000>The philosophy is simple: freely received; =
freely=20
given</FONT>. "Anyone who is interested in studying God's Word will have=20
it."</B>=20
<P><B>"It is really not a business," he said. "It is more like a hobby that=
=20
takes a lot of time each day. The reason I say that is that is that =
whatever=20
money we receive, we either reinvest in new materials or find a good cause =
that=20
needs help. We have revenue from other sources to live on."</B>=20
<P><B>In the early days, the simplicity of the program only allowed an=20
authorised version Bible text. Today's CD-ROM has all the texts, notes, =
topics=20
and commentary modules amounting to hundreds of megs of data. As technology=
=20
advances, Pierce predicts the Online Bible will advance with it. On the =
horizon=20
is new CD technology which will push disk capacity to 3 gigabytes, more =
than a=20
fourfold increase, from today's nearly 600 megabytes.</B>=20
<P><B>The need to change to the CD format resulted from the Online Bible =
growing=20
"bigger and bigger each year". Things got a little out of hand, Pierce =
admits,=20
when Version 6 was completed in 1992 requiring between 20 and 30 high =
density=20
floppy disks.</B>=20
<P><B>Using the CD-ROM technology will also help that missionary in Papua-=
New=20
Guinea because it avoids a destructive virus which strikes computer floppy=
=20
disks. It is a literal virus, a fungus which grows on the disk and =
separates the=20
magnetic media, it contaminates the read-write heads and contaminates all =
future=20
disks going into the (disk) drive," Pierce said. "What they have to do is =
keep=20
all their disks in a hot box, a box with a light in it to keep the humidity=
 out=20
of it."</B>=20
<P><B>The first Bible text proofed by Pierce in 1987 showed eight verses=20
missing. Because this is God's Word, no labour was spared in producing an=20
accurate text. This took two years. The result is a reputation for accuracy=
=20
which resulted in a unique request from the Queen's Printer in the United=20
Kingdom. After 400 years, an electronic copy of an English language Bible =
goes=20
back to where the print original came from.</B>=20
<P><B>One of his major projects has been Gill's Expositor. Three volunteers=
 have=20
been working with Pierce to proof the text of John Gill's Expositor. The =
work=20
takes up about 55 megs of disk space. Gill's work gives him the distinction=
 of=20
having the most words in electronic form.</B>=20
<P><B>In the future is also the works of C.H. Spurgeon, the 63-volume=20
Metropolitan Pulpit, who now has the most words in print. That should take =
up=20
about 150 million characters of disk space. "The fact it's still in print =
after=20
100 years should tell you a lot." It will take five years to proof the =
entire=20
work. Matthew Henry's and Matthew Poole's complete commentaries are also =
being=20
looked at seriously for inclusion into the Online Bible. All this work =
takes=20
time and Pierce devotes much of the working day, from about six onward to=20
scanning, proofing and other duties. "It took us months to add in the =
Strong's=20
numbers support. Now with the advances in technology, we can do much more =
than=20
that each month."</B>=20
<P><B>Online Bible has financed putting Strong's Numbers into the French =
Bible,=20
which was never done before. It also mapped the French back into Hebrew and=
=20
Greek. And the same is now happening in Holland and Germany. <FONT=20
color=3D#ff0000>Much of this work was done by volunteers who freely gave of=
 their=20
time</FONT>. Eastern Europe has not been forgotten. Since the lifting of =
the=20
Iron Curtain, translations have been made into Russian, Romanian and =
Albanian.=20
Vietnamese was recently completed. But what Pierce really desires is a=20
translation in Portuguese. There are several translations into other more=20
popular languages, two in Italian, for example, but nothing in Portuguese.<=
/B>=20
<P><B>The Online Bible takes a strict theological view, with a very high =
view of=20
the Scriptures especially Genesis. "I find it amazing that people will take=
 the=20
word of fallible scientists who do not know everything and were not present=
 when=20
God created the world instead of God who was there, knows everything and =
has yet=20
to make his first mistake."</B>=20
<P><B>The Lord called him to salvation when he was eight and he was =
baptized at=20
the age of eight. He is currently in fellowship at the Brethren assembly,=20
Woodside Bible Fellowship.</B> </P></BODY></HTML>

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