If you popped in a CD-ROM in the ’90s or early 2000s, the first thing you probably saw was a little README.TXT file sitting in the root folder—and yeah, you actually opened it. Before auto-updaters and patch notes on websites, this was how software companies talked to you directly. It usually told you what version you had (v1.0, v1.01, maybe a 1.1 “bug fix” release), any new features or known issues, and tips for installing without your Windows 95 machine freaking out. Sometimes it even had last-minute changes that weren’t in the printed manual because CDs were pressed months before release. It was simple, raw, and straight to the point—no graphics, no marketing—just plain text that quietly kept your software life running.