There is an ever-increasing segment of the population that has no concept of what life was life before the advent of the Internet. And my guess is that about half of the people in business today have never worked in an Internet-less environment.
They have never heard the words “Mimeograph” or “Carbon Paper” although the term “CC” lives on in email nomenclature if not in realty!
And for whatever reason, parents seem intent on getting their offspring wired and connected at the time of weaning, with an eye towards attaining a competitive edge over the other three year olds.
Gone are the days when you could learn something once and commit it to memory and be done with it. In today’s fast paced high technology onslaught you must constantly learn and relearn or you will be crushed by those that would depose you.
Just a few years ago, it was a struggle for Internet dominance. Now, it is a desperate dance of flailing and thrashing just to survive.
I look back to the simpler times with fondness, when business was done over a cup of coffee and a handshake instead of a “tweet: or a “like.”
But if I spend more than a few minutes daydreaming about the "good old days," I will lose valuable ground so it’s back to work for me!
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My favorite was the ditto machine (spirit duplicator). I still remember the smell of a freshly made ditto from grade school!
When I went to school we wrote papers using ENCYCLOPEDIA'S, and we made phone calls on a dial phone...I have to say that as much as I love technology, I do miss the "good old days"...
Oh, Richard, LOL, that is so true. Some days I just want to go back back back. And comment #1 brought back memories, I had forgotten about the ditto machine and that smell... LOL.
Have a sparkling day, and I do love that picture!
Also cell phones, I'd like to see them go away too.
Richard...
It was a pleasant and somewhat sweet smell! THX
Gerry...
And libraries had real books! Thanks so much.
Andrea...
And even THAT photo is 25 years old ... wow! Thanks, my friend.
I was in an office the other day where they were using typewriters and carbon paper. Still not sure why.
"They" say it's the past we remember with fondness, and it wasn't so fond. However, I don't agree with "them". Life was much simplier. We always had to make sure we had a dime in our pocket to use the pay phone! There were pay phones in every business establishment and on every corner! And, the hush that surrounded the libraries! The ability to obtain material from digging it out of books, writing it down on 3x5 cards, drawing up an outliine, putting your thoughts together and actually writing a paper!
I think this new generation that has been exposed to WII, XBox, Phones, and all this technology are missing something. When we went to computers at work to store our information and retrieve information, when the computers went down employees actually panicked. How would they do their work. I showed them, "the old fashioned way".
Did you ever see Desk Set, I think it was called, with Kathyrn Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The fear of the unknown, computerization vs humanization. A TV research dept. was being computerized. It was great.
Don't get me wrong,I'm not fearful of technology, I love my computer, my phone, etc. However, I'm a tech junky, I go thru withdrawals if I am out of computer range!! I've come to depend upon it so much.
I remember when I was in a student teaching situation in college and the kids had a store! It was filled with store bought replicas of food items. How said I thought it was for the kids then that their imaginations were being stifled a bit. How we had gotten too big for our bridges and now they could buy what we used to spend weeks saving. When I was a kid, we used to play house, store and school. As a part of the store, we saved all our empty food boxes. Being careful not to rip them apart or get them wet during use. My friend, Debbie had the store set up in her garage, we had the library and old 45 disc records, our other friend had the old school desks on the patio, and we would buiild house walls on our lawns with the cut lawn clippings each weekend after our Dad's mowed the lawn. What fun we used to have. And, none of us were fat! We moved, moved, moved.
Okay, enough. I think the old days were great, and the new days leave a lot to be desired. Balance, balance, balance. And, for those of us that can remember the good old days, even pre '95 days before email and internet access for the masses, what a joy technology has brought into our lives that we can all exchange ideas here. Yes, we used to pick up the phone more, when we could afford it! However, look how far we've come. An entire community where we can all share our thoughts and ideas.
I'm really kind of sad I won't be here to see the next wave, maybe 50-100 years from now. Or, maybe I am. They say if you don't use it, you lose it. Will we really become a society of big heads, little minds and long fingers!! Nah... :) Thanks so much Richard for allowing me to go back and dream about the old days! :) Gail
I remember the encyclopedia sales people! Boy, that ditto paper WAS a wonderful smell!
A good old fashion steam engine ride through the sprawling county side. Sounds like fun to me
shelton
Gail...
Please write that comment as a blog post, put it in the Group "Whacked!!!" and I'll feature it in the Group!
and we still "dial" a phone, even though we're just pushing buttons.
Richard, technology has over shadowed the good old days. The handshake has been replaced with the digital signature.
Richard,
Well for good or bad we must embrace technology...I have fond memory for the chalk and chalk board...not really sure why..I think it is from the Dad's era when he was a teacher.
Richard: I was thrilled last week to have a Listing Agent hand deliver a ratified contract to me. She drove thirty minutes to do that. When was the last time something like that happened? As a result, the lender and the title company can all read their copies that I, in turn, hand delivered to them. Where's the like button for that? :)
Richard....
The person makes the post and not the post makes the person......too much technology can be used by people to hide themselves.....blogging and all the rest of it should be used to mine the depths of people and their subjects.....thank you
When I was in college the admissions office that I worked in used a typewriter with regularity. Also, my 16 month can't stay away from my laptop or Blackberry :)
Richard, day dreams are still important...many an invention happens that way still. If I have an issue with my computer these days I ask my teen to solve it.
Richard, the internet certainly makes our jobs easier. Clients are always a fax or e-mail away. I like sitting and having a cup of coffee. I prefer that over a multitude of text messages. I went to a marketing class this week and the presenter started out by saying, "Social media is not where it's at". I almost got up and left the class. She so wants to hang on to the way things used to be, that she's fighting what is and will be the future of doing business. Be thankful that you recognize the direction that we are going and don't fight it. I suspect, this woman will be out-of-business in a few years.
Good afternoon Richard,
I like Chris had a contract (I might add perfectly filled out with the seller's disclosure initialed & signed plus the option& earnest money check includedand the pre-approval letter) delivered to my office. This was from a newer agent and I thought "when was the last time that occurred??"
I will take the old days anytime! Faster isn't always better and that is what our society has become
Richard, I can feel your pain. I, too, would relish a slice of the good old days of coffee and conversation. You are right, though, back to wirk now so I don't fall any further behind in the race to rule the digital netherworld.
That's right! Get back to work.
Hi Richard,
I don't miss ditto paper or fax paper or white out or the old typewriter I had to use for term papers. Technology is overwhelming at times just trying to keep up, but it has done wonders for productivity! How else could I be reading your post right now?
~Lisa
Oh, I remember typing 1099s and w2s with many layers and carbon paper. UGH. And I recently had an email that said e-copy: *insert names here. I found that funny.
I forgot about carbon paper! I am a proud member of: I Remember When.... :)
Richard, what I hate are the people who've become 'experts' at something because of what they read on the Internet. Real estate being a good example.
When I was in college, the campus was flooded with people interacting in person. Now, when I took my nephew back to school, the campus was a ghost town. All the co eds were back in their dorm rooms on their computers.
Nuts.
My first computer class was FORTRAN and COBAL programming (way back in the dark ages). On punched cards no less; Lord help you if one was out of sync. I still love the smell of the Ditto machine.
... there are schools in my area with no textbooks -- tehno only. gasp.
Richard, I remember one summer night driving around with friends, right after high school in my standard engine VW Bug without air conditioning and being lost with no GPS trying to find a payphone....
Gloria
Recently had a coversation with my 13 year old daughter about my taking typing as a class in high school. I told her how the teacher would turn the lights off during our tests. She thought that was the dumbest thing she ever heard.
Amen...so very true. Sometimes I wonder if I can keep up. Just when I think I know what's going on something new comes along.
Richard! There are definitely days....the simple days. Thanks for taking me back to so many memories!
Somedays I think the computer is the biggest time sucker ever . . . I go on the internet to look up something simple, like a recipe, and end up viewing videos of some weird cat in Bangladesh . . .another hour shot! Glad I never got drawn into online games! As for those dittos . . .I wonder if they made us a little high . . .we sure did sniff them a lot! :)