The past

[jack]

In the past, if you didn't know the way somewhere, you had to find a map of the area in advance and bring it with you, or you'd be lost.

If you weren't able to plan to bring something to read while you waited, you didn't have anything to read.

If you arranged to meet someone somewhere and they weren't there, there was no way to find them.

In the past, if you wanted to talk to someone, you had to ring the building they were in and hope.

People routinely used synchronous voice communication for minor non-urgent communication, because there wasn't anything better.

Before 1989, and in 1999/2000, there were periods of time with no humans in space.

Radios, calculators, notebooks, stereos, spreadsheets, compasses, maps, spirit levels, plumb lines, rulers, protractors, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, flashlights, telephones, alarm clocks and calendars were distinct physical objects, not apps you could just download whenever you needed them.

Comments

[pseudomonas]

If you actually did want to get non-spoken text to someone you had to write it on dead tree and then pay someone to carry it to the other person. Or fax, but really no-one had one of those.

[rysmiel]

You're making me feel old, guys.

[pseudomonas]

OK, I realise when you were young there wasn't fax and it was papyrus rather than tree, but you take my point :P

[jack]

:)

I did live for quite a long time before email and mobile phones. It was university where email and mobiles were the norm rather than the exception. But in retrospect, I was just waiting for email to arrive :)

[rmc28]

My mum had a fax for her political work, and my friend's mum had a fax for her business, so we used to fax each other bits of homework and things :-)

[damerell]

Mind you, you could get half a dozen or more dead-tree deliveries a day.

[pseudomonas]

Not in North London in the early 80s.

On 13 November 2014 15:37, damerell - DW Comment dw_null@dreamwidth.org wrote:

[damerell]

Well, not in the 1780s, not in the 1980s, but...

[ewx]

In the past, an overwhelming majority of the population didn't have a video camera with them at all times.

[pseudomonas]

Yeah, there were definitely ways the past was better.

[andrewducker]

I'm firmly in favour of all people being able to capture evidence of crimes easily.

And of making it mandatory for the police to do so.

[jack]

I agree this is a large potential problem, especially with the possibility of the NSA being able to turn it on remotely, and needs to be addressed. But it seems like most of the time it's actually turned out pretty well. When it's come to my attention it's been "first ever video of natural phenomenon" or "charges against protester dropped as video evidence from thirteen angles shows true events"...?

[ghoti.livejournal.com]

Or angry exes leaking nude photos/sex videos, which previously had to be a thing you thought a lot about before making exist?

[jack]

That's true. I wasn't sure if it counted if it's usually photos not videos, or if the problem is usually people using them, not having them. But I think that was wrong, it definitely should be counted as one of the major problems with the phenomenon.

[syllopsium]

Not really. Video cameras have been available for years but were a lot more fiddly. Polaroid has been around for years..

[azurelunatic]

The other day I got the hankering to practice a tune on a keyboard a bit. So I downloaded one.

[cheekbones3]

I still possess and use all of the things you mention as separate objects (protractors excepted, I've not had it out of its pencil case in years).

Actually, I will first look online for encyclopaedia-based info, but not exclusively.

I think that encyclopaedias and calendars are the two things worth moving into electronic format with. One day, I'll use an electronic calendar for my personal life too!

[syllopsium]

I'd suggest that maps, stereos, plumb lines, spirit levels, alarm clocks and torches still have really good reasons for remaining physical. Telephones are still physical!

Modern life is a lot better, the main problem is an overabundance of choice and a lack of curation.

The fact fun arguments can be easily resolved with the Internet is offset by the fact the Internet generates new and interesting discussions.

Also, 28 day delivery. 28 days! It was a thing, as was the banks and the pubs being closed when you actually wanted to go in..