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

[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..