I think I have an internet problem.

[M118LR]

Today I finally realized that some folks have never had to watch the 6 O'clock News hosted by Walter Cronkite to witness the final moments of the ones they loved. Is it true that you could be an internet TROLL if you still recall or remember what has happened before America put a man on the moon, or Mr Gore invented the internet??????? I do believe that there are some on this modern form of communication that need a couple of rides on Disney's Carousel of Progress. Perhaps it's just my opinion??????

[crashdive123]

Trust me. There are many members here that have been around on this little blue marble longer than you. I do believe that there are some on this modern form of communication that need to take a breath and chill out a bit.

[M118LR]

I had a conversation with a young lad that asked me what the Old Time Atari systems were like. He was curious what it was like to live with something so primitive. All I could do was ask him what he would do if we took away television and everything connected to it. He couldn't comprehend. I asked what he would do with his time if the only thing he had access to for entertainment was a radio? He answered by telling me he'd video stream his cell phone. He was wondering what was wrong with me? I answered by telling him I played to many pinball games as a kid. Don't think he understood?

[WolfVanZandt]

Earlier this year, I read The Education of Henry Adams. This man served as an ambassador's assistant when he was a young man under Abraham Lincoln. He lived to see the advent of quantum mechanics. When I was introduced to computers, the Southeast Defense computer took up a 3 1/2 story blockhouse. The place had to be air conditioned or the vacuum tubes would start exploding. My laptop is so much more powerful than that huge piece of electronics as to be laughable. But we placed a man on the moon with that archaic piece of electronics. When I started programming, I had to place my programs on decks of cards, carry them to the computer center and wait until the next day (if I was lucky and the computer was behaving) before I could retrieve my readout. I sold some of the first personal computers when I worked at Radio Shack. Anybody remember the TRS80 and Color Computer? I miss the CoCo.

There was more technological progress in my father's life time than in the span of history before him. There was more technological progress in my live than in the span of history before me. There has been more technological progress in my nephew's life than in the span of history before him.

There have always been kids that couldn't conceive of anything beyond their own home scene. I knew them when I was a kid. My father knew them when he was a kid. If you read literature of the past, you will meet many of them in any age. They are limited by their own lack of interest, experience, vision. They're not the only kind of young people out there. I've worked with the church, the Boy Scouts, youth services; and I've tutored a lot of kids. And I've been impressed by many of them.

[finallyME]

Don't worry M118LR, Socrates had the same complaint.

“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.”

You young lad you had the conversation with, will say the same thing you are saying....in about 50 or so years.

[kyratshooter]

There is the other view of this situation too.

As you get older your perspective gets screwed up and you do not see some obvious problems with your own observations.

I had a conversation with a friend in his 70s who is still working. He is one of those guys that addresses grandfathers in their 50s as "young man". He also considers anything besides what he does as "not real work".

He was complaining about the lack of ambition in the people he was supervising.

I asked him if he had considered the fact that he was holding every person under his authority economically and vocationally captive by not retiring and moving his old @$$ out of the way so they could make the next step on their career ladder?

This same guy was complaining about the lack of loyalty from employees a short time back when several of his people moved along to better paying positions after working with his company for only 20-25 years.

I think the proper term for this activity is called self centered whining.

[M118LR]

There always is the other side of the coin.
I realized, at the restaurant during breakfast, that I could make a killing if I developed a steak knife attachment for cell phones. That way folks wouldn't have to halt their candy crush game to eat. Anyone remember what we did while waiting prior to cell phones??? LOL

[Seniorman]

" ... There was more technological progress in my father's life time than in the span of history before him. There was more technological progress in my live than in the span of history before me. There has been more technological progress in my nephew's life than in the span of history before him. ..."

Technological developments from time immemorial have never ceased and are connected, one to another and another and another. Here is a site with an outstanding series of documentaries about that very subject. It is hosted by James Burke and is called "Connections."

I watched it when it first aired on PBS years ago and it is one of the most interesting documentaries I've ever watched... and I happen to really like educational documentaries.

Take a look, boys and girls. Watch each episode as "Connections" connects us all, like an unbroken chain from thousands of years ago up to today.

Begin with the 1978 productions and then watch the later updates.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/james-burke-connections/

S.M.

[WolfVanZandt]

One of my housemates is a "Connections" fan. Cool series.

I don't mind advances. The trick is to realize that everything has it's positive and negative sides. For instance, a cell phone can create a dependency such that it's user only "knows" what they can look up on their cell phone and they immediately forget it. I use my cell phone for life long learning. For instance, a useful piece of information for me is that the hill I have to climb every time I walk to the shops in the neighborhood is 74 feet tall. I used an altimeter in my cell phone to figure that out. What is the geology of the foothills of the Rockies? I have a field trip that I plan to take that I found on the Internet and it's now saved on my cell phone. How do I fix a faucet? I don't have to ask a plumber - I just need my cell phone.

I've heard several scientists say that one of the worst things that ever happened to humans was cities. Cities produce domestication (of both humans and associated animals) and domestication and urbanization lead to serious health problems. I recently heard a health scientist say that, if you really wanted to be healthy, you would keep the modern medical advances and move into a hunter/gatherer lifestyle. I would say that cities can be good but you really need to understand the drawbacks and work to prevent the ill effects of living in cities. A company doesn't have a conscience unless it is built in from the beginning. Any society or lifestyle will have all the negative baggage natural to it unless measures are taken from the inception to prevent it.

[Antonyraison]

Living in southern Africa, I did not have internet untill about 1996, So I pretty much grew up without that ( I was 15 already then)
My pc uptill that point had been an old 282, then we got a p2 233mhz top of the line in those days...
When I was much younger we played on commodore 64's..
My 1st Job in It was actually supporting win 3.1 dos and win 95..
although I am comparatively much younger than you guys , I been in IT 16 years, And what I have worked with (everything from 0s2 warp, unix, linux, win3.1 till the latest versions of windows,etc) some of the things I seen belong in musems.. hehe

[WolfVanZandt]

Some of the things you seen probably are in museums. Consider yourself vintage.

[finallyME]

There always is the other side of the coin.
I realized, at the restaurant during breakfast, that I could make a killing if I developed a steak knife attachment for cell phones. That way folks wouldn't have to halt their candy crush game to eat. Anyone remember what we did while waiting prior to cell phones??? LOL

Since I interact a lot with teenagers, this is what I tell them:

Girls: If a boy actually likes you, he will call you on the phone and use his actual voice to talk to you. Or, he will come to your house and speak to you with his face. If all he does is text you, he doesn't really like you, he is probably texting a bunch of girls at the same time. If he takes you out, and texts the whole time, he isn't texting you, and doesn't really like you enough to devote his time to you.

Boys: If you really want to show a girl that she is special, talk to her...with your voice. Call her on the phone "app" of your phone and use the voice feature without the text. Go to her house, or sit next to her at school. Talk to her while she is in front of you. Not only will you enjoy it more, but you will also find out that she smells nice.

Sometimes I will get the "you are a crazy old man" look.