Monday, January 10, 2011

Things New Kids Won't Ever See

Stuff that's fading from our lives:
My comments in bold.

Video tape:  That reminds me; I've got a box of that crap to get rid of.  Good Riddance!

Travel Agents:  Hmmm, not so sure of this one, I know it's taken a hit from the internet, but there are plenty of rich folks willing to pay less rich folks to spend the time to make arrangements.  The name of the job might change, though.  Probably to something with Assistant or Associate in it.

The separation of work and home: When you’re carrying an email-equipped computer in your pocket, it’s not just your friends who can find you — so can your boss. For kids born this year, the wall between office and home will be blurry indeed. A mixed blessing for sure.  For most of history, people worked out of home.  The tradition of "going to work" for most of the population is a new phenomenon with the industrial age.

Books, magazines, and newspapers: I get most of my news and most of my information at work from the computer.  They can't digitize libraries fast enough for me.  Just got a Kindle, and am really enjoying it.  Bring it on!

Movie rental stores: Video rental stores will appear only in old, quaint, low resolution, 2 dimensional digital photos.

Watches:   My kids are already at this point.  My phone always has the time, but I don't think to use it that way.  Watches will probably come to serve a strictly ceremonial function, much like ties evolved from a handkerchief, worn at weddings and funerals.  Maybe I should dump mine for a while and see how I manage without it.

Paper maps: Either mobile displays or my eyes are going to have to get better soon.

Wired phones: I'm about ready for this one.

Long distance: My wife just got Skype.  Once the older generation (like my parents, who will never learn to use it) are gone, she'll have no reason to have a land line, a wire phone or a long distance plan.

Newspaper classifieds: The end of dead tree ads.  Another good riddance.
Dial-up Internet: Not my problem anymore, but that sure was an annoying period, wasn't it?

Encyclopedias: The knowledge revolution has been amazing.  Now most of the knowledge in the world (and a lot that ain't true) is at our fingertips instantly.  The only limitations are our own intelligence, our willingness to dive in and evalueate it, and time, always time.

Forgotten friends: I have my doubts.  A lifetime is a long time for most, and people change. While the ability to find lost friends will be there, I doubt the motivation will be much greater than it ever was.

Forgotten anything else: Meh.  There is much which deserves to be forgotten.  If true, this is a negative.

The evening news: Can't get rid of those smug bastard anchormen too quickly.

CDs: First records, then 8-track, then cassette, then CDs — replacing your music collection used to be an expensive pastime. Now it’s cheap(er) and as close as the nearest Internet connection. But it's been fun to watch.  As soon as my 50 gigs or so of music is safely stashed in the cloud and available instantly, I'll be happy.

Film cameras:  What can I do with my old Canon AE-1 now that nobody develops Kodachrome?  If only all my old pictures and slide would scan themselves...

Yellow and White Pages: See classified ads above.

Catalogs: See Yellow and White pages and classified ads.

Fax machines: Once a technological marvel, now a vintage antique.  I never liked 'em.

One picture to a frame:  My "screensaver" has been an art and photo show for years.  But 8 gigs ain't gonna do it.  Think big.  Connect it to the cloud!

Wires:  Great, you should see the tangle behind my computer at home.  Bring it on!

Hand-written letters: My handwriting has always sucked.  I was an early adopter of the all digital office.  But I do remember writing manuscripts out by hand.  Ugghh.

Talking to one person at a time: Remember when it was rude to be with one person while talking to another on the phone? I'm having trouble with this one.  Not so much the rudeness, but the apparent need to be in touch with so many people constantly.

Retirement plans: Yes, Johnny, there was a time when all you had to do was work at the same place for 20 years and they’d send you a check every month for as long as you lived. In fact, some companies would even pay your medical bills, too! Yep, that's pretty far gone, except for the military, and the public sector jobs.  And that will probably have end soon, or the public sector as a whole will be broke.  Kids will have to be taught to save for the future, and we're a sorry lot to be telling them that.

Mail: See catalogs, yellow and white pages and classified ads.

Commercials on TV: They’re terrifically expensive ...who’s going to pay for them? Some commercials are better than most of the so called content, but for the most part good riddance to that too.  Now how do do something about the god awful internet ads.

Commercial music radio: Smartphones with music-streaming programs like Pandora are a better solution that doesn’t include ads screaming between every song. I don't know much or care much about music on the radio anymore, and haven't since I got my IPod.

Hiding: Not long ago, if you didn’t answer your home phone, that was that — nobody knew if you were alive or dead, much less where you might be. Now your phone is not only in your pocket, it can potentially tell everyone ...exactly where you are.  That's why God made boats and off switches.

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