What did you do before the computer?
By celticeagle
@celticeagle (189793)
Boise, Idaho
September 5, 2015 10:30am CST
I remember hearing about the computer. A huge, obnoxious piece of equipment. My first big job was at the telephone company and our system was called Macobs. Partially computerized. This was in the early 70's. The company went to AT&T in 1980-81 and it was completely computerized. I worked at several answering services and finally at EDS which was all computerized. So probably 2.\3 of my nearly thirty years of customer service experience was in computerized work. I got my first computer in 2000 or so. Dial up was what there was and I recall missing the birth of my grandson because I was on dial up and hadn't gone offline when the news tried to reach me. That was in October of 2002. But, what was I doing before that? I was writing by hand. All my stories and notes were done by hand. I was watching a lot of TV, going out, cleaning house, actually communicating with my family. It's really hard to think back to a time like that. And the difference between when I was young child and playing cowboys and Indians and had a mop stick for a horse and ran around outside. And, now when kids spend much their time online. Do you remember?
8 people like this
7 responses
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
5 Sep 15
Before computers, my life was significantly different. I can say that computers have been the ultimate downfall of my life but on the flip side a blessing.
No matter what though, I am one of those who wish they never existed.
I guess my first contact with something like a computer were the old keypunch machines in high school..a looooong time ago
3 people like this
@celticeagle (189793)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Sep 15
Key punch huh? I vaguely recall those. I took typing in high school which was my closest experience early on with anything near what I am doing now.
1 person likes this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
6 Sep 15
No matter what though, I am one of those who wish they never existed.
There were days when I too wished they never existed. But dear, today, they are the only way I can earn some money. You know I stay at home and work over the Internet for a living.
I think it is our over expectations from these devices that get us more attached to them
I think it is our over expectations from these devices that get us more attached to them2 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
6 Sep 15
@celticeagle Yes we had cards like this to work on.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Hollerith keyboard (pantograph) punch. Keypunch operators at work at the U.S. Social Security Administration in the 1940s. "A good operator can turn out 1,500 punch cards daily." Operators c
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@celticeagle (189793)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Sep 15
I am glad to hear. So much of life to be explored. I make money at the computer so I feel justified in the amount of time I spend here.
1 person likes this
@PrarieStyle (2486)
• United States
6 Sep 15
I remember life before computers. They're a mixed blessing. I see so many young people now days that have to check their phones about every 5 min. or so. Including two of my own children. Conversations last for about two sentences, then it's back to their phone.
I've worked with young people who can't stay off their phone even though it was forbidden by the employer. I see it as a real problem in the future for children who are growing up with them. They have no idea what life is like without them.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (189793)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Sep 15
I think this is where parenting comes in. So much time on phone or computer daily is enough and they need to do other things like chores and such to help pay for what they have. But it is up to the parents to instill this in children.
1 person likes this
@cupkitties (7421)
• United States
6 Sep 15
My life as a child actually wasn't very different from yours and we did have computers. We also had Gameboy, Atari, Nintendo, but they were just like any other toy to us. We weren't on them 24 hours a day like todays generation. We didn't have internet either. Internet is what really changed things. I remember spending way more time outside even having all those things. We talked to friends and family, rode around on bikes, acted out characters from books and movies, played Pickle, climbed the hill in our neighbors back yard and ran up and down the road with coke cans stuck to the bottom of our shoes until mom screamed at us to "will ya stop that damned racket!?" Computers were still so insignifcant then.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (189793)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Sep 15
I am glad to hear that you enjoyed other things besides technology. I think it is nice to know it is there is we want it though.
1 person likes this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
5 Sep 15
I was a student before I started working and my first job itself (in 1994) was that of a Teacher in Computers. So I do not know how life would have been if I wasn't with computers.
But definitely, before the computers, I had friends we would spend endless hours playing games - cricket, badminton, even indoor games - carom and chess plus a few other board games. I loved to fly kites, drive out on my bicycle. We never knew there was anything called virtual gaming or even that you could play any game against a machine.
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@celticeagle (189793)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Sep 15
These things need to be made available to kids. Virtual gaming is one thing and friends are another. Haha
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
6 Sep 15
@celticeagle The games are always available. It is only the kids of today who are glued to playing them on Handsets or Computers. I think the social media too has added to the problems by compounding them. My nephew, he had 6 accounts on Facebook already and his first one was when he was only 8 (I know some open their accounts much earlier too).
We had a hard time convincing him that it was not right at his age to have social media accounts.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
6 Sep 15
I grew up when computers were already around, so I can say that I can't imagine life without them, especially when it comes to doing things such as writing letters and so on. But it was still nothing compared to how things are today. During my childhood we could still appreciate playing in the outdoors, library visits and all that. I think things start changing drastically after the Internet, at least for many people from my generation.
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@celticeagle (189793)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Sep 15
Oh I hear ya. I have a little nob on one finger from using the pen and pencil so much. Probably as much as I use the computer now. Haha. It will be there forever.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189793)
• Boise, Idaho
7 Sep 15
@cahaya1983 Yeah, it will be there forever. It's gone down a little so it isn't as pronounced but is still there.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
7 Sep 15
@celticeagle That nob is a nice memento from the time before computer. Hehe.
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@else34 (13515)
• New Delhi, India
6 Sep 15
Before I learned and bought my first computer I lived a wonderful life.A life I miss now.It was the time when I was able to spend hours reading great books or wandering in places unknown to me and enjoy the company of my friends for hours.Computer has deprived me of all these.
