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Life before smartphones (2020)

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Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#441

Post by SSLy »

q-base wrote: post #408
anthk wrote: post #327

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I switched from visiting Reddit from the web/phone client to a Gopher proxy with Lynx (in order to view the submitted sites in the posts): gopher://gopherddit.com Also, my NNTP list: alt.ascii-art alt.folklore.computers alt.os.linux.slackware alt.sys.pdp10 comp.infosystems.gopher comp.lang.forth comp.lang.perl comp.lang.perl.announce comp.lang.perl.faq comp.lang.perl.misc comp.lang.perl.moderated comp.lang.perl.modul…

Haha you have to help me here. Could you please help me understand what gopher is and NNTP? I do not know whether I should feel dumb, too young or too old for not knowing :)

Too young, those are pre-WWW things. NNTP are public mailing lists (proto discussion forums, though right now the proto is mostly used for fully automated luxury piracy) Gopher was supposed to be alternative to HTTP/HTML.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#442

Post by bigpeopleareold »

pugets wrote: post #142

What I miss more than anything else is having an attention span. Years of abusing social media has left my brain pinballing all over the place. I am a collection of unfinished thoughts. Even as I write this, I can feel my mind needing to latch onto something new.

Just makes me think: When I get to this point (rarely if ever though with social media), I feel guilty. I possibly spend too much time on the computer, but I give myself these options if I am going to continue to use it (during spare time): learn a new thing related to my interests, write toy programs, or put it away and spend time with my wife, all if not at work.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#443

Post by Broken_Hippo »

Gauge_Irrahphe wrote: post #423
krylon wrote: post #57

Now I feel old. I remember vividly running around with my first camera, looking for objects worthy of being photographed. The film cost money, so did developing it into pictures. I really had to weigh the pros and cons of taking a particular picture. And in a class of ~25 kids, I was one of three who owned a camera. Not that it was such a luxury item, but most people weren't into that. These days, (nearly) everyone c…

Smartphone cameras are nowhere near analog photos, there is just no way to make a good camera so small.

I don't know - smartphone cameras are at least as good or better than disposable cameras were. The same can be said for the quality of camera most folks had. I remember that little camera that took 110 film.

And oh, I've seen many: I worked at a pharmacy, where one of my duties was developing film and helping folks print digital prints. As digital cameras grew better, cheaper, and more widely distributed (thanks in no small part to smartphones), regular film just dropped sharply.

A few folks care, and will sometimes get a fancier digital camera if they can afford it. The vast majority of folks, though, don't seem to care as long as they have the pictures. Realistically, all a lot of folks want is an instant point and click.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#444

Post by Broken_Hippo »

coldtea wrote: post #119
xwolfi wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I remember waiting for people - I got a smartphone at 16, in 2004, something like that, so it's hard to really imagine how it was for adults... My parents told me they spend evenings at the phone booth talking to each other - but even that is ultra convenient compared to my grandparents sending letters :D But I think it's better anyway - we sample mating candidates more, we cycle through faster, we can stop and…

> But I think it's better anyway - we sample mating candidates more, we cycle through faster, we can stop and try anew nearly any time until 50, and with some difficulty above. On the other side, we self report more isolated, depressed, friendless and dissatisfied than ever in the past decades, have record levels of depression prescriptions and opioids, and people get discovered dead after a month or so when somebody…

Before opiods, we had cocaine, valium, morphine, and so on... We just didn't keep so many records back then, especially during the times they were legal. With Valium, folks got it from their doctor.

Did we track depression before like we do now? Were folks comfortable talking about it or would they lie when they self report?

I'm pretty sure that in the past, folks got discovered dead because of the smell.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#445

Post by Broken_Hippo »

KineticLensman wrote: post #19

A couple of things not mentioned: * Half of the population watching the same episodes of the same programme simultaneously. If you missed an episode, it was gone forever * Inane arguments in pubs about facts that couldn't be instantly googled.

I don't miss these arguments: I much prefer a short stint of BS, followed by searching for facts - which is often followed by a different conversation. Before it was just folks trying to convince others that they were right with no conclusion.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#446

Post by Broken_Hippo »

irrational wrote: post #402

My teenager doesn’t have use of his phone right now. He was complaining that he had no way to contact his friends. I pointed to the landline and he said that wouldn’t work since all their numbers were on his phone. Plus they would never actually answer a phone call - who answers phone calls? I suggested email. None of them check email. I suggested riding his bike to their house and talking to them in person. He was a…

You are asking your child to behave like you did while growing up, without taking into account that your son would be doing things considered rude now.

I'm a fully grown adult over the age of 40. I don't answer my door if I'm not expecting someone. They can call from my driveway if they want. I don't answer phone calls in general, and hate talking on the phone. Few have issues with this as they understand that house visits and phone calls is me asking you to stop what you are doing and talk to me, someone who is just going to talk about something minor that can wait if you are busy. Email is just a letter, cold and impersonal, and isn't a way to communicate with friends, though I'll use it from time to time if it is my last resort.

I'm sure they'll adapt if smartphones actually went away, but that's not what is going on with your son.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#447

Post by Broken_Hippo »

lordnacho wrote: post #83

IMO the big thing is not being bored. Someone is late for a meeting? Doesn't matter, you've got HN to read. On the back seat for a long drive? Doesn't matter, you can answer emails. Or play a game. The whole psychologically weird phase of "hmm I'm here and waiting, and all I can do is watch paint dry" seems to have vanished. I'm not sure what people prefer more though. Say you're waiting for a date, do you feel best…

I'd prefer modern tech.

I've read far too many cereal boxes and shampoo bottles in my lifetime. Instead of getting annoyed at my unexpected 10 minute wait somewhere, I can just play a game. So many minor annoyances, gone due to the little pocket miracle. I can always choose not to pick it up, after all, but at least I have the choice now.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#448

Post by raxxorrax »

rapnie wrote: post #131
krylon wrote: post #57

Now I feel old. I remember vividly running around with my first camera, looking for objects worthy of being photographed. The film cost money, so did developing it into pictures. I really had to weigh the pros and cons of taking a particular picture. And in a class of ~25 kids, I was one of three who owned a camera. Not that it was such a luxury item, but most people weren't into that. These days, (nearly) everyone c…

And he doesn't even mention that you could just be outside, and be unreachable and not able to reach other people too. As a kid I used to play outside a lot, and my mother had no clue where I was, nor could she easily find out. I could be outside all day without her worrying that I'd be abducted or involved in an accident. Now that all has completely changed, and my mother has too. Some years ago when I walked into t…

This is the worst change in my opinion. People assume the worst if you don't answer the phone. This also ruined instant messaging for me. Some people get angry or interpret something weird into it if you don't reply within 30 seconds.

It really depends on the crowd, some people don't mind and get on with their lives and don't answer until next week. I love these people.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#449

Post by agumonkey »

krylon wrote: post #57

Now I feel old. I remember vividly running around with my first camera, looking for objects worthy of being photographed. The film cost money, so did developing it into pictures. I really had to weigh the pros and cons of taking a particular picture. And in a class of ~25 kids, I was one of three who owned a camera. Not that it was such a luxury item, but most people weren't into that. These days, (nearly) everyone c…

There was a short doc about a young analog photographer who said that the freeness made him hoard shots. And that the film development plus the necessity of choosing shots made the whole activity a lot deeper for him.

I deeply believe that we need structures and limits otherwise it's too easy to become metaphorically obese.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#450

Post by 6510 »

ghaff wrote: post #313
gnicholas wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When we're on our computers, email notifications come up unless we're in DND (and even then, they show up whenever your email client is visible regardless).

For me, I have to open my email browser window to see new emails. No notifications. (And no client which I would set to 100% DND if I had one.)

DND should be default and there should be custom sounds for different contacts. Ofc its not our computer anymore, you are not in control. Still, its weird that our digital overlords didn't implement this. Is it copyrights? Are ringtone purchases such good money? I have no idea.
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