The Computer Age

[N Florida Mike]

I was 60/78. I didnt get a cell phone until around 2000. At work in the 90s we had share band radios, basically was a CB with limits. They were fun , except when the plumbers would walk on us.

I had no interest at all in computers AT All. My wife was excellent at them because of her work. She tried various things to get me interested, then finally got me “Civil War Generals” game. I was hooked. Learned a lot from just playing the game. Even took washington once playing confederate! 

Anyway, I havent had a computer now in 10 years after the last one broke.

Enter the I- phone. It had a mind of it’s own. I have no idea what’s going on  some of the time. But the greatest nemesis for me of all is PASSWORDS ???. No matter what I do , I never seem to have the right one….

 

and we still have a land line phone !

[Jigfishn10]

I still have a computer with XP on it. The only reason why I keep it is because it has an AutoCad program on it for plan submission for building permits. 
 

I don’t use it often but it’s quite a hoot to see how far we’ve come with technology.

 

 

[MN Fisher]

Just now, Jigfishn10 said:

I still have a computer with XP on it. The only reason why I keep it is because it has an AutoCad program on it for plan submission for building permits. 
 

I don’t use it often but it’s quite a hoot to see how far we’ve come with technology.

Wife (laptop) and I (desktop, netbook) are both still running Win-7 Pro...with no plans to upgrade.

 

I got programs I still use that will NOT work with Win-8, much less Win-10.

[Jigfishn10]

2 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Wife (laptop) and I (desktop, netbook) are both still running Win-7 Pro...with no plans to upgrade.

 

I got programs I still use that will NOT work with Win-8, much less Win-10.

Win 8 was awful. Short lived. Reminded me of Win Vista

[throttleplate]

During high school in 1978 for a credit i took a computer class where the computer was the dial a phone and put it into the back of a white plastic machine with typewriter keyboard.

At that time my after school job was working at a texaco service station where workng on cars was my thing along with after school keg parties. The computer class was the last class of the day.

Anyway i hated the computer class so much that i learned nothing because i didnt want to or care to. So how i passed was i paid this really nerdy guy with cash to write all my homework programs and i would turn them in.

The teacher must have known i didnt write the programs and let it slide knowing i was a dummy with no hope.

Today i really need and enjoy computers and i do pretty well when it comes to troubeshooting problems with them.

[Chris Catignani]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

I think you mean 'techno-phile'

 

A technophobe would be afraid of the new technology...that's just one step up from a luddite.

Touche!

Lets just go with techie.

[Kirtley Howe]

Born in 1949. There was no such thing as a computer during my high school days. MY keyboard skills came from typing class, on an Underwood manual typewriter. Went to college in 1968...still no computers. My first experience with computers came when I got a job a Cornell University. Apple provided computers to educational institutions, so we had them, and had to learn to use them. They were dial-up, of course. The computer for all store business was a Honeywell, and it was 7 ft. wide by 6 ft deep by 6 ft high. It ran a Ratex program, which had to be programed in Basic. I was in the Operations Department, so taking care of it ended up being my responsibility for several years, until they finally hired a Programer/IT guy. Our cash registers were NCR 280 models that were state of the art at the time.  After a few years, we switched to glorified PC to run everything, and had dumb terminals that connected to that as our cash registers. We were one of the very first locations in the country to use this set up, and we beta tested a lot of different equipment for computer companies. I learned a lot during this time period. I got my very first cell phone through work...a flip phone from Cellular One (they were later bought out by Verizon). All that phone could do was make phone calls, but it worked great. Wish I still had a phone that worked that well. Now I have a smart phone....all I use it for is to make calls, and take pictures, and occasionally use the gps features. I really don't like to text, so I cancelled that option.  If someone needs me, they can (gasp) call me and talk to me. If I want to do computer like functions, I use my home laptop, which has a screen I can see, and a keyboard that I can actually type on.  I am not computer illiterate, and am abreast of most modern technology, but for the most part I don't see much reason to use all that stuff. I can add, subtract, multiply, divide, and do higher math functions on my own, in my head or with paper and pencil. I get very frustrated when I go to a store and the cashier can't make change unless the computer/register does it for them.  Maybe I am just an old fart, but I really believe that all these gadgets are making a lot of people dumber. I enjoy using my brain and wish more people could use theirs.

[CrankFate]

5 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

I loved Oregon Trail! Hunting the Buffalo was always fun. Lol

 

I believe I beat it once, but usually I died of starvation, some sort of disease, or a group of Indians took me out. ?

Dysentery ☠️

[Jaderose]

23 hours ago, gimruis said:

You don't even use sonar?  How the heck do you know how deep it is?

I know my home lake very, very well.  On a new body of water, I just check the fall time of a jig.  

 

I'm not one of those old guys that thinks technology is useless and says things like "The pioneers didn't have...".  My home lake is a little 100 acre MDC lake out in the middle of nowhere.  I've fished it hard for about 12 years and still find it interesting.  It has points, stumps, rip rap, laydowns, creeks, creek channels, flats, drop offs, you name it.  If I fished big water, I'd have all the tech in the world, but I just don't need it for 99% of the fishing I do.  If and when I start fishing some of Missouri's big water, I'll get a fishfinder and learn how to use it.  But I still won't take videos of me fishing or have any desire to chat on the phone while I'm on the water...lol

[Catt]

14 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

But the greatest nemesis for me of all is PASSWORDS ???.

 

 

[N Florida Mike]

I log in a password for an app, it even records it in the phone. I go back , get the password, put it in, and it will always say: Password incorrect. I know I’m not the only person that has this problem…

[Bankbeater]

Computers don't bother me.  I've been using computers at work for the past 20 years, before that we were using dumb terminals.

I'm completely lost on cell phones. I wish I could go back and use my old flip phone to just make calls.

[king fisher]

    I graduated high school in 1981.  The small town high school I went to didn't have any computers yet.  I moved to Alaska a few years later, and lived in the bush 300 miles from the road system.  I didn't have electricity, phone, or any other modern convenience.  I could get an NPR AM radio station from Dillingham, on some days if I was lucky.  I was happy and didn't care if I ever saw a computer.  A couple years later I learned to fly and bought a plane.  The plane was made in 1947 and had zero electrical system.  I had to prop start, and used a hand held radio with AA batteries.     I navigated with a chart and compass.  When GPS became popular I didn't bother to get one for another 10 years when a friend gave me a used hand held. I told him thanks, but I didn't need some lying computer gadget to keep me from getting lost.   I flew that Piper Cub from Alaska to Fl. that winter and didn't turn the GPS on.  On the return trip I got bored and started to play with it.  What a game changer.  Now I don't know if I could navigate in the air or on water with out one.  I had to call my friend and admit my hypocrisy because I do believe GPS is the greatest invention ever.

         It was about 2005 when I got an email address in order to communicate.  I didn't have a computer but when I would fly in to town I would go to the library and check my email, and spend an afternoon answering emails.  Was a big improvement over snail mail.  That was the start of a love hate relationship with computers.  I always seem to be late to the party. I fight every modern advancement, but finally cave and become the hypocrite I always said I would not be.  This year I bought my first smart phone right on schedule about 10 years late.  In all this time I always had the latest fishing and hunting gear, electronics simply wasn't a priority.   Every once in awhile I get frustrated and threaten to move back to the Bush, until my wife reminds me how cold and lonely a winter can get.

    I still have to prop start the plane, and still use monofilament, proving If it ain't broke don't fix it still applies to some things.

[Catt]

I do use some hi-tech sound & video equipment. With mixers, monitors, speakers, microphones, video equipment, & lighting it gets pretty intense.

 

The whole system is controlled by a computer that gives me digital displays of everything.

 

I stay on top of technology but I ain't nowhere near a geek.

[cyclops2]

I am Bankbeater's genetic brother. I HATED giving up my ANALOGUE Motorola cell phone. They kept raising the fees.  To force going to the crappier, shorter range, digital phones.

 

  Oh well

[volzfan59]

On 12/22/2021 at 11:50 AM, Mobasser said:

I was born in 1957 and graduated high school in 1976.         There were no computers when I attended school. It's almost embarrassing to say, but I struggle with computers and related things.                                         I'm wondering, are there any other folks here( around my age group), who have a hard time with computers?                           I recently got a new cellphone. I was lucky the guy at the store helped me get it set up. He was 22, and knew all about all the high tech stuff in the store. I felt like an old timer down there.  I'm trying to learn as much as I can, but I'm slower than molasses when it comes to computers. Any of you guys struggle with computer tech like I do?

I was born in 1959, graduated in '78. I'm with you, I have a horrible time with all things tech related. As I have mentioned several times, I'm a proud dinosaur! One of my step daughter's got me some Bluetooth "beats" headphones for Christmas this year. This should be another headache.....I mean adventure.

[Scott F]

I was born in 55’ and graduated from high school in 73. In the late 80’s, my wife got into the desktop publishing business using early Mac computers. She was technically challenged so I became her IT guy. I’ve kept up with all things Apple ever since. My job used PCs which rounded my knowledge of computers. These days, I’d say I’m computer literate but when it comes to social media like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok or the like, I’m useless. I’ve always used computers as tools to help me do things I need to do. I never learned how to use social media because I never saw any benefit to me.

[Columbia Craw]

53/72.  I’m still trying to learn how to get the cruise control on my RAM.

[TnRiver46]

4 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

53/72.  I’m still trying to learn how to get the cruise control on my RAM.

Haha! My ram has windows you roll down with a handle. When my buddy’s young kids see it, they always say “can I roll the window down???? How old is this thing??”

[PourMyOwn]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Haha! My ram has windows you roll down with a handle. When my buddy’s young kids see it, they always say “can I roll the window down???? How old is this thing??”

My 07 Tundra has toll down windows too. I get the same responses.

[Koz]

On 12/24/2021 at 9:19 AM, N Florida Mike said:

I log in a password for an app, it even records it in the phone. I go back , get the password, put it in, and it will always say: Password incorrect. I know I’m not the only person that has this problem…

I use LastPass to manage all of my passwords so no matter where I go or what device I use I can access all of my logins and passwords.

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, Koz said:

I use LastPass to manage all of my passwords so no matter where I go or what device I use I can access all of my logins and passwords.

I use Mozilla Account since I use FireFox on all four of my devices - syncs bookmarks and passwords across them all.

[Koz]

Born in the 60’s and class of 82 here. When I was a kid we had an Apple II Plus and I taught myself to code in BASIC. Since then I have embraced technology.

 

For example, I’ve written software and apps because I needed something done or saw an opportunity. So I go online and learn just enough and combine open source code and libraries to get things done.

 

I also build my own PC’s because it’s cheaper than buying off the shelf and it’s fun.

 

Lately I’ve enjoyed having a connected home with lights and appliances and electronics connected via Alexa.

 

Although I embrace most technology, I am not connected to my phone and I loathe people that sit there texting all day.

[Captain Phil]

I graduated from high school in 1965.  I landed a job with the Burroughs Corporation as a Field Engineer trainee.  This was a fancy title for an adding machine mechanic.  Everything was mechanical back then.   I eventually moved into accounting machines.  In 1970, I left with two other employees to start my own service company.  Mechanical accounting machines went electronic in the late seventies and I had to learn basic assembler programming.  Computers came in the eighties and we wrote a lot of software and trained a lot of older machine operators to the computer.   Many made the transition, many could not.  Some people have  a mental block against any change.  This is normal, but it can get in the way of personal progress.  Time marches on, change can be good even when it seems bad.  Can you imagine a world without the Internet?  How about no TV?   When I was a teenager, many fathers would drop over with a heart attack before they were 60.  Today, heart surgery is common.  I turn 75 in February.  I would be confined to a wheel chair if it weren't for the miracle of the back surgery I had ten months ago.  I have friends who are in their eighties and still going strong.  Many young people on this forum will see their 100th birthday.  The past wasn't all that good.

[fishhugger]

i'm 66... yeah, computers is hard. the internet is confusing... the good old daze? those old hp calculators with reverse polish notation? omg... what a hoot. actually, they were pretty neat... cute, nifty, i assume american-made little things,,... now those were cool. then the ti (as in texas instruments, are they still around? oh, they are...i have one, lol) calculators, which to me were like the hondas of the calculator world...

 

now, i got a raspberry pi, running unix, which until 1998??? or so, ran only on 'big iron.' so i'm running unix on a tiny teensy little raspberry, and now i'm getting into arduinos. those are these uber-cool microcontrollers... maybe i'll train mine to catch a bass while it opens a beer for me. technology right now is kind of pretty inviting - finally. and i worked in computers.

 

but i can barely work my cell phone. i think cell phones are basically pieces of u-no-what. steve jobs was right: he wouldn't let his kids use them. they make you stupid. but like everyone else, i drink the kool aid.

 

oh,  merry christmas,