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The worse part is the realization that we’re old enough to tell all those “when I was your age” stories already.

:scream_cat:

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Now your phone CPU is literally 1000x faster than the original 8088 CPU. Tell your kids too about your first monitor. They may look at you funny and they may ask what Benjamin Franklin was like. My toddler did. :w_eyeroll1:

Oooh…56K baud handshake sounds! Tell them about the joy of each incremental from 300 baud, 9600 B, 14.4K, 19.8K and ATS intialization strings in .BAT files you inserted in startup to force connect at the higher rates.

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Try describing life before the internet. She run screaming from the room!

Try explaining that when you call, that others used to be expected to answer the phone.

We can try to blame it on spammers. But it also is due to self-absorbed single child pampering. Some have written in articles that voice calls are “intrusive” on their time. So they mostly choose not to answer.

They no longer see it as part of connected caring. This changed in one generation and we all are less for it.

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Is funny you mention that. I’m reading a book right now and one of the characters is a typical millennial. One of her colleagues called her on the phone and she was saying how, when someone called, she usually wouldn’t answer because… “who calls someone today!?” If it’s someone she wants to “talk” to, they either text or instant message.

I get people in my shop always asking me if they can text me a photo or whatever and they look like I have two heads when I tell them I don’t own a cellphone. And I’m talking some of these people are in their 80s!

Reading this will make you feel really old. I know I do.

Some interesting studies show that there are two major populations in the over 65 group. Avid technology adapters who have used it to be less isolated. These folks actually fared well during the lockdowns because they were already networked online. Perhaps surprisingly to some, they account for about 75% of those who are over age 65.

Many do use smartphones. Many use Facebook to stay in touch with family and friends. They use it to explore museums online, navigate to places they want to visit, find activities near them selves.

About 25% of senior citizens are technophobes and tend to be much older (late '70s).

Those who are in their '80s carry their cell phones with them also as a safety device. If they fall they want to be able to summon help. If they witness an accident they are likely to call 911. I’m not nearly that old but I have called 911 for accidents on the road. About 60% of the time I surprised that I was the first reporter. Others just whizzed by without thinking to at least try to get EMS on scene. If you don’t trust android phones there are linux-based phones. They are just rare but you may actually find it useful. Apple seems to claim it is more privacy-centric if that has been a barrier. For Android and Apple, you can always disable GPS. I normally do to save battery life so that I normally charge the phone ~ every other day instead of every day.

I am aware of the linux based alternatives. Yes, privacy is one concern, but it is laughable that you think I’d trust apple with piece of lint, much less my entire existence. Yes, you can disable gps, but that assumes that you believe that it ACTUALLY disables anything. There are recorded, provable instances of companies outright lying about their “disable this feature” toggle.

I own a “cellphone.” But… like I’ve said before to others, I owned one of the first “smartphones” back in the day in the form of a HP iPAQ PDA. The cellphone that I own is not activated as a phone. It’s not registered to me. I do not carry it with me anywhere, unless I am going somewhere I expect to need it. Otherwise, it stays at home turned off, not asleep… off. Location, GPS, bluetooth and wifi radios are always toggled off unless/until I need them.

Yeah… I’m paranoid, but… just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that they aren’t after you.

You might consider i did say “seems to claim” about Apple. I cannot and did not vouch for them. Am I concerned that somebody at Google or the feds track me? Actually, no. I work for the feds indirectly. I appreciate the trainings and educational opportunities they provide.

Consider that if they were great at tracking people, there would not be nearly as many missings persons and most crimes would be curtailed using GPS and phone message evidence in nearly all cases.

Well, messages are routinely used against suspects.

As for GPS used to find missing persons… we both know that that - as well as cell tower triangulation - is entirely possible, that does beg the question as to why it isn’t employed.

I never said you vouched for them. I’m just letting you know that that is one of the LAST companies on earth I would trust. Back when they were first starting out, going up against gates, my attitude was different, but as time went on, we just drifted apart :cowboy_hat_face:

Am I CONCERNED? Indirectly, and at the moment, no, but you don’t start plugging holes in the bow once your boat is underwater. You start maintaining the perimeter now, BEFORE it becomes a problem.

Netscape is the best browser ever.

We should have a moment of silence in remembrance of the greatest hero in all of computing history.

Old School 90S GIF

The “Feds” are comprised of people like you and me. They have been there for me when needed. To teach, to help me do more than I could alone to help working poor folks, and even to come to protect when that was needed. So my perspective is one of gratitude. I do not see them as a single monolithic entity.

As a Republic, we do not always get things to go the way we might prefer. Why? Because we have neighbors who also have a vote and may not see issues and priorities in the same way. Rather than be frustrated, I try to see why and often times, I do see the alternative point of view and can support much of it.

E Pluribus Unum…We need to try to remember that others mean well and desire a better nation for their kids too. That way we can be less frustrated and far less prone to (inappropriate) anger.

Some of us need to try to remember that not everyone means well or desires a better nation. Some people are misled, misguided or just down right evil.

To make this a topic relative comment, it’s liked software… “upgrades” are not always better. “Upgrades” quite often break previously working code, eliminate useful functions or needlessly bloat the software. Same applies to quote-unquote “progress.” Sometimes, shit should just be left alone.

I would like to believe based on interacting with thousands of folks that most mean well and all bar none want a better situation for their families. Realizing that is the start.

We strive for that common goal. We fall into dysfunction if we do not. Choice is ours to make.

As to browsers - each iteration has been meant to enhance what can be done. I used Procomm for years because it was lean and for the websites at the time, it was excellent. But what was displayable then vs. now has been transformmed. From monochrome amber ASCII screens to 1080P as a defacto standard. I recall a person adamantly claiming video resolution would never match that of std def TV. And IBM’s chairman estimate the total market for PCs world wide to be 50K max. People with vision to make quality of life better for others worked to make a better reality.

You can believe that if you like, but read history. The proof is in reality. And better for their families does not equal better for all.

I still use ten year old software and even older hardware because… IT WORKS. I will continue to say it… newer is not always “better.” I have software on my system is is LOCKED to older revisions because of the exact reasons I’ve already stated. You and I have different definitions of “better.”

You appear to believe that humans are basically good. I think humans are basically evil.

Hey, all. If you want to talk politics, please take it to the political thread. Thanks.

(Please note: I don’t work for Woot, I just volunteer to help out here on the forums.)