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Punch Cards
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 7:27 pm
by Meh
Some of the people I work with programmed using these before such fancy things as disk storage and tape drives.
For you twentysomethings and younger have you ever seen these and I mean to touch not just a picture or in a museum?
I'm thirtysomething an my only exposure was coloring on the back of them in kindergarden (scrap paper basically).
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 9:10 pm
by 1959 Apache
You young whippersnapper! *grabs his cane*
I remember seeing punch cards as a kid and being told they were the future of business. That was back in the early 60's.
That was when if you had a color TV, you must have been rich.
A telephone line was shared by several apartments in a building.
Flushing the toilet meant pulling a chain on a water box over your head.
NASA was launching Gemini rockets.
Viet Nam war was just a footnote in the paper.
Motown ruled the top 40.
Fins had just gone away on most cars.
More commercial airplanes were prop driven than were jet propelled.
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 9:47 pm
by quidit
nope I never have.
Dont want to change subject to much but....Apache what would you say are better times the era you speak of or now?
by the way im 27
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 11:57 pm
by kroner
yeah, i've never seen a puch card in real life. i'm only 18.
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 12:04 am
by 1959 Apache
That is impossible to gauge accurately. Back then, I saw the world through a child's eyes. No responsibility or worry.
I do think that living in general was less of a burden than it is now. The population has grown considerably, causing society to become condensed even more into metropolitan areas. Those areas have grown out into what used to be the country. Having spent most of my life in New York City, I am keenly aware of what that means.
There is much less emphasis placed on talent than there was then. Now, you advance through society based in how well you network. The truly talented aren't necessarily in the positions they belong. Some ass-kissing yes man usually is there.
On the other hand, the world of today can be like those days, if you set yourself up to have it that way. I moved far enough away from the city, so that it was like going back in time. In the town here, I can leave the keys in my car, and never worry. I don't have to lock my house when I go out. I only drive cars from the 50's and '60s. So basically, I have the best of both worlds.
But the question was which is better.............for me, I can't say either way. Many things about then are better, but I do happen to like my computer, microwave and color TV. I guess the only things better are the electronic entertainment things, but we did not know what we didn't have then.
And I HATE cel phones. They are becoming the drug of the century!