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Good News, Bad news - The Next Generation

Here's a set of problems that I've faced this week that my fathers generation and my grandfathers could never have imagined. They worried about polio epidemics, world wars, deep dark economic depressions; but this is what I have in my generation as "good news - bad news"

The "Good News":

My home and my home office have been upgraded from copper to fiber optic, and it all works fantastic. In 1978, I wrote my first computer program on a time sharing computer system using a "modem" on an acoustic coupler at all of 110 bits per second, on paper tape no less! Now I sit at home and work at a 75mb. In 1978, I thought 300bps was fast... You kids out there have to go to museum to find out what a "modem" is, or an "acoustic coupler". Ah, those where the days my friend. Good times, good times...

The "Bad News":

My 47 inch plasma monitor just died. You know, its not like you keep a spare one of these things in the closet and there really is no substitute for them. Now instead of displaying lovely scences in High Definition, its just a big black void sitting there silently mocking me. Damn...

Welcome to the world of 2007...

When I stop and think of the conditions of the lives of my ancestors, there are days when I'm embarrased to say that I have any real problems at all.


Posted @ May 17, 2007 10:15 AM | Current Affairs

Comments

Please don't be so quick to consign modems to the museum. Some of us live in rural areas with no broadband access available. We're grateful to have our measly 26.4kps connections working at all, especially on rainy or windy days when the line static gets out of hand.

Yes, our tough life today is a piece of cake!

Posted by: Seppo at May 18, 2007 10:46 AM

Like I said, I feel awful complaining about such things. Its like being sad and depressed that one of your 12 Rolls Royces has a flat tire and you cant get anyone to fix it.

I still have my modems. Im convinced every day that I will need them again at some point and I'll be ready...

Posted by: frank martin at May 18, 2007 10:55 AM

Perspective, my man -- Perspective:

CIS College trip to NASA at Cape Canaveral, 1978.

Through a pair of double doors.
15 washing machines on raised AC flooring on one side of the aisle.
15 washing machines on raised AC flooring on the other side of the aisle.
Cost per washing machine, ca. $100k-$125k.
Total cost of machines in question, ca. $3-4 million.
Total storage capacity of washing machine hard drives... ca. 3 GIGABYTES.
Response to this sight, 1978: Coooooool!!!!
Response to this memory, 2007: BWAAAAAhahahahahhaaaaa!!!

Posted by: Vittle at May 19, 2007 11:47 PM

...and 15 years from now we'll look back on your shiny new 75 megabit connection and think that it sounds so *cute* to be excited about somthing that small. :-)

Posted by: Chris at May 22, 2007 10:37 AM