I was a teenager in the 1970's, and have experienced computer and gaming technology from its infancy. Occasionally I reminisce about our first family computer, an Atari system that could be used for basic word processing and games. Having learned to type on the IBM Selectric and Memoy Typewriters, using word processing technology was a milestone in the late 1970's and improved as we entered the 1980's. After I started my first serious job and taught myself how to use the Apple IIe and VisiCalc, I knew that I wanted to always be at the helm of bleeding edge technology. There are many times today that I look back on my youth and recall times that I wish I had a cell phone to call my parents about a change of plans, or when my car broke down on a major highway and I had to hike up a hill to call for help. Folks my age are the ones who notice the lack of pay phones on the side of the road or the lack of them at gas stations today. Technology has changed my life in so many ways. Since I was never afraid of technology and embraced it in my every day life, it gave me many career opportunities that I would not have otherwise had. I know what it is like to do a raw Gopher protocol search using Veronica, with a dial-up line, compared to today where we can wirelessly connect to the internet and use software such as Explorer, or Firefox to seek out web sites that will perform key word searches and return thousands of hits of information. As a network engineer, I learned and understood how information is sent from one computer to another, how information is broken down into packets and sent electronically. I have to say that technology changed my life for the better. It gave me a fruitful career with opportunities to travel and learn about the different areas of technology.
The technology I use today includes computers, wireless routers, digital cameras and video. My best technology tool is my iPhone.
My i-Phone doesn't replace my laptop, but takes on many of the tasks of the laptop and more. A cell phone today has turned into your calendar, mp-3 player, GPS, camera, gaming tool, movie player and the holder of apps that will automate and organize your life.
Hello Deborah,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed taking a stroll down Memory Lane with you.
I, too, grew up in the 1970's and recall the IBM Selectric typewriter where it was really cool just to strike the delete key and the character would be deleted. This, of course, was preferable to correction tape!
I was also in the field of technology as a Technical Support Analyst for many years. In the very early days of my career, I performed operating system upgrades for banking institutions. As part of my job, I would assess the client's system configuration and determine how many disks the update would require, build the disks and then arrange to have UPS or FEDEX deliver them before my arrival. Today, you can buy a flash drive that would hold the same amount of data.
I think I was fortunate to have been in the industry during the computer network and internet boom. At one point, I worked for a software company that developed LAN group collaboration software and immediately saw the potential benefits of networking. But, I still don't believe that anyone at that time really understood the power of the internet and how it has transformed the way we learn, communicate and go about our daily lives. Incredible!
Hi Katie,
DeleteWe have very similar backgrounds. I laughed remembering those floppy disks and what it took to do a backup. Like you, I am very sure that back in the early 1980's most people had no idea about the potential for the internet. I feel fortunate to have lived through the progression of technology. It is one of my favorite classes at the beginning of the school year. I have to admit... I still have a bottle of white out. I may not use it to correct a typo, but I use it to make corrections when I'm not using a computer. :-)