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Magpie
Immortal
Mar 1 2015, 5:02am
Post #1 of 176
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What have you likely done for the last time... or alternately... what skill do you possess that is now obsolete?
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I was thinking about this awhile back. I have probably used a phone booth for the last time. I've probably used a pay phone for the last time. And I won't ever again dial to make a phone call.
Those are things I did for decades. But I won't ever do them again.
Recently, io9 asked people what skills they had learned that were now obsolete. Some (perhaps arguable) examples were looking things up in a card catalog (library!), driving a stick shift, writing in cursive, drafting with pencil and paper, using a slide rule, and shorthand.
I also joked recently with my neighbors on National Night Out when they all said none of them had a landline phone that they'd all have to come to my house when the apocalypse hits.
Then that got me thinking about what other things that were once obsolete would again be useful. Bring out the sliderules!
So, use the topic starter however you like. What thing or action is now part of your past due to advances in technology or changes in general culture? What old skill or object do you stubbornly hang onto (and use) that have fallen out of popular use? And what do you hang onto just in case the apocalypse hits?
http://io9.com/...te-by-the-1687692773
http://io9.com/...xtinction-1687835070
LOTR soundtrack website ~ magpie avatar gallery
TORn History Mathom-house ~ Torn Image Posting Guide
(This post was edited by Magpie on Mar 1 2015, 5:02am)
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swordwhale
Tol Eressea
Mar 1 2015, 5:43am
Post #2 of 176
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there are a couple of out of date scuba tanks sitting by the door that might not ever get used again (though the snorkelling gear is used often)... by the time I might ever be able to dive again, all my gear will need replacing...
All my actual skills are outdated: training wild mustangs, training sled dogs, doing watercolors, swordplay, archery (less skilled), all that random stuff I learned in Living History...
I still hang wash on the line, do my own dishes, and have a landline.
It weirds me out when I realize that the Beam-Me-Up-Scotty flipphone that was sci-fi back in the 60s is now obsolete.
As for the rest, somebody will resurrect it for a living history thing somewhere...
Na 'Aear, na 'Aear! Mýl 'lain nallol, I sûl ribiel a i falf 'loss reviol...
To the sea, to the sea, the white gulls are crying, the wind is blowing and the white foam is flying...
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Starling
Half-elven
Mar 1 2015, 6:32am
Post #4 of 176
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how important it is to keep a landline phone that you can plug into the phone socket. I know exactly where mine is so I can get it out when it's needed.
I do miss the old dial phones. There is a wonderful display of communications and telephones throughout NZ history at Ferrymead Heritage Park. Once when I went there on a school trip, the age range of the staff was clearly evident in our reactions to the various phones.
I was reminiscing with someone recently about using manual typewriters. People who watch me using my laptop often comment on my speed, but it's only because I learned how to touch type properly. I love the sound and feel of a good manual typewriter.
I am thrilled that ironing has become a historical activity, for me at least.
I will have to think a bit more about this.
By the way, cursive writing is still taught in NZ schools. I once had lovely handwriting, but it has become very sloppy as my keyboard use has replaced writing by hand for the majority of the time.
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swordwhale
Tol Eressea
Mar 1 2015, 6:33am
Post #5 of 176
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ugh.....
uh....
I'm apparently a bit of a ludite... I still have a VCR... and a wall phone...
hmmmm
walp, no phone booths around here, so that's not likely...
probably won't actually record anything on VCR tape again...
Just had to replace the 30 year old oven: new one is same basic design, only with a touch pad in the middle of the control panel, so I am unlikely to ever own an appliance without a touch pad again... I actually spent half an hour at Lowe's going "touch pad, wonder how long that will last... this other one just has dials and looks like a refugee from the 50s...."
I am unlikely to ever go anywhere without a cell phone for emergencies (though I often manage to forget it), and am unlikely to ever knock on some poor unsuspecting person's door in an effort to use a phone when my car breaks down. (That happened a lot decades ago, both people stopping here to use the phone, or me knocking on someone's door).
My childhood contained a lot of home car repair: my dad used to be able to repair any car we had, then somewhere about the 80s they became too complicated. If he was still here, it would be worse, they're more complicated now, so highly unlikely I will ever have a Home Car Repair Expert on hand. (I may someday have the kind that goes "chirpchirp" ).
I have a lot of those little not-floppy disks that you used to put in computers, and a computer that can use them.... not likely to ever see use again.
I did resurrect the film camera, because it can still do things the grackinfrackin digital can't (like time exposures).
There are a few bits of tech like that which will never go extinct. TV did not kill radio (I listen to far more radio than TV), and there will always be someone wanting to use real film.
Na 'Aear, na 'Aear! Mýl 'lain nallol, I sûl ribiel a i falf 'loss reviol...
To the sea, to the sea, the white gulls are crying, the wind is blowing and the white foam is flying...
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Elizabeth
Half-elven
Mar 1 2015, 7:17am
Post #6 of 176
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I end up using an iron every month or two, largely because I have guests for dinner about that often, and my good linens need ironing. I usually do a couple of shirts for my husband and me while the iron is out, because the "no-iron" fabric is far from perfect.
Cursive writing is no longer taught in the schools here at all. I think that is a disaster. There really are times when it's not convenient to use your electronics, and cursive is much faster. Worst of all, in a few years' time no one will be able to read cursive documents. I have a stock of letters written by my older relatives, some who lived long before me, that are (or should be) priceless, not to mention genuinely historical documents!
(This post was edited by Elizabeth on Mar 1 2015, 7:17am)
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Elizabeth
Half-elven
Mar 1 2015, 7:24am
Post #7 of 176
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* use a slide rule
* type on a manual typewriter
* type on a keypunch (do you even know what that is?)
* drive a manual shift car (my husband still owns one)
* send and receive Morse code on amateur radio
* operate a film movie projector
* use a mimeograph machine
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zarabia
Tol Eressea
Mar 1 2015, 7:52am
Post #9 of 176
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Stick shifts aren't obsolete just yet
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A few years ago when I bought my first ever new new car (not just new to me  ) I really wanted a stick because I enjoy them, they're fun to drive. But at that time I couldn't find the model I wanted with a stick. There were plenty of smaller, sportier models with manual transmission, but not the model I had decided on.
But just recently when I took my car to the dealership for a repair I strolled (Well, hobbled would be a better word :P) around the lot looking at the new models. At least a third of them were sticks. I don't think they'll ever go away completely, they're just too fun to drive.
As it turned out, it's fortunate I got the automatic transmission. Not long after I bought it, I lost much of the function in my right leg. I now drive with a left foot adaptor which would be impossible with a stick shift. Some things just work out. 
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round
~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips
(This post was edited by zarabia on Mar 1 2015, 7:58am)
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Starling
Half-elven
Mar 1 2015, 8:06am
Post #10 of 176
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The sound is nice of course, but an iPad app can never replicate the feel of the real thing.
Ping!
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Greenwood Hobbit
Valinor
Mar 1 2015, 8:50am
Post #11 of 176
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What an interesting topic! It does make you think...
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VCR? No more. With repeats on digital channels and the easy availability of dvds, I feel no need for one.
Phone that plugs into the wall? Still have one, with an extension upstairs, wouldn't be without it.
Stick shift? They will have to pry that from my cold dead hands when the time comes, I just don't trust automatics - yeah, Luddite I know, but that's the way it is.
Manual typewriters? Gone - I used to have an ex-bank one with a wide carriage that whizzed across like a battering ram and shook the table.
Carpet beater for knocking the dust out of rugs? Hanging on my wall as an ornament, and to be seen in various museums. Gods, I feel old!
As for skills, I don't think sewing/making skills will ever really be obsolete because people will need to make and mend things more as resources become more scarce, especially those without much money to spend. The Great British Sewing Bee is on tv at the moment and is very popular. Knitting and crochet are undergoing a revival here in the UK, too.
Many aspects of car-mending (if it doesn't work, hit it with a wrench, manual choke, setting points and gaps on spark plugs) is definitely obsolete; it's all about engine management systems etc now. Cars have become very tricksssy beasts...
Road Fund Tax discs that you had to display inside your windscreen have recently become obsolete here; now everything is on computer, and with number plate recognition systems it's easy to check if a car's owner has paid tax or not. After about forty years of driving, I still feel a bit nervous driving round without one on display though - old habits die hard.
I'm sure I can think of many more things when I've had second breakfast; I may be back later!
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Ciars
Rohan
Mar 1 2015, 9:04am
Post #12 of 176
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Years ago I remember having to use a Banda Machine to get something duplicated, I'm so glad that photocopiers,scanners and printers relaced these machines they don't smell or leave your hands blue and you don't have to wait for the pages to dry!
When I had my first part time job as a student I used the old punch in the details on a cash register, if a price wasn't on something you or the supervisor had to go find it now everything is scanned by a reader and there's a barcode to look up the price on the register they even have do it yourself scanners which I suppose will eventually lead to that job of cashier being made obsolete.
I may have written a cheque for the last time as many shops here do not accept them any more, I remember feeling so grown up when I received my first cheque book.
Skills, I could once play vinyl records back to back by placing one above the other and placing the needle in a certain place, I don't think that I will ever use that skill again I don't own a record player anymore and with streaming devices most DJs will eventually move from vinyls, That makes me think of when I was teen and used to record songs from the radio with cassette tapes, that's also a skill that's gone, the frustration though of having the announcer speak midway through ruining the recording is something I don't miss!
Thanks for the walk down memory lane!
(This post was edited by Ciars on Mar 1 2015, 9:05am)
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Starling
Half-elven
Mar 1 2015, 9:15am
Post #13 of 176
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I still have 'Mix no. 1', 'Mix no.2' and 'Mix no.3 - Scott's noisy mix', all circa 1983. Gems.
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Starling
Half-elven
Mar 1 2015, 9:18am
Post #14 of 176
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I have a lot of old letters as well
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I think the handwriting makes them as special as the content does. You can often see the personality of the writer coming through.
I have worked with a number of Hungarians over the years and they all have beautifully formed and neat handwriting, due to their schooling. There isn't much room for individual style though, it is very prescriptive.
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DanielLB
Immortal
Mar 1 2015, 9:55am
Post #15 of 176
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They're not dieing out in the UK any time soon.
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Stick shifts aren't obsolete just yet
Roughly 75% cars driven on UK roads are manual/stick shifts. That compares to just 7% in the US! Automatic gearboxes are becoming more popular, but since they add £££ to final price tag, only those that can afford it are likely to go for one.
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DanielLB
Immortal
Mar 1 2015, 10:16am
Post #16 of 176
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I can't remember the last time I used a 1p or a 2p to pay for something. They are increasingly worthless, and only add extra weight to your purse or pocket. I am far more likely to pay for even the cheapest goods with my card. I rarely bother with coins at all, let alone coppers. I only ever use coins now for pay and display parking, and they increasingly don't accept 1p, 2p or 5p.
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Ciars
Rohan
Mar 1 2015, 11:28am
Post #17 of 176
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I still have mix tapes made by old boyfriends long ago, old Valentine's Day gifts! Those were the days!! To think once cassettes were all the rage, then CDs, now it's download. Wonder what it will be in twenty years? Implanted chips?
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Ciars
Rohan
Mar 1 2015, 11:31am
Post #18 of 176
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I remember back in the day getting a 10p mix up which was huge as the sweetie teeth, milk bottles, bananas and drumsticks were so cheap. a 10p mix up wouldn't be so full nowadays!
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Ciars
Rohan
Mar 1 2015, 11:34am
Post #19 of 176
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I remember the thrill of getting an air mail letter, we at school were part of an international pen pal club, we got matched with children of our age in schools in America, Spain anywhere really that was a part of the club and the air mail envelopes with their stripes at the top caused great excitement when they arrived. We waited in anticipation for the replies to the letters we sent and could imagine the journey the letters took by plane. Email just isn't the same!
(This post was edited by Ciars on Mar 1 2015, 11:35am)
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Ciars
Rohan
Mar 1 2015, 11:37am
Post #20 of 176
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That makes me remember, my nephew was talking about an older movie and I said I had it on video. he asked me to send him the link , he thought I meant a YouTube video!
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arithmancer
Grey Havens
Mar 1 2015, 2:29pm
Post #21 of 176
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...I am no expert, but I believe that large vehicles such as buses and semi trucks, are still stick shift.
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Mar 1 2015, 2:49pm
Post #22 of 176
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I have a turntable/CD player/tape player-recorder setup, allowing me to transfer my LPs and CDs onto cassettes...so I can play them in my 20-year-old Toyota. 
The Hobbit soundtracks fit nicely onto two 60-minute tapes each.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Elarie
Grey Havens
Mar 1 2015, 2:53pm
Post #23 of 176
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that I never have to type on triple carbons again! But that probably doesn't count as truly obsolete, since there are government forms here that are still done on triple carbons - it just means that someone else is typing them now.
__________________
Gold is the strife of kinsmen,
and fire of the flood-tide,
and the path of the serpent.
(Old Icelandic Fe rune poem)
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smtfhw
Lorien
Mar 1 2015, 2:56pm
Post #24 of 176
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I'm not sure of the statistics but am absolutely certain that manual gearchange cars are in the majority in the UK. I for one loathe automatic transmissions.... so it's not an obsolete skill in the UK or in Europe.
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Annael
Immortal
Mar 1 2015, 3:00pm
Post #25 of 176
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My brothers & I cling to the stick shift
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I want to be the one deciding which gear to be in, not the car! Especially when I drive in snow, it's useful to be able to choose a higher gear than the engine speed warrants. And I just like the feel of it.
But perhaps it's because it was a hard-won skill (I learned to drive in a Rambler station wagon with the shift ON THE COLUMN) that I don't want to let go of.
Since evidence can be adduced and interpreted to corroborate a virtually limitless array of world views, the human challenge is to engage that world view or set of perspectives which brings forth the most valuable, life-enhancing consequences.
- Richard Tarnas, The Passion of the Western Mind
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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