The joys of modern technology!
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (63568)
United States
September 27, 2012 7:27pm CST
So, I was sitting at my desk at home and the roomie had just called in something for us to pick up for dinner. She then calls her nephew on the house phone.
Then my cell phone rings.
You know, when I was a kid, nobody ever imagined two people being on the phone at the same time with 2 different people.
Well, okay, my parents got my sister her own phone line when she was in high school - that was the mid-1970's, but my sister was a pretty popular gal, with lots of activities going on, and a boy friend.
In the late-1990's I even got a second line for the computer, back when computers were mostly on the phone lines... remember that?
But, here she was, in the kitchen talking about getting work done and rain, while I'm talking to someone else completely different about something else completely different!
She'll be talking on the phone and kind of forgets that she's no longer attached to a wall with a wire - I love cordless phones BTW...
To put it another way, I have 2 base stations so I can have 4 cordless phones. Now, one is only working with one cordless because we've seemed to have mislaid the other 2 and the chargers... however, I'm sure that the recently departed roommate might've had something to do with that... she had a truly amazing ability to lose the phones, and even the chargers! Besides, I had to replace the battery in one of them, and have another dead one on my desk, but it really doesn't matter, since the other 3 are new.
Still, they all work on the one phone line, so if we were to pick it up, we'd have to talk to the same person.
Not so with the cell phone, I can be reached even if the other phone is in use...
Guess its a good thing I decided to keep it, even tho I considered giving it up after mom died.
What sort of things have you found that you can do today that couldn't be done years ago? Well, besides chatting your friend in the next room in an IM or having a car wreck because you were texting your buddy in the seat next to you...
4 people like this
12 responses
@Raine38 (12250)
• United States
28 Sep 12
During the early 90's my dad was assigned to the Gulf (Middle East) for work. I remember me and my mom would write him letters (snail mail) everyday and these letters reach him after 3 weeks to a month. I also remember calling him and every 5 minutes or so, he needs to drop some coins, and then we will be interrupted by a party line. Now, I am so happy to have internet, messengers and all sorts of communication devices that we have now. My husband works abroad, as well as my brother, cousins and close friends. Now I can talk to them in an instant, face to face, and be able to share with them the good news the very moment it is happening.
2 people like this
@bellis716 (4799)
• United States
28 Sep 12
Just answering your post on my personal Mac is something I didn't even dream of 20 years ago. Being able to send a written message to one of my children in a different state and having them receive it instantly is old hat now but was unknown to me 25 years ago.
I remember the first time I saw a TV program. I was 13 nor 14 years old. I watched and marveled through the open door of the town's only bar. I sat in a parked car outside while my boy friend went inside. I think it was to get change to make a phone call. We had never even heard of such a thing as a cell phone. Now, I make sure to grab my cell phone anytime I leave the house.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63568)
• United States
28 Sep 12
yeah, 20 years ago, I think my brother was getting pcs to do taxes on... or maybe he had even gotten my mother one by 1992, she helped him do taxes for many years, going up to Lewisville in February and coming home after tax day. My first computer was actually mom's first computer, when she got a new one a few years later.
1 person likes this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
29 Sep 12
[b]One particular thing which I've been tempted to do is to call the space station (impossible years ago). Only problems which have prevented me are that I can't think of what on earth...um...sorry...to talk about, & I can't speak Russian!
Sigh...cest la vie!
Maggiepie[/b]
2 people like this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
28 Sep 12
Well the other day I was driving down the road with my daughter by my side and my phone rang. She took it away from me because she don't like me talking on the phone while I was driving. Anyway the person who was calling really wanted to talk to her anyway. Then her phone rang so she answered it too. Now she is holding a phone up to each ear and having two conversations at the same time, all while going down the street.
1 person likes this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
28 Sep 12
I know what you mean. It never fails that just when I am in the car alone driving up or down a winding mountain road someone will try to text or call me. If I try to ignore them they keep sending until I respond out of desperation. No matter how many times I tell them if I don't answer it is because I am having to concentrate on my driving they still do it. 
1 person likes this
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
28 Sep 12
Ever since I was a kid, my inclination was towards Science, that is why I wanted to be a doctor but ended up taking Dentistry instead. When I got married, my brother in law put up a Pharmacy while he was still in Med school so i was assigned to manage the Pharmacy until he graduated Med school. So you see how I just love Science?
Then in 2010, I was hoping to have a job but didn't know where to go or what to do or what business to put up until my sister in law told me that her friend is into working on homebased online jobs. I was really curious about it and so i tried. Luckily just about 3 months after, I got my job as chat support for Chacha.com.
Then I had several different jobs after. I learned a lot from these jobs. I never knew what copy and paste was, how to do a screen shot, how to make an excel report and other stuff. The last job I had was from An Australian Web Dev Company. There I got to learn really a lot of stuff that made me more interested in pursuing an online job.
Then in 2010, I was hoping to have a job but didn't know where to go or what to do or what business to put up until my sister in law told me that her friend is into working on homebased online jobs. I was really curious about it and so i tried. Luckily just about 3 months after, I got my job as chat support for Chacha.com.
Then I had several different jobs after. I learned a lot from these jobs. I never knew what copy and paste was, how to do a screen shot, how to make an excel report and other stuff. The last job I had was from An Australian Web Dev Company. There I got to learn really a lot of stuff that made me more interested in pursuing an online job.1 person likes this
@BigMoney25 (1286)
• Philippines
28 Sep 12
I really feel that modern technology is very helpful in our daily lives. That's why I pursued a career in IT because I love how fast technology changes and how it improves as the time goes by. goodluck to all of us:)
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
29 Sep 12
I love my iphone! I love being able to check my bank accounts on line before I buy something, MyLot on the go, check e-mail, and do tons of other fun stuff I couldn't do before.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
30 Sep 12
I had my own phone since i was 17, then when my son was a teenager we had the same phone but there was a different ring when it was for him because I was tired of answering all his calls. The phone hardly ever rang for me. Then we had a computer that told us on screen when the phone rang and we could pick it up answer it or ignore it.
Now we have the doorbell attached to the phone so we have to talk on the phone to find out who is downstairs and then buss them in by the phone.
1 person likes this
@silverfox09 (4708)
• United States
29 Sep 12
I remember when we had to be suing dial up , it takes me forever to get something to download . The worse part was some part of my country had high speed like in the capital, it take a while for everyone to get it .
Also my mother would tell me about her time when they ha to used phone booth , she was so happy when cellphone come out . I am so glad I was born in technology generation, I cant imagine life without a cell phone. We have come so far from where we have started .
One day we may have flying cars , FTL drive and this time will look like cave man days 
1 person likes this
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
29 Sep 12
Making money online and being able to share opinions with people around the world is definitely something I couldn't have done. I never imagined myself being able to interact with people around the world. Carrying a computer around was another. I remember when they were as big as the desk..LOL. Phones have definitely taken turns I had never imagined. I think some of the solar options we have now are pretty neat too.
1 person likes this
@blue65packer (11826)
• United States
28 Sep 12
I still have my land line and a cell phone. I have my land line through my cable company. It is the first cordless phone I even had! I still can't figure how to retrieve vioce though! Same with the cell phone! I mostly kept my land line because some of myfamily has no idea I have a cell phone! I never told all of them yetand I will drop my land line when my contract with the cable company is over with. Then i will give everyone in my family my cellphone number. Most of my family have cellphones,too.
1 person likes this
@chrisxyz3 (5)
• United States
28 Sep 12
With the use of modern technology, I can waste my lonely life browsing 4chan, commenting on post on my lot, and wacking it to chat roulette. FML.
1 person likes this
