Am I the only one...??
Hi. I'm an ex-technologist. Like a few of my contemporaries in the '80s, I built PCs, dropped cables, developed protocol stacks and wrote exotic config.sys files. There weren't a lot of us, so we had to organize user groups and, in between, communicate on 300 baud bulletin boards. It was like being in a secret society for the good of mankind and all of that. We knew we were on to something big, but we didn't what exactly.
You see, it was all about exploring, discovering and learning tech stuff and we couldn't wait to share our findings with our bearded, bespectacled buddies. Why? Because there were no training schools, no books or manuals to speak of, there was no internet, no Wikipedia. It was like the search for the Holy Grail. And, it took all the grit and determination we could muster to forge ahead and flesh out what this amazing platform could do. The challenge and the camaraderie were terrific!
So, in little over a decade, we wrestled the mystery (and control) of computing away from the mainframe monks and brought it down to the people. There would be no more begging the high priests of "big iron" for custom reports, code changes, or extra terminals. The PC, through advanced operating system infrastructure, revolutionized business. Unfortunately, that was the end of the party, because when big business saw the cha-ching factor, nerds didn't have a prayer.
Now, we are in the internet-world that appears to be all about content and PAYING for content - about social media and VACUOUS communications - about hacking, scams and vicious comments and hiding behind ANONYMITY. It's almost as if the internet and modern technology has become our great, human magnifying glass -- making both the good and the bad larger under the lens.
Like I said, I'm an ex-technologist. I'm no longer fascinated. I haven't lost my optimism, but I'm wary.
I have shed my red vest and returned to the Deloitte fold for a project in Arkansas !!
7 年Try explaining 300 baud to someone who only knows broadband speeds.
Site Integrator/USCG Liaison at Seneca
7 年Martina how is the new job going
Clinical Information Systems
7 年I still remember my 300 Baud.... and forgetting to hit *68 to disable phone calls when I was remote working on my PASCAL coding.... lost hours worth of code when I got a phone call and modem flashed "RING"? and poof....
IAM and Informatics SME
7 年I am happy to report, Mr. Stafford, that we nerds are still there. But, instead of cables and 300 baud modems, we have progressed to minds and bodies. We built upon your empire, and have kept it safe from "big business". Now, we are finding new ways to improve health, help people walk, discover their scale and purpose in the world. And, also, help automate some of those things that occupied so much of our time in the past (such as driving, or contact/context management). Our worries now aren't big business and a "1984" world. Instead, we fight an Aldous Huxley "A Brave New World" sense of satisfaction, comfort, and idleness. But, we see people rise to that challenge daily, doing things with the mind, body, and materials in ways barely thought possible. Be wary, but be proud. We today stand upon the giant shoulders that you provided!