Technology history meme
Mar. 22nd, 2018 10:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
andrewduckerAs links aren't working right now (Pinboard is having issues with their RSS servers), here's a meme, stolen from a bunch of my friends:
Did you have a cell phone prior to your thirties?
I think I had a Motorola V6000, probably in about 2003, so I would have been 31. I have a vague memory of having one earlier than that, but I can't actually remember what I started with.
Did they exist?
Mobile phone networks have existed since 1981. So anyone born before 1951 (and thus age 67 or younger) had mobile phones around in their 30s.
Did you have cable when you were a little kid?
First time I lived in a place with cable was when I moved to Edinburgh in 2002. (Age 30)
Do you know what 8-track tapes are?
Tapes that could store 8 separate pieces of music in parallell on the same piece of tape. I think. Never used one (and I don't remember seeing one).
How about cassette tapes?
My music collection was mostly on tape before I moved entirely to CDs. I never owned any vinyl that I can remember.
When did you get your first DVD player?
Oooh goodness. I'm not entirely sure. I had a massive VHS collection (hundreds) until I moved to Edinburgh. So probably 2002-ish.
Did you learn to type on a typewriter?
Kinda. My mum is an excellent typist, and I learned a bit when playing with her typewriter. But I mostly learned through programming on a BBC B. When the program won't run unless you get the spelling right that gives you a real incentive.
I learned to type without looking by spending a week deliberately refusing to look at the keyboard. It took about two days before I could type at even 10% of my normal speed, but by the end of a week I was back to full speed.
What was the first computer you owned?
BBC Model B which my dad brought home in 1983. Being able to turn it on in one second and then immediately start feeding commands into it was great. Also: Elite.
Then an Atari ST, which wasn't bad for the time.
Then, when I went to university in 1990 and my parents got me a PC, running Windows 3. And I learned that word processing was _staggeringly_ easier than writing by hand, and that I could actually write _well_ when typing. Whereas I cannot write creatively by hand, it takes up almost all of my brain power managing a pen. And I handwrite about 30 times slower than my brain works, which is beyond frustrating.
What age were you when you first got e-mail?
1990. ajd01@stir.ac.uk I think. Sadly, Google Groups, which used to be an excellent resource for tracking down newsgroup posts doesn't work at all for that kind of thing any more.
Was the Internet around when you were a kid?
Yup. If we date the internet from TCP/IP then it's been around since 1982 (obviously ARPANET was around a lot earlier). I didn't get to use the internet myself until I was a student in 1990. I was using telnet back then to talk to Monochrome BBS at City University back then. The web didn't come along for a couple of years though.
When did you start using Facebook, Twitter, Livejournal, and Dreamwidth?
Facebook was February 2007, when Ellie got me onto it - it was popular in St Andrews, but hadn't expanded outside of universities much. Twitter was October 2007, and I mostly used it to mirror Facebook. Livejournal was December 2001 when![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
broin got me onto it. Dreamwidth was April 2009.
Before Livejournal I tinkered with DiaryLand, and was active in all sorts of discussion sites, but LJ was my first proper social media.
What was the first printer you owned like?
HP Inkjet, I think. It was awesome, and allowed me to print essays, which the university lecturers found confusing, and weren't sure if they could accept essays produced that way.
Collegiate papers: typewriter or computer?
Hand written to start with. Computer as soon as they'd let me.
How old were you when streaming came into being?
I remember streaming still images in the 90s ;-)
What age were you when you got your first MP3 player?
26, in 1998. It was the MPMan F10, which you can see here. It had 32MB of storage in it, which could store about 8 songs, if they were encoded onto MP3 in sufficiently awful quality. I loved it to bits.
Did you own a record player, cassette player, CD player, or MP3 player as a teen?
I had a tape walkman. Other than that I was dependent on my parents for vinyl and CD playing equipment. MP3s weren't invented until a teensy bit later.
At what age did you start blogging on the Internet?
29-ish (in 2001). Although I wrote a few personal things maybe a year or two earlier.
What age were you when the e-readers came out?
I was 35 in 2007. I remember being excited by them. I got one a few years later, but it wasn't a Kindle (I can't remember the brand). I now have a Nook, which I'm still happy with.
How do you listen to music?
In the shower, using my phone and a bluetooth shower-speaker. In the kitchen, using a Sonos speaker. In the living room, using a Sonos connect plugged into the AV amplifier. In work, using my phone and a cheap set of Skullcandy earbuds. 99% of the time using Spotify.
Did you have a cell phone prior to your thirties?
I think I had a Motorola V6000, probably in about 2003, so I would have been 31. I have a vague memory of having one earlier than that, but I can't actually remember what I started with.
Did they exist?
Mobile phone networks have existed since 1981. So anyone born before 1951 (and thus age 67 or younger) had mobile phones around in their 30s.
Did you have cable when you were a little kid?
First time I lived in a place with cable was when I moved to Edinburgh in 2002. (Age 30)
Do you know what 8-track tapes are?
Tapes that could store 8 separate pieces of music in parallell on the same piece of tape. I think. Never used one (and I don't remember seeing one).
How about cassette tapes?
My music collection was mostly on tape before I moved entirely to CDs. I never owned any vinyl that I can remember.
When did you get your first DVD player?
Oooh goodness. I'm not entirely sure. I had a massive VHS collection (hundreds) until I moved to Edinburgh. So probably 2002-ish.
Did you learn to type on a typewriter?
Kinda. My mum is an excellent typist, and I learned a bit when playing with her typewriter. But I mostly learned through programming on a BBC B. When the program won't run unless you get the spelling right that gives you a real incentive.
I learned to type without looking by spending a week deliberately refusing to look at the keyboard. It took about two days before I could type at even 10% of my normal speed, but by the end of a week I was back to full speed.
What was the first computer you owned?
BBC Model B which my dad brought home in 1983. Being able to turn it on in one second and then immediately start feeding commands into it was great. Also: Elite.
Then an Atari ST, which wasn't bad for the time.
Then, when I went to university in 1990 and my parents got me a PC, running Windows 3. And I learned that word processing was _staggeringly_ easier than writing by hand, and that I could actually write _well_ when typing. Whereas I cannot write creatively by hand, it takes up almost all of my brain power managing a pen. And I handwrite about 30 times slower than my brain works, which is beyond frustrating.
What age were you when you first got e-mail?
1990. ajd01@stir.ac.uk I think. Sadly, Google Groups, which used to be an excellent resource for tracking down newsgroup posts doesn't work at all for that kind of thing any more.
Was the Internet around when you were a kid?
Yup. If we date the internet from TCP/IP then it's been around since 1982 (obviously ARPANET was around a lot earlier). I didn't get to use the internet myself until I was a student in 1990. I was using telnet back then to talk to Monochrome BBS at City University back then. The web didn't come along for a couple of years though.
When did you start using Facebook, Twitter, Livejournal, and Dreamwidth?
Facebook was February 2007, when Ellie got me onto it - it was popular in St Andrews, but hadn't expanded outside of universities much. Twitter was October 2007, and I mostly used it to mirror Facebook. Livejournal was December 2001 when
broin got me onto it. Dreamwidth was April 2009.Before Livejournal I tinkered with DiaryLand, and was active in all sorts of discussion sites, but LJ was my first proper social media.
What was the first printer you owned like?
HP Inkjet, I think. It was awesome, and allowed me to print essays, which the university lecturers found confusing, and weren't sure if they could accept essays produced that way.
Collegiate papers: typewriter or computer?
Hand written to start with. Computer as soon as they'd let me.
How old were you when streaming came into being?
I remember streaming still images in the 90s ;-)
What age were you when you got your first MP3 player?
26, in 1998. It was the MPMan F10, which you can see here. It had 32MB of storage in it, which could store about 8 songs, if they were encoded onto MP3 in sufficiently awful quality. I loved it to bits.
Did you own a record player, cassette player, CD player, or MP3 player as a teen?
I had a tape walkman. Other than that I was dependent on my parents for vinyl and CD playing equipment. MP3s weren't invented until a teensy bit later.
At what age did you start blogging on the Internet?
29-ish (in 2001). Although I wrote a few personal things maybe a year or two earlier.
What age were you when the e-readers came out?
I was 35 in 2007. I remember being excited by them. I got one a few years later, but it wasn't a Kindle (I can't remember the brand). I now have a Nook, which I'm still happy with.
How do you listen to music?
In the shower, using my phone and a bluetooth shower-speaker. In the kitchen, using a Sonos speaker. In the living room, using a Sonos connect plugged into the AV amplifier. In work, using my phone and a cheap set of Skullcandy earbuds. 99% of the time using Spotify.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-23 12:13 am (UTC)Did you have a cell phone prior to your thirties?
Yes. I got my first mobile in 1999. I would have been 19 or 20. To be honest I didn't want one but my mum insisted.
Did they exist?
(Stealing Andy Dicker's answer.) Mobile networks have existed since 1981. So anyone born before 1951 (and thus age 67 or younger) had mobile phones around in their 30s.
Did you have cable when you were a little kid?
No. My earliest memories of TV involve three or four TV channels on a tiny black and white set. I remember when we got colour TV. And when Channel 5 arrived. We were on the wrong side of town to receive it.
Do you know what 8-track tapes are?
Yes. I've seen them but never used them.
How about cassette tapes?
I grew up with cassette tapes and vinyl. I still have most of my tapes. I say most because I listened to some so often that they warped and became irreparably chewed up.
When did you get your first DVD player?
Around 2000/2001.
Did you learn to type on a typewriter?
Yes, sort of. I had a typewriter as a kid and was taught by a family friend but I didn't practice properly. I can mostly type without looking.
What was the first computer you owned?
I got my first computer in 1998 or 99. It had a Pentium 486 processor, 256MB RAM and a 13GB hard drive. I could be wrong about the RAM.
My dad got a computer for his Open University course in 1995 but I had no idea how to use it. I could just about open Word Perfect and Microsoft Encarta and the Micro Machines game but that was about it.
What age were you when you first got e-mail?
18. It was a university email address.
Was the Internet around when you were a kid?
Yes but few people had it so it wasn't a big thing. I know my dad had a dial up modem for his computer so he used it but I never saw it in action until I was about 17.
When did you start using Facebook, Twitter, Livejournal, and Dreamwidth?
Facebook was about 2006 or 2007. It was only open to students and I still had my university address.
LiveJournal was December 2000.
I don't care about Twitter or Dreamwidth but I have both.
What was the first printer you owned like?
My first printer was an Epson Photo Stylus. It came with my first computer.
Collegiate papers: typewriter or computer?
I don't know what these are. School or university? I started handing in computer written papers in high school.
How old were you when streaming came into being?
I don't know. I remember using Napster around 2002 and having to spell Metallica backwards to find it.
What age were you when you got your first MP3 player?
23 or 24. It was an Archos Multimedia Player.
Did you own a record player, cassette player, CD player, or MP3 player as a teen?
We had a family record player. I had Walkman, a Discman and a stereo.
At what age did you start blogging on the Internet?
21 I guess if LJ counts.
What age were you when the e-readers came out?
I was 27 in 2007. It was a while before I got one. I have a Nook and a Kindle.
How do you listen to music?
iPod, tablet and laptop mostly.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-23 12:19 am (UTC)There's an 8-track player across the room for me. I think I have one tape for it, but it doesn't currently work.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-23 01:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-23 02:00 pm (UTC)And rubbish quality was still slightly better than tapes.
But yes, generation 1 wasn't a great step forward.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-23 02:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-23 02:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-23 02:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-23 02:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-24 08:26 am (UTC)I still don't have a cell phone
Did they exist?
[born in 1957]
Did you have cable when you were a little kid?
we didn't have a TV until I was 8 [and it was a 12" screen & black/white]
Do you know what 8-track tapes are?
yes, but they were expensive, so we only had records until the 70's
How about cassette tapes?
I began buying some cassettes in the mid 1970's
When did you get your first DVD player?
got a DVD player in 1998 as a combo VHS/DVD player
Did you learn to type on a typewriter?
learned touch-typing on high school typewriters, but still hunt-and-peck to this day on keyboards
What was the first computer you owned?
an Amiga 1000; got it in 1985. Until then, could only borrow time on a friend's TRS 80
What age were you when you first got e-mail?
1985 or 1986 - on a friend's message board
Was the Internet around when you were a kid?
I wish
When did you start using Facebook, Twitter, Livejournal, and Dreamwidth?
Joined Facebook & LiveJournal & Dreamwidth in 2005 - primarily to post minutes from my scifi club [where I've been the recording secretary since 1990]; am not on Twitter
What was the first printer you owned like?
a reasonably reliable dot matrix printer
Collegiate papers: typewriter or computer?
Typed
How old were you when streaming came into being?
Do the dot matrix printed images from the 80's count?
What age were you when you got your first MP3 player?
have never owned one
Did you own a record player, cassette player, CD player, or MP3 player as a teen?
Record player & normal vinyl albums
At what age did you start blogging on the Internet?
I have referee'd text/response Dungeon & Dragon games from the mid 1980's - first on a friend's BBS, then the BBS it next moved to - and still do so on the website the BBS has graduated to. I've done posts online from the era of telnet and the alt. message-boards
What age were you when the e-readers came out?
I was 50 in 2007. The screen quality was so-so and gave my myopic gaze eyestrain. I still prefer hardcopy books
How do you listen to music?
In the car [CD player] or a CD player at home
no subject
Date: 2018-03-24 12:43 pm (UTC)Possibly worth trying e-readers again. Having control over fonts and font sizes can make a really big difference.
no subject
Date: 2018-04-01 07:25 am (UTC)* Did you have cable when you were a little kid?
Didn't have TV when a little kid, since NZ didn't have it until sometimes in the 60s.
* How about cassette tapes?
My music collection was mostly on tape before I moved entirely to CDs. I never owned any vinyl that I can remember. (Your answer is my answer too!)
* Did you learn to type on a typewriter?
I tried when a kid on my Mum's sit-up-and-beg one, but never got it. And tried to learn touch typing on my first C64 using some program or other, but that didn't work either. I think a combination of being left-handed and not very dexterous with my fingers works against me. I'm still just a one-finger typist now. The up side is no arthritis in my fingers yet. My Mum's little fingers could jut out at right-angles to how they should've been, though I don't know if she ever did much typing.
What was the first computer you owned?
A ZX81, if you ignore a Casio fx-180P programmable calculator. Which I still use.
When did you start using Facebook, Twitter, Livejournal, and Dreamwidth?
LJ 2002, DW 2009, Twitter 2011 and FB a bit over a year ago.
* What was the first printer you owned like?
Sinclair ZX! Could do hi-res graphics on it! :)
* What age were you when you got your first MP3 player?
I never had one, unless you count my first smartphone. My first (cassette) stereo was portable though. (Well, luggable.)
* Did you own a record player, cassette player, CD player, or MP3 player as a teen?
Only had a transistor radio until about 20, when I bought the above cassette player. Parents had a big record player though, not that I ever bought records for it.
* At what age did you start blogging on the Internet?
Around 50, I guess. Though there may have been stuff earlier on Geocities that was a bit blogging-like. Produced diskmags pre-internet, which were a little bit like blogging, in that it had a commenting tool. (Or maybe just a rating tool - I forget.) Though you wouldn't get to read the comments until the next issue, of course!
* How do you listen to music?
With earbuds connected to a smartphone. And occasionally on CDs.