Pre- mobiles and internet time, question for those who knew it

[mybike]

here you, original Telex sound
The chatter in a telex room with 4 of these things going at the same time would now be noise levels for a working environment

Ah, teleprinter 7B (it has a black base) and an autotransmitter 2, not of course a teletype - they were American. At CTO we had tables of these on every floor, not just 4. It's not a telex machine as it has no answer back fitted, more likely a point to point setup

I think the machine here is a 3, but the mechanism is the same.

 

[martint235]

Apparently one of the tech architects I work with doesn't have internet access at home. This is a guy responsible for assuring the technical validity of some pretty large and important systems.

When I was at uni my mum used to write me a letter every week and send the local newspaper.

When I was a kid, the neighbours had to come in to borrow our phone. They had to put money into a CAFOD box. That phone in my parents' house is still where it has always been, on a shelf behind my dad's chair in the sitting room. Imagine what it was like trying to arrange a date with the whole family looking at you. And if the phone rang more than once a week we'd get "It's like trying to watch the news in Piccadilly Circus"

 

[Gravity Aided]

Apparently one of the tech architects I work with doesn't have internet access at home. This is a guy responsible for assuring the technical validity of some pretty large and important systems.

When I was at uni my mum used to write me a letter every week and send the local newspaper.

When I was a kid, the neighbours had to come in to borrow our phone. They had to put money into a CAFOD box. That phone in my parents' house is still where it has always been, on a shelf behind my dad's chair in the sitting room. Imagine what it was like trying to arrange a date with the whole family looking at you. And if the phone rang more than once a week we'd get "It's like trying to watch the news in Piccadilly Circus"

Our phone was on the wall in the kitchen. Girlfriend would call, always about suppertime, my Ma would answer, and all around the table would yell "Hi, Jennie!", then would I be given the phone. No such thing as privacy, but it kept me so I'd have to say all the sweet things in person.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I loved the lack of tech in the 80's. All you needed in the summer was a bike and a good mate, and you were sorted. I've often fantasized about some sort of "electric" war where no-one got hurt, but the internet and everything electronic was burnt to a crisp.

 

[John the Monkey]

So what was it like? I'm really really interested to hear any thoughts, preferences, any relevant stories, how it was generally.

Depends.

If you liked the stuff everyone else liked, it was probably ok, possibly better, depending upon how you feel about always being available &c.

If you didn't like football, or the same music everyone else liked, or were introverted though, it could be pretty lonely.

It has its downsides as well, of course, but being able to find community elsewhere is a massive, possibly underrated, plus of the internet & modern communications technologies.

 

[John the Monkey]

Here's wot I wrote in another thread on the topic;

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/gadgets-at-the-table.168339/post-3362104

 

[jonny jeez]

No

 

[ColinJ]

It has its downsides as well, of course, but being able to find community elsewhere is a massive, possibly underrated, plus of the internet & modern communications technologies.

Someone who knows how much time I spend on CycleChat once made a negative comment about it, saying that it was a bit 'sad'.

I replied that it might be sad if all I ever did was waffle on here, but the reality is that I have now met about 200 different CycleChat members for rides. I no longer keep track, but the last time I tried (a few years back) it was well over 100 and I have continued meeting new faces since then. We have been to some fantastic places together.

I have helped people with their problems, and lots of people have helped me with mine.

If someone uses the Internet INSTEAD of 'real life', then that is a pity. I use it to ENHANCE real life.

 

[John the Monkey]

I miss letter writing. When I was at uni there was a pay phone for urgent matters but for all other communications with family we would exchange letters.

Perhaps ironically, the internet makes it quite easy to find other people with whom to exchange letters...

I still write letters (in long hand, with a fountain pen) mostly to relatives who don't have email, although I do still send handwritten thank yous for gifts &c, which seem to be appreciated more than a text or email.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Perhaps ironically, the internet makes it quite easy to find other people with whom to exchange letters...

I still write letters (in long hand, with a fountain pen) mostly to relatives who don't have email, although I do still send handwritten thank yous for gifts &c, which seem to be appreciated more than a text or email.

I'd only send someone a handwritten letter if I hated them and wanted to really annoy them.

 

[John the Monkey]

I'd only send someone a handwritten letter if I hated them and wanted to really annoy them.

Remember to affix the stamp upside down. Consider the development of an enmity with @Flick of the Elbow from which you may both derive epistolary satisfaction.

 

[Brains]

I worked in a University Radio Station NPR affiliate, and we had a bank of teletype machines. If something happened, they would all set off bells to alert you of the gravity of the situation, and then a real racket would ensue. I was in the teletype room soon after President Reagan was shot, and those machines were all going a mile-a minute. We had to help read all the information, and make it into cogent digestable news for the next bulletin.

I was doing a lot of work in a telex room during the opening of the Falklands Crisis/war.
We had to be on hand 24x7 to reply to messages
We used to sleep in shifts on the only sofa in the office which was in the reception.

When the Atlantic Conveyor got hit the entire system went into overdrive, we had to get the lawyers in the office below us to loan us their telex machines and operators (no doubt at lawyers rates)

 

[briantrumpet]

[QUOTE 4657208, member: 259"]Along with the fact that we didn't even have a car, the source of much mirth to our Canadian cousins when they came over.[/QUOTE]
Twin tub, no car, and no phone at home till I was 15. It's just how it was. Oh, and only ONE chocolate biscuit at tea time.

 

[tyred]

I'd only send someone a handwritten letter if I hated them and wanted to really annoy them.

Don't bother with a stamp and they'll have to pay to receive it...

 

[tyred]

Oddly enough I think email as means of personal communications is going the same way as snail mail. I had a number of friends with whom I used to exchange emails but haven't received a personal email in God knows how long. They PM me on facebook now.