The Primitive Internet of 1981

Posted by | Filed under Videos | Jul 13, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A friend sent this to me on Facebook and it struck me.  We talk about how things have changed so much in our lifetimes, but we usually reference things like 8 track tapes and vinyl records switching to compact discs and bytes on an iPod. Did you realize that the patent for the compact disc was filed in 1966 and the first one wasn’t produced until 1982?

But think about how much your life has changed just in the last 10 years from advances in technology.  Can you remember life before you had an email address or a cell phone?  This video is from a newscast in 1981, almost 20 years ago.  Look how how far we’ve come with the advancement of Moore’s Law.

YouTube Preview Image

What made watching this even funnier to me was that I saw my friend’s email on my iPad and clicked a link to go to Facebook to read the message.  Then I clicked into YouTube and watched this on a thin crisp iPad screen.  That’s normal today.  ‘Normal’ when this was broadcast was to move the rabbit ears on a TV the size of a bank safe to get good reception and cable TV was a new phenomenon.

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  • http://thinktrain.net Rob Robinson

    Wow. That is scary funny to watch. It's amazing how far we've come, and how fast. Keep in mind, though, that we did have cable TV in 1981. I was eight at the time, but we'd already had cable at my home for nearly two years.

    Rob

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/brettgreene brettgreene

    Thanks for the comment Rob. I updated the line about cable TV thanks to your historical knowledge. :)

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  • http://www.pindropsoup.com DaveM

    But is this progress? Are our lives improved? We think we are pretty smart and generally pleased with ourselves. But what about the dark side of the Internet?
    - life/work balance?
    - Local economy retail after retail is shutting down – Pearl St. will soon be nothing but coffee and sushi houses as they seem impervious to the Net.
    - National economy – we don't make anything any more – just bits.
    - Technology Obsessions: The lifecycle of our tech used to be measured in years – 5 for a tv, 3 for a PC. My Droid is only 6 months old and obsolete. My TVs, phones, printers, etc. are now obsolete – our tech is disposable. Why is this good?
    - Are people more connected or less today? I see people tweeting GOAAAAAAL during the world cup? Is facebook improving our interpersonal relationships?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/brettgreene brettgreene

    Good points Dave. There have definitely been good and bad consequences with the growth and spread of technology, just like what happens with all activities labeled 'progress'.

    It's not a black and white issue. Like when you ask about people being more connected, it depends on how you use social media. Studies have shown seniors living longer and reporting higher rates of life satisfaction by feeling more connected to people they love through social media. Personally, I've made significant professional and personal introductions through social media. Clients, friends and even my girlfriend were people I would not know if I was not participating in social media.

    That doesn't make the downsides you mention any better, but the positive and negative results are happening concurrently. I choose to keep focused on what's in my control to make better as life and technology evolve.