By Melody Feaster
As I sit here waiting for my computer to be repaired, I started reminiscing about how much technology has changed since I began working the 1980’s (yes I am old). When I began my career in an office environment, our main pieces of technology consisted of typewriters and teletypes. We did have copiers, but they did not collate, staple or run anything except letter and legal paper. We also had real blueprint machines, where ammonia was used to turn yellow paper into blueprints.
My first “real” position was working as a clerk typist for an architect/engineering firm. What fun! We, there were three clerk typists, turned on the “computers” in the morning. Yes, I went in early just to turn on the computers since it took about 20 minutes before all of them were up and running. That allowed the engineers to begin their work immediately when they finally came in later in the morning. Today, the thought of waiting for a computer to boot up is ridiculous. We have come to expect our technology to be ready in the click of a button and get frustrated if doesn’t work that way!
Another job responsibility of mine included “writing” the floppy and 3.5 disks. Flashbacks of hitting “FORMAT C:” and responding “Yes that is what I want” still haunt me. More so than not, you could hear me scream “No I didn’t just do that.” This was followed by several IT personnel coming to my desk as I hung my head down apologizing. I was just trying to format the box, instead of just the one I needed.
Which brings me to this point; do we really have computer issues these days? I know we click and it moves, we speak and it types, we push buttons to order things or just ask Alexa. We can go to the store and buy an upgraded computer or better yet get the latest phone. But do we really need computers? They, like the typewriter or telegraph, may become a thing of the past soon as well. I mean who has typewriters anymore? Or blueprint machines? That was technology from 40 years ago! I can’t wait to see where artificial intelligence will lead us and where we go from here. Just remember, one day you will be saying, “I remember when Windows 10 the latest and greatest!”
Always take time to stop and remember.