Ozexpatriate Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 (edited) 10 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said: More please! Rather than arcane computing (at one point I possessed a paper tape correction tool and die set) more representative questions could include: 21. Subscribed to a daily newspaper 22. Used a fountain pen 23. Posted a Christmas card 24. Posted a hand-written letter 25. Used "airmail" paper 26. Used a slide rule 27. Used a handheld calculator (not a Smart 'phone app) 28, Learned cursive (running) writing 29. Travelled by inter-city train (not commuter rail) 30. Travelled by inter-city bus (not a suburban bus) I would actually score three points on the "never" scale on those (slide rule and inter-city train/bus). It is no longer possible to subscribe to a local daily newspaper here. EDIT: I should add: 31. Sent or received a telegram 32. Used a payphone / public telephone 33. Made or received a "collect" / "reversed charge" telephone call 34. Made or received an operator connected telephone call Edited May 18 by Ozexpatriate 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted May 18 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 18 45 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said: Rather than arcane computing (at one point I possessed a paper tape correction tool and die set) more representative questions could include: 21. Subscribed to a daily newspaper 22. Used a fountain pen 23. Posted a Christmas card 24. Posted a hand-written letter 25. Used "airmail" paper 26. Used a slide rule 27. Used a handheld calculator (not a Smart 'phone app) 28, Learned cursive (running) writing 29. Travelled by inter-city train (not commuter rail) 30. Travelled by inter-city bus (not a suburban bus) I would actually score three points on the "never" scale on those (slide rule and inter-city train/bus). It is no longer possible to subscribe to a local daily newspaper here. EDIT: I should add: 31. Sent or received a telegram 32. Used a payphone / public telephone 33. Made or received a "collect" / "reversed charge" telephone call 34. Made or received an operator connected telephone call I have never subscribed to a newspaper and I hope that I never have to use a slide rule again. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 1 minute ago, roundhouse said: I hope that I never have to use a slide rule again Hard to imagine a circumstance where that is likely. Even in a hypothetical nuclear/zombie apocalypse a slide rule is probably the last thing you would need. I could have included printed logarithmic and trigonometrical tables - but I don't know how many people would recognize them. Never used a slide rule but did use log and trig tables at school. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMKAT7 Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 Good morning folks, When I first went to college in 1978 (Engineering ONC) I was still using log tables. But it was so d@#n slow I got myself a Casio (who?) pocket calculator that Xmas. One of the guys had got a reverse Polish logic calculator. Nobody ever borrowed it more than once 😂 Cheers, Nigel. 4 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said: I could have included printed logarithmic and trigonometrical tables - but I don't know how many people would recognize them. Never used a slide rule but did use log and trig tables at school. We did log tables at school as an introduction to the slide rule, the sliderule being explained as a "log table on a stick". A couple of years later, the first affordable electronic calculators were being produced.... 12 minutes ago, GMKAT7 said: Good morning folks, When I first went to college in 1978 (Engineering ONC) I was still using log tables. But it was so d@#n slow I got myself a Casio (who?) pocket calculator that Xmas. One of the guys had got a reverse Polish logic calculator. Nobody ever borrowed it more than once 😂 Cheers, Nigel. I've still got a Casio scientific calculator somewhere. rPn Calculators were mainly the preserve of showoffs who could afford an HP calculator. As I remember, the Jupiter Ace personal computer used rPn too, that and the feature that it was programmed in FORTH were key factors in its failure to gain a following! I also had a cheap electronic calculator that would attempt to divide by zero, endlessly chasing its tail. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold franciswilliamwebb Posted May 18 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 18 6 minutes ago, Hroth said: As I remember, the Jupiter Ace personal computer used rPn too, that and the feature that it was programmed in FORTH were key factors in its failure to gain a following! So much for “Go FORTH and multiply” 😉 1 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 9 minutes ago, franciswilliamwebb said: So much for “Go FORTH and multiply” 😉 "multiply FORTH Go" in rPn.... It doesn't sound the same. 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian J. Posted May 18 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 18 Credit to Tom Gauld and New Scientist 2 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted May 18 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 18 this is very clever 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TheQ Posted May 18 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 18 2 points never ever seen a blockbuster store, and not owned a walkman... The boom box only gets nul points because I've heard other people's, even if I didn't want to. I've used Phoenix drives, that's the large removable not floppy drives. I've worked on computers using core store memory and drum drives 21 to 34, only not used a slide rule, we used log tables, were taught and used mechanical calculators " they were the future". Never used a telegram. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 11 hours ago, Hroth said: "multiply FORTH Go" in rPn.... I never owned an HP calculator, but did program in FORTH. I'm pretty sure that in FORTH it would be: Go FORTH * which would respond with [product of Go x FORTH] ok 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted May 18 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 18 15 hours ago, kevinlms said: In the USA today a stick shift is reckoned to be the best car anti theft device. 3 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckymucklebackit Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 15 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said: Four for me - on a regular basis. Zero per the "never" - I've done all 20. Perhaps those of you who baulk at "Blockbuster" can substitute "corner video rental". I still have a Blockbuster card somewhere. There is still a Blockbuster Video extant. It is here in Oregon but about three hours drive from here. Or asked at the aforesaid "corner video shops" if they had any "other videos" under the counter..... 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 1 minute ago, luckymucklebackit said: Or asked at the aforesaid "corner video shops" if they had any "other videos" under the counter..... In the US there was usually a separate room curtained off from the rest of the shop. (I can say I never partook - too embarrassed probably.) 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Vistisen Posted May 18 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 18 On 17/05/2024 at 21:09, franciswilliamwebb said: Given the nature of this forum, perhaps “used DC to control a model railway” should be on the list! I scored 2, by the way. Never used Blockbuster or a boombox… Boom box? The one I had was called a getto blaster and it played LPs. Boom boxes are a modern invention. 3 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 4 minutes ago, Vistisen said: Boom box? The one I had was called a getto blaster and it played LPs. Boom boxes are a modern invention. The term Ghetto Blaster and Boombox are synonymous with a cassette player. Quote The wide use of boomboxes in urban communities led to the boombox being coined a "ghetto blaster". 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 On 18/05/2024 at 05:18, Ozexpatriate said: Four for me - on a regular basis. Zero per the "never" - I've done all 20. Perhaps those of you who baulk at "Blockbuster" can substitute "corner video rental". I still have a Blockbuster card somewhere. There is still a Blockbuster Video extant. It is here in Oregon but about three hours drive from here. Never rented a video from anyone. Didn’t have a tv when they were prevalent. steve 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MJI Posted May 19 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 19 I did not rent for about 4 to 5 years. Could not find a supplier. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 On 17/05/2024 at 19:22, CameronL said: I scored zero. You could add "Ridden on a British Rail train pulled by a steam engine" and I'd still score zero. Now I feel old. Virtually all those still exist though! Must have been written by an eight year old.... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted May 19 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19 (edited) How many people have sent or received a fax on a mobile phone? Edited May 19 by Dagworth 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted May 19 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19 Johnster-suggested additions for grownups:- .Had coal delivered by a coalman .Had milk delivered to doorstep in glass bottles by milkman .Remembers rag & bone, tool sharpeners/pots & pans repairer, 'sticks' (fire kindling'); man with a handcart. .Party line telephones .Occasional air raid siren testing .Radiograms/stereograms/music centres .Massive heavy solid maginfying glass hung in front of 9" screen tv .Illegal off-course bookies and their 'runners' .Meccano and Airfix Magazines .The Daily Chronicle & Daily Sketch .Poster advert for Ford Capri 'Even standing still it looks like it's doing 60'. As if 60 was fast... 10 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted May 19 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19 (edited) 6 minutes ago, The Johnster said: Had milk delivered to doorstep in glass bottles by milkman I still do in 2024 Back in the 80s when I was at school it was my Saturday job, going out on the round with my stepdad. Andi Edited May 19 by Dagworth 4 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold franciswilliamwebb Posted May 19 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19 21 minutes ago, The Johnster said: Johnster-suggested additions for grownups:- .Remembers rag & bone, tool sharpeners/pots & pans repairer, 'sticks' (fire kindling'); man with a handcart. And the Kleeneze man👍 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted May 19 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 19 1 hour ago, Dagworth said: How many people have sent or received a fax on a mobile phone? Well I've had people TRY to send a fax to my mobile. I couldn't whistle back at the right frequency though! 2 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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