Opportunities then and now ...

[CG]

Yesterday was my dads 82nd birthday. Usually I just give him a shout and we talk on the phone for a bit. Small talk stuff.

I called my granddaughter (14, freshman this year) and asked if she would like to go up to great granddads with me and take him out to dinner for his birthday ... Sure!

So we drove up and went out to dinner with my dad. We were talking about her starting HS and of course it went back to ... When I was in school, we didn't have this or that, snow, uphill both ways, library, blah blah blah. Im sure she loved that haha! And we talked about the opportunities out there for school kids (or anyone for that matter) that you could access via computer or heck even your smart phone.

Everything and anything A to Z, any subject, unlimited, and darn near all of it for free. Want a HS diploma? Online and free. College degree, online, maybe not free, but accessible to anyone. It really is mind blowing.

My wife and I were talking about it this morning. What if ( I love what if's ) we were starting freshman year, 1973 and the first day of class our teachers said, Today everything changes, and poof the internet was there exactly like it is today ... Would we jump on the chance to use it to learn and get degrees and skills to help us conquer our world going forward? Or would we get sucked into the social media abyss of today?

As an adult today I think, what's wrong with kids? They have everything at their fingertips to get a huge jumpstart on their adult lives and they are just goofing around with Selfies and likes ... Easy to say as an adult, but I wonder what we would have done with the above 1973 scenario.

[The Rocknrod]

They are given everything so they dont have worry. Why go out and hustle?

[CG]

Im not really looking to say anything bad about this generation. Im just wondering if having an amazing opportunity thrust at us out of the blue back in 1974 would we have jumped on the opportunity to get ahead, or are kids just kids and no matter what (generally speaking) would we have went more with the social side of the internet?

[kingsolver72]

About 2 years ago I got my step son a job at one of the carpet and furniture stores I subcontract out of. He worked in the warehouse and helped with deliveries while doing school. In the two years he worked there he saved almost every paycheck. He has gone to car shows with his “papa” since he was old enough to walk. Last car show they went to he came home with a 1979 Thunderbird. He paid the guy cash. He graduated this year. A couple of months a ago he moved to New Mexico (staying with relatives)working in a warehouse driving a fork lift. I pretty sure he is saving his money. I don’t think he will be there for very long. He talked to a few military recruiters before he left. We are still getting mail for him in regards to that. He’s not one to be on the computer too much and he doesn’t care about cell phones. He is a very bright young man and I think whatever he does he will be alright.

As for me... I’d still end up being a crusty old carpet layer... I’m just too dumb for anything else.

[flashed]

I think we would have taken advantage of the things today back then and done very well . I work on a small private University Campus and most of the kids are very bright and do take advantage of the internet but they do also love the phones as they stare at them as they walk up the middle of the road instead of the sidewalks , have not figured out the road walking versus sidewalk thing though .

[GOPAPA]

I can't imagne what I would of done back in the early 60ies with all this computer stuff they have now.. Shoot ,,,I remember having to share typewriters with others as there were not enough to go around .. I have stated though ,,,when talking to old friends that I probably would of tried weed back then as I did smoke.. How did I get off on that?


I sort of got a feel for the new tech stuff when I leared how to fix a VR tape when they got tangled in the tape box.. So,, when I think of it ,,we came from a different time and our folks came from a hard time ,,It may be our fault for pampering them ..

[Leonard60]

Originally Posted by GOPAPA

I can't imagne what I would of done back in the early 60ies with all this computer stuff they have now.. Shoot ,,,I remember having to share typewriters with others as there were not enough to go around .. I have stated though ,,,when talking to old friends that I probably would of tried weed back then as I did smoke.. How did I get off on that?


I sort of got a feel for the new tech stuff when I leared how to fix a VR tape when they got tangled in the tape box.. So,, when I think of it ,,we came from a different time and our folks came from a hard time ,,It may be our fault for pampering them ..

I agree we came from a different time. Not so sure we would have taken advantage of it. It would have been so foreign to us if in fact it changed over night. We likely wouldn’t have known how.

[special-K]

I don't know about everyone else, but I probably would have rejected computers. They were just starting to allow students to use calculators when I was in HS. I rejected them and got really good with doing math in my head. I felt I would not learn as well if I allowed a device to do my figuring and I still think I was right. I never use a calculator and have run my own business for 37 years, estimating, material take-offs, billing, designing. I often come up with answers faster than someone can get their answer on the calculator.

[richard2717]

I feel that cell phones, computers etc, have led to a dumbing down of society. Seems that no one is interested in learning & retaining anymore since "all i have to do is look at my phone for the answer" There seems to be a severe lack of common sense anymore.

[Gotenntitans]

Originally Posted by richard2717

I feel that cell phones, computers etc, have led to a dumbing down of society. Seems that no one is interested in learning & retaining anymore since "all i have to do is look at my phone for the answer" There seems to be a severe lack of common sense anymore.

Current high school math teacher for 23 years here.....fully agreeing with your statement!

Lots of kids do work hard, but most are fully preoccupied with their phones, social media, and gaming......at all hours of the day and night. They're not overly concerned about their upcoming algebra or trig test.

My school has banned phones and earbuds during school hours from 7:45-3:15. Before school or afterwards on bus trips or breaks during practices, they're OK.

Technology is good if used correctly. Occasionally, I'll show a YouTube video that goes along with my lesson and I attach the link to an email to both students and parents so they can access it at home if they want to.

A teacher friend of mine says "a Corvette without brakes is a danger to everyone on the highway." I suspect he is right.

[richard2717]

Originally Posted by Gotenntitans

Lots of kids do work hard, but most are fully preoccupied with their phones, social media, and gaming......at all hours of the day and night. They're not overly concerned about their upcoming algebra or trig test.



Technology is good if used correctly.

I would tend to agree with both of these statements. One problem I have come to see though is that even though a lot of people (not just kids) work hard, they don't work to learn. I can tell someone what to do and as long as I am out there with them they will bust tail all day long. Ask them to do the same thing a week later and it is like they have never done it before.

[Grumpy old man]

I have a son and 2 daughters , My son doesn't use the internet , He can't keep up with the work load he already has . My daughters both have their own online businesses and each have 501c3 Non profit charities online that provide their respective causes with the needed donations to fund their mission. That would be impossible without the internet and current mindset of today . I've tried to explain having a business back in the day to them without world wide internet access to no avail, One comment was " Who would waste their time sitting in a store waiting for customers to come in ?" . Would I have used it if it was available to me ... Hell Yes ! it's so easy to even have a very small internet store that can provide an extra $ 1-2,000.00 a month

[davischevy]

Opportunity has never been as great for a young person as it is right now.

Forget College, go to work with an experienced tradesman, and learn to do the job well. Actually it wouldn't be a bad idea to take some bookkeeping, and composition courses. The biggest battle I had was the bookkeeping.

In a few years the people that know how to do something with their hands will rule the world.

[special-K]

Isn't it funny (or sadly true) that all three of us independently have come up with the exact same deductions on the dumbing down related to the retainage vs look it up thing. I also feel all this lends to a look ahead for what's next mentality vs appreciating right now, looking back, and at whole world to their right and left. They need to smell the flowers

[CG]

Hmm, Now Im starting to wonder about Tim ... If that's his real name! No one can come close to his post count.

I think first we were infiltrated by Andy, another impossible post count. I think Andy's AI's handlers saw that the human members were getting suspicious so they phased him out with some sort of silly human-ish story and ramped up special-K

Very interesting ....

[kingsolver72]

Originally Posted by CG

Hmm, Now Im starting to wonder about Tim ... If that's his real name! No one can come close to his post count.

I think first we were infiltrated by Andy, another impossible post count. I think Andy's AI's handlers saw that the human members were getting suspicious so they phased him out with some sort of silly human-ish story and ramped up special-K

Very interesting ....

That is very interesting but.....

[special-K]

Originally Posted by CG

Hmm, Now Im starting to wonder about Tim ... If that's his real name! No one can come close to his post count.

I think first we were infiltrated by Andy, another impossible post count. I think Andy's AI's handlers saw that the human members were getting suspicious so they phased him out with some sort of silly human-ish story and ramped up special-K

Very interesting ....

Funny, but when I read this yesterday I couldn't figure out where this post was coming from. Then it hit me, I think you read me 180 degrees off. I am not at all excited about where technology in this area is going. What gives shall take in return. I see a bunch of idiots allowing AI to take over out of shear desire for convenience and stepping even further into the declining lazy society that once was great standing on their own two feet. Mechanical things are cool enough technology for me. You're reading a post by a guy who would rather drive a manual transmission than automatic and has no problem rolling a window up or maintaining a constant speed on the hiway w/o cruise-control. All this AI is taking a step in the wrong direction and will only serve to create a society w/o practical skills. That ain't me

To say humans are impeding the function of a device is just sickening to even read for me. Call me backwards, but it's actually clear foresight. You'll see. Society needs no more dumbing down. "R" is cool but "D" should be questioned and studied with great consideration. And those who are doing the research should not be the ones who decide to develop... obviously for their gain as their objective.

I've got the desire to homestead and take full responsibility for my own well being into my blood and crap like this brings it out.

[CG]

Because you are so real, maybe you are AI at its best Tim? lol.

AI has its place, but people that think using it to write stories, music, and converse day to day, have brain cloud.

Im looking for a fella I listened to about AI a few weeks or so back, that's his business ... that has some really interesting ideas. Ill post a link when I find it.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by CG

Because you are so real, maybe you are AI at its best Tim? lol.

I think I'm the opposite, RI, Really Ignorant . In the truest definition of the word, I seem to ignore that which I have no interest in, things I feel are irrelevant to me, TMI out there to be retaining it all. At least for this old head there is. But I also put thought into things many others don't seem to as well. The ole man of his own mind thing, I guess, as much as I can w/o being weird? Right?????? .............

[kingsolver72]

The “then” part of the “Opportunity then and now” has me thinking about Dick Proenneke.
Guys like him are interesting (AI).
For those that don’t know of him here should look him up on the internet tube.

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by kingsolver72

The “then” part of the “Opportunity then and now” has me thinking about Dick Proenneke.
Guys like him are interesting (AI).
For those that don’t know of him here should look him up on the internet tube.

I was thinking about the same thing. I figured I would mention it when I got settled in, but you beat me to it.

This guy has intrigued me for years, since I first saw one of his videos TV. He has been one of my favorite YT subjects. I don't know how many videos he made but his story is interesting.

Here's one. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...D&&FORM=VRDGAR

[kingsolver72]

Originally Posted by davischevy

I was thinking about the same thing. I figured I would mention it when I got settled in, but you beat me to it.

This guy has intrigued me for years, since I first saw one of his videos TV. He has been one of my favorite YT subjects. I don't know how many videos he made but his story is interesting.

Here's one. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...D&&FORM=VRDGAR

I’ve mentioned Proenneke here years a ago but when Tim said he wanted to do the homestead thing in Alaska like his dad talked about Richard Proenneke is what I thought of immediately.

[special-K]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Thanks for sharing. Boy, talk about precision saddles in those log corners. Simple simple simple and everything is up to him to do. No one to blame and no one to blame him. Like he said, when you know you are alone you are more careful. No one to rely on for anything. His life is simple but you can tell he has quite a mind. A smart man