Community Chat

[Mominohio]

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@Carmie wrote:

I love my computer and have had one way longer than the average person.... think DOS before windows.

That said, my computer does not make me smarter. It makes my brain lazy and doesn't make kids smart at all.  Who still does math in their head?  Who remembers telephone numbers and addresses?  Why learn to spell? 

These are just little things, but our brains used to get a workout.....not anymore.

Another thing to think about.... what would happen if the whole grid went down?  We would not be able to shop for good or pump gas.  Credit cards wouldn't work.  Many newer cars wouldn't run even if they had gas.  Some heat and AC units would run even with electricity. The whole world would come to a screeching halt and it would be devastating

Yes, I love modern technology but it scares me too.  We should not take it for granted and it needs  to be respected.... like fire.

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@Carmie

I feel exactly the same way (although expect to be criticized for it).

Because everything has gone 'computer' or 'electronic', people and businesses are incapable of completing the simplest things today without them. Either the people don't have the skills (make change without a calculator or cash register) or the equipment won't run without the computer (gas pumps, water and electric supply to cities, credit/debit transactions etc.)

We occasionally see a 'crisis' on a small level in an area where there is a short term breakdown in the system because of weather or other problems, but a more wide spread problem is definitely going to happen at some time, somewhere, and look out...it isn't going to be pretty.

[hckynut]

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@ROMARY wrote:

I think that our memories could be a bit lax.  Children (and adults) don't have to memorize or remember as much now-a-days.  Everyone seems to use their GPS for everyday and frequently traveled daily locations.  There's probably one portion of our brains that isn't being used.  The memory part.  Just guessing, of course.

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@ROMARY

A note on ones brain in relation to memory. Sat on a jury where 2 types of brain doctors explained some of it's functions in this regard. There is "long term and short term memory".

Long term is in relation to remembering things in your life from years and many decades ago. Short term is like meeting Jane/Joe today. They leave the room for a few minutes and when they return? I have already forgotten their names.

I can easily recall most things going back to age 7, and some very minute' detail. One friend I grew up with in the Public Housing Projects, has no idea what I am talking about when I bring up those times, that were 70+ years ago. He is 3 years my senior, but he hasn't remembered this for years now.

I agree, there is a good portion of the human brain that seldom, if ever gets used. According to those doctors, that has little to do with one's age, generally speaking. I personally feel that challenging my brain as I get older, is using some of space generally not used. I feel that overall, my memory, both short and long term, are doing pretty good?

hckynut(john)

[Burnsite]

With a computer search, we find what we are looking for, and it is a great convenience.

Wide reading is still key to learning new things, I think. Computers help us to confirm what we already know: even if our knowledge is flawed, there are plenty of places to echo our thoughts. 

We search to confirm our beliefs, but we read (and talk to others) to test our beliefs. 

[Carmie]

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@hckynut wrote:

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@ROMARY wrote:

I think that our memories could be a bit lax.  Children (and adults) don't have to memorize or remember as much now-a-days.  Everyone seems to use their GPS for everyday and frequently traveled daily locations.  There's probably one portion of our brains that isn't being used.  The memory part.  Just guessing, of course.

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@ROMARY

A note on ones brain in relation to memory. Sat on a jury where 2 types of brain doctors explained some of it's functions in this regard. There is "long term and short term memory".

Long term is in relation to remembering things in your life from years and many decades ago. Short term is like meeting Jane/Joe today. They leave the room for a few minutes and when they return? I have already forgotten their names.

I can easily recall most things going back to age 7, and some very minute' detail. One friend I grew up with in the Public Housing Projects, has no idea what I am talking about when I bring up those times, that were 70+ years ago. He is 3 years my senior, but he hasn't remembered this for years now.

I agree, there is a good portion of the human brain that seldom, if ever gets used. According to those doctors, that has little to do with one's age, generally speaking. I personally feel that challenging my brain as I get older, is using some of space generally not used. I feel that overall, my memory, both short and long term, are doing pretty good?

hckynut(john)

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John, I have a sister 16 years my senior.  My long term and short term memory is much better than hers and has always been.

i remember things that happened when I was around 18 months and even younger in detail.  My mother told me that I started to talk when I was about a year old.  I think I can remember because of this.  I feel memory and language is related.

My mind is like a memory trap, as was my father's.  i can even remember color. There is no need to take a swatch to color match.  It must be inherited.  I also remember names when introduced to people.

i like to do things to keep my mind sharp and I read a lot.  I like you hope to stay this way for life.  I play online trivia occcasionally.  I do well, except with sports questions.

My older sister is sometimes impressed with me and at other times she says maybe I am making things up because she doesn't remember.

[ROMARY]

I edited to say/mean that perhaps our memories (as a society) have become a bit lax because we/some of us (including adults/children/tweens/teens) have become somewhat dependent on computers.  (No need to memorize or remember things; just click onto our computer to recall 'this and that'.)   Just another thought of mine, right or wrong. 

[LTT1]

@Poodlepet2

When I was a SAHM, during DDs time in school, actually I taught her when she got home.

Some of her teachers enriched her learning tremendously, however, there were times that I had to wonder what they did in school all day long.

She had 4-6 hours worth of homework every night until Junior high and hs. At that point, she hardly lifted a finger and aced nearly every subject (math was still tricky).

[Yardlie]

I know that I certainly have a lot more free time with a computer. I used to keep a running list of things I needed to look up the next time I would go to the library. Sometimes I would call the reference librarian, but sometimes it was just things I needed to look up myself. I would head to the library at least once a week and often spend a few hours there. Now, I can look things up myself on the computer. I also order books on the computer, and it doesn't take me 5-10 minutes to run into the library to pick them up.

And...hasn't eBay been a timesaver? I would frequently wonder where I could buy X or Y. I would spend time at the library hunting through yellow pages searching for places that might sell it. Now, it is easy breezy on eBay.

I think it depends on what you use your computer for also. I have one friend who doesn't use the computer to read news. She uses it for Facebook, email, games, and youtube videos. We all do some of that, but overall I'd say that computers enhance our knowledge.

[LilacTree]

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@Carmie wrote:

I love my computer and have had one way longer than the average person.... think DOS before windows.

That said, my computer does not make me smarter. It makes my brain lazy and doesn't make kids smart at all.  Who still does math in their head?  Who remembers telephone numbers and addresses?  Why learn to spell? 

These are just little things, but our brains used to get a workout.....not anymore.

Another thing to think about.... what would happen if the whole grid went down?  We would not be able to shop for good or pump gas.  Credit cards wouldn't work.  Many newer cars wouldn't run even if they had gas.  Some heat and AC units would run even with electricity. The whole world would come to a screeching halt and it would be devastating

Yes, I love modern technology but it scares me too.  We should not take it for granted and it needs  to be respected.... like fire.

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@Carmie

I also started out early in 1980 with an IBM PC, two floppy drives, one for the 5-1/4 "system" disk, and one for the data disk.  There was no one to teach me.  Computerizing the CPA firm I worked for was MY baby.  My DOS book was hard bound and very thick . . . all of the DOS commands were in there.  I had to start from scratch using the system disk to type in the words "install/system" before DOS itself could even be installed.  I remember a list I kept of programmers all over the country when I got stuck.  It was very challenging, but I loved it.  I took the DOS book home with me every night and memorized the commands. 

The best thing about DOS was I had to install it with a menu on only one computer (the server) and then set up the other five computers we had to attach to the server and choose a program.  When there were changes, I had to change only the server.

At first I hated Windows because we had grown so much, and I thought it was a huge step backward because then I had to install every program on every computer, which was eventually two servers, one for tax, and the other for the Microsoft Office and many other accounting programs. 

When I retired in 2004 I was running 36 computers off two servers.  Some of the employees could upgrade a program on their desktop, but most of them left it up to me, a woman in her 60's by then, crawling under desks, troubleshooting, etc.  I did have a hardware guy I would call when it was a problem with the machine.  I have to say I still loved it, and it was the only reason I stayed at that firm for 24 years.

Believe it or not, I still had to perform "administrative" work for two partners.  After all, I was hired as a "secretary."  I did make decent money the final ten or so years though, but only because I fought for it and they were afraid to lose me.

That was all thirteen years ago . . . I can't believe it.

As far as intelligence, IMO that never changes.  Knowledge and information changes, and I do agree we are far more knowledgeable since the advent of computer technology and the "information superhighway."

I also acknowledge the dangers we now have that we did not have back in the day.  Computers, modern technology, etc. could bring us back to the "dark" ages, if we even survive.  We are really not smart enough to realize the power of what we now hold in our hands. 

[Zhills]

@LilacTree  I was right there with you!  Went to programming school (it wasn't taught in college yet) in 1974.  Learned to program in COBAL, RPG and Basic Assembler, one level above maching language (not BASIC).  Wrote program, had to key punch the cards, run through compiler so the BIG computer could read it and had to define every pixel on a page.  You could not print a 12 letter word in a 10 letter space.  Boy, have we come a long way!

Remember when the office got that IBM with 64K memory with the 2 discs.  Nothing magnetic in the area and don't dare bump it or move it!

I got my first home computer, a MAC, in '84 when they came on the market.  

I can't imagine life without a computer today!

[LilacTree]

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@Zhills wrote:

@LilacTree  I was right there with you!  Went to programming school (it wasn't taught in college yet) in 1974.  Learned to program in COBAL, RPG and Basic Assembler, one level above maching language (not BASIC).  Wrote program, had to key punch the cards, run through compiler so the BIG computer could read it and had to define every pixel on a page.  You could not print a 12 letter word in a 10 letter space.  Boy, have we come a long way!

Remember when the office got that IBM with 64K memory with the 2 discs.  Nothing magnetic in the area and don't dare bump it or move it!

I got my first home computer, a MAC, in '84 when they came on the market.  

I can't imagine life without a computer today!

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@Zhills

OMG, I so admired the programmers!!  Had I been younger and didn't have four children at home and a full time job, I could have learned programming.  I was always sorry I did not.  So . . . good for you!!

Yes, we have come a long way!!