Mark Evanier did one of those You Might Be Old If memes. But I think yes-or-no answers are somewhat limiting, so I decided to expand on some of these.
Used a rotary phone. Well, yes. I am fascinated by the fact that there were films to show one how to use a rotary phone 80 or more years ago. Now, there are videos showing us that current students don’t know how to use them.
Used a floppy disc. Yes, 5 1/4 and 3 1/2 inch.
I used a typewriter. I was a terrible typist—still am. When I was in student government at New Paltz in the mid-1970s, we had an IBM Selectric. The great thing about it was that it had “an internal correction feature…, intended to eliminate the need for typists to use cover-up tape, ‘white-out’ correction fluid, or typewriter erasers.” In the late 1980s, I had a Sears typewriter with minimal memory, which I thought was the greatest thing ever.
Taken pics with a film camera. I have at least twenty photo albums worth of pictures taken with a camera, plus a boxful of loose photos.
Right now!
Listened to music on a CD. As I write this, I’m listening to Magic by Bruce Springsteen. If I’m home, I play six to eight CDs per day.
Watched a movie on VHS. Yes, several. The first VHS tapes I bought were Being There and Groundhog Day.
Rented a movie from Blockbuster. Probably, but I have no strong recollection.
Learned cursive. Yes. I always thought the G in cursive was kind of boxy and ugly. And I’ve written it a lot.
Played an Atari, possibly at someone else’s house. I never owned one.
Sent or received a fax. When I first started working at the New York Small Business Development Center, there weren’t enough phone lines. So I shared a phone with the fax machine. So when my phone rang, I never knew whether it was a call for me or lots of facsimile noise.
Had a MySpace account. Maybe. I’m not sure.
Ordered from Columbia House. No. But I was a member of the Capitol Record Club circa 1966-1968. That’s where I bought most of my Beatles albums, plus LPs by Billy Strange, the Lovin’ Spoonful, Roger Miller, Bobbie Gentry, and the Hollyridge Strings.
Had an AOL address. I still have an AOL address. It’s sometimes used for two-step authentication.
Access the Internet via dial-up. Oh, yeah.
Jiminy Cricket
Used an encyclopedia. My parents bought us, but probably more for me, a set of the Encyclopedia Americana, plus a half dozen annual updates.
Used a phone book. Not only did I use it, but I read it. I used to know all of the area codes in the US and Canada. But it was easier then. The first digit was between 2 and 9, the second 0 or 1, and the third between 1 and 9.
Send a postcard. Yes, and I used to know how much it cost to send one.
Used a paper map. Yes, and I still prefer a paper map for most purposes. I find that GPS can occasionally be unreliable. For example, my wife and I were traveling to Cohoes in Albany County, and the GPS repeatedly told us to take an exit long before we needed to.
Owned a dictionary. I still do, and it’s less than six feet from where I’m sitting.
Written a cheque. I did it all the time. Now, I write about five per year if I can find them.
Uncurled a telephone cord. All of the time!
