Question for the old-timers here

[wartknight]

based off another thread-
What did you guys do at work before everyone had a computer and internet?
Were you that much more productive or did you find other ways to kill your time.
I have no idea what I would do without internet at my desk, (besides being a CF addict) With all the communication and info and work I do on it.
What Did you guys do?

 

[Clones21]

Well im not an old timer..But im on here all the time! Its the best place to come and get your cyclone news and updates on recruits!

 

[bos]

Threw sharpened pencils at the ceiling until they stuck.

 

[isuno1fan]

Alot of time in the breakroom.

 

[4429 mcc]

based off another thread-
What did you guys do at work before everyone had a computer and internet?
Were you that much more productive or did you find other ways to kill your time.
I have no idea what I would do without internet at my desk, (besides being a CF addict) With all the communication and info and work I do on it.
What Did you guys do?

Probably smoked cigarettes and drank...coffee.

Can you imagine someone smoking in the cube or office next to you?

 

[retzmountn]

I text messaged friends on my cell phone. Oh wait, I didn't have a cell phone either.

I'm not sure what I did???

 

[jaretac]

I'm guessing newspapers and magizines were popular.

 

[Aclone]

I knew of guys who had hobbies, like building model trains in their (lower) desk drawer. If someone walked in, they'd just pull the drawer above it open. :biggrin:

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

Disclaimer: I've worked with a typewriter and calculator, computer and no Internet, and computer and Internet. I am not an old-timer.

"More productive" doesn't necessarily mean we got more done without computer and Internet. We got done what we needed to do. I think having the Internet/online world and the use of computers has expanded the types of work we're able to do. The amount of work changes because of the accessibility to information sources, people, software, programs, etc.

Now, if you're asking whether a person would be more productive today if we didn't surf and spend time on non-work related activities...that's a different question.

 

[wartknight]

Growing up, those things weren't as prevalent for me, and they existed, but I was too busy mowing lawn, baling hay, and scooping **** to notice.

 

[cybsball20]

Judging by what some of the old timers here still do, they just walked around and talked to people all day... At least workers these days can look like they're working.

 

[MonsterBack]

I used to scout locations for movies, so I wasn't strapped to a desk and kept moving about 16 hours per day.
In those days I had to get a list of notes from the director (printed on the ONE 1,500 pound printer in the production offices) and hit the road with my 35mm camera and a stack of contracts.

I'd find a location that might fit the need, get out and take about fifty 360 degree panoramic shots from every angle, then race back to the One Hour Photo place to get the shots developed.
Then rush back to the set, tape the individual shots together into folders, and present them to the director.
He'd pick 4 or 5 possible locations, then I'd get back in the car and race back to the locations to sign contracts with the property owners.
That whole process could eat up a whole day, depending on the proximity to the production offices.

Now, I could take a digital camera and a laptop on the road and accomplish all of that in a couple hours, then goof off on the set the rest of the day.

I'm not in that business anymore, but as I sit at my desk now, I'm re-thinking that...

In short, not having a computer meant that your work usually kept you busy all day, so you didn't have time to goof off as much, and time moved pretty fast.

 

[MonsterBack]

Growing up, those things weren't as prevalent for me, and they existed, but I was too busy mowing lawn, baling hay, and scooping **** to notice.

Throw in shelling corn and picking up rocks in fields, and you just described my entire childhood...

 

[Wesley]

Hung out at the water coolers, went shopping at noon, read magazines, wrote real letters, and punched out by clock. Very low stress.

 

[4429 mcc]

Hung out at the water coolers, went shopping at noon, read magazines, wrote real letters, and punched out by clock. Very low stress.

Wrote letters...cant even imagine writing or typing a letter...god I've used the backspace key 50 times writing this one sentence!

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I worked nights for many years long ago and we played a lot of cribbage and hearts. I also smoked a lot of cigarettes in those days.

 

[trigger1]

Growing up, those things weren't as prevalent for me, and they existed, but I was too busy mowing lawn, baling hay, and scooping **** to notice.

Throw in shelling corn and picking up rocks in fields, and you just described my entire childhood...

Don't forget walking beans, (and for the uninformed - we're not talking about a dog!) pulling the cockleburs and buttonweeds by hand. We could cut everything else, but those two got pulled.

And if Dad thought you got in a little too late on Friday night, he had a way of making sure you were up early on Saturday shoveling the absolute worst smellling, deepest corner of **** in the hog house. You knew it was rank when you dug in and the middle was turning green!

 

[woodie]

i counted on my fingers:then i found an abacus.

 

[Clones21]

I worked nights for many years long ago and we played a lot of cribbage and hearts. I also smoked a lot of cigarettes in those days.

Smokd alot of pot also? Or was that in the 70's?:wink::notworthy:

 

[CYKID]

we would spend hours on the phone. one email equates to calling people one after another. you would also hand deliver hot memos. when we first got email it was just as bad because you had to call the older timers to make sure they read the email.