I really have a fear of technology and specifically computers. I bore witness to computers. I watched them crawl out of the primordial ooze of prehistoric technology as crappy typewriters.
You see kids, a "type writer" was the keyboard part of your laptop. It had no screen, you couldn't change the font and it weighed about 75lbs. Having one didn't "make you cool." It did come with a big plastic suitcase to lug it around, so that made it really convenient to go to the coffee shop. Oh that's right... there were no coffee shops! They were called diners and you paid fifty cents for a cup of java. no frills, just bean juice. Mmmmmm......dee-lish!
When I was in college I saw my first computer with a mouse. It blew my mind! We (my college cohorts and I) would go to the "computer lab" and just move the mouse and watch the little arrow move around. For hours... I'm almost embarrassed to share that. Almost! The thing was, is you just knew you were looking at the future. The whole possibility of SKYNET* or HAL* becoming self aware and attempting to either replace or completely eliminate mankind now became plausible. I am not suggesting that it's time to build bunkers and prepare for the "Rise of the Machines" (or some other cool catch phrase name) but it really was the beginning of a whole new era. This new era and I have not exactly seen eye to eye over the last 20 years. I have really just come to terms with "computers" and them NOT being a fad or trend... Yet another thing this blog has helped me with.
Longtime readers may have noticed the use of italics in this blog. Something I would have NEVER attempted a year ago. TOO SCARY! I don't know if I have used it correctly but I did it and I didn't even have to ask for help!
Onward and upward.
*SKYNET was the computer in the Terminator movies that waged war with mankind.
*HAL was the computer who became self-aware in the movie 2001: a Space Odyssey and took over the ship.
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