I have to confess that the older I get, the more this is true for me. I am not quite at the point of completely abandoning new technology, but I am much slower about taken it on.
Honestly, older technology is far more interesting.
I sit here typing on my laptop and listening to an LP on my turntable that i could be playing on my Apple Music account without that pesky requirement to get up every 20 minutes to change the record, so I can only say, "Yep!"
Warren, there is even something about the sound of music via vinyl or tape that is different my ears. Sadly, that is something that is passing away with our generation.
I've tackled and enjoyed some of the new tech, especially when I was self-publishing books. The biggest problem is the learning curve. And while the challenge may be fun at first, the tech is constantly changing by upgrading. It only becomes more and more complicated which almost makes it a full time job to keep up with.
One day I figured out that it was so much quicker and easier to simply mix cake batter with my Polish whisk, rather than get out and set up the mixer, do the mixing, and then clean up the mess. I saved neither time nor work!
Older tech is definitely more interesting. Every time I read one of Eric Sloane's books, I'm amazed at the amount of intelligence and expertise that accompanied those lower tech skills. They are well worth learning and embracing.
Leigh, I have had to pick up and learn new technology, mostly new software packages, as part of my work over the years. Like you, I have found that the upgrading of software constantly makes things different. Additionally, the discontinuation of certain software packages means that years of labor can be completely wasted and lost in a minute.
Like your Polish whisk example, I have found the use of other things that would be considered non-technological far easier to use as a total package. It makes sense: often times these are the output of years or even centuries of trial and error. Often times all new technology is essentially hoping for customers to be "Beta" testers.
I am not familiar with Eric Sloane but will look him up. I will say that, having the opportunity to travel to ancient places, I become more and more impressed with so-called primitive societies, who were solving problems we face now without the benefit of modern materials or modern technology.
Eric Sloane was an artist and author who wrote numerous illustrated books on Americana. He was a collector of old early American tools and devices, and wrote much about them plus early American building techniques, custom, and lore. I think we have almost all of his books.
Never did replace the turntable when it went on the fritz since the cassette and CD players have done yeoman duty over the years. Not interested in learning new music tech TB, am a believer in physically owning something, not having it stored off in the Cloud somewhere where even if you bought it you don't have POSSESION of it. Rant over, enjoy the day.......:)
Nylon12, physical ownership of things has really become a thing in the past few years. The digital model simply doesn't work; things can exist and then suddenly go off-line and you have no recourse. This is one of the reasons that I am a great believer in physical books.
Sometimes, familiarity with a certain (sub)set of skills is more valuable than keeping on the cutting edge. Sure, This New Hotness might be more efficient when its operators know all the ins and outs of its function, but That Coldie Oldie we've been using is well-worn, time-tested, and most importantly does The Thing We Need It To Do without fuss or growing pains. Hence my personal creed with our own tech at my place of employ: If It Works, Don't [Expletive] With It!
In a perfect world, it's a not-so-simple cost/benefit question. Is it worth pushing forward with a new, untested system to replace the old and well-known one, sacrificing stability and possibly the knowledge of veteran users in the process? Perhaps not, if the old system is stable enough and all but bulletproof through extensive use ironing out its abject failures to leave its operational oddities as the learning curve. But perhaps so, if its end-of-life status is a result of it not being able to keep up with the demands asked of it and its users. But perhaps not, if... Alas, we reside in Clown World, and the messy wetware that is Human 1.0 is ever enchanted by novelty. Ever more so when we ought to just leave things well enough alone.
P_P: "Is it worth pushing forward with a new, untested system to replace the old and well-known one, sacrificing stability and possibly the knowledge of veteran users in the process?" The difficulty, at least in business, often seems to be that the people who make those decisions are not the ones that use the technologies and so there are two different sets of questions being asked. Too often, I fear, the decision makers are entranced by public opinion and fancy sales pitches and the lure of "cutting edge".
The history of being a "Beta" user should suggest technologies should be adapted sensibly and after full testing and verification.
A reflection on technology progress - where I worked some time ago the Training Dept invested heavily in producing slick interactive packages for the key basic health and safety issues. Unfortunately, they chose laser disc technology, and within a couple of years the entire project was obsolete as the technology moved on. They struggled with scouring the used markets for laser disc players to keep running the courses for a while, but had to write them off in the end, and went back to "chalk and talk" courses.
Will, I was discussing this with Rainbow and her husband The Archaeologist yesterday. In my case it is instruments used to gather data from product testing: there is a real concern that current outputs are not forward compatible with future technologies and at some point we will either lose the data or be forced to keep older technologies alive for the sole purpose of gathering data. And Heaven forfend that PDF is superseded as a storage medium: the last 25-30 years of "saved data" will be gone.
Those the developed microfiche might have been on to something...
I’m still pretty good at embracing new technology as long as it is relevant. However, I find I am not leading the charge to embrace it as I might have when I was younger.
Ed, I think relevancy is an important point. That said, there is not much new technology that is directly impactful to my life outside of work that I could meaningfully adapt at this point.
The first thing that I thought of was AI. I keep asking myself, "Can I manage to live the rest of my years and just not trouble myself to understand and use AI?" Then I wonder how smart that is because AI is becoming such a part of everything, it seems.
Becki, while the point has been made that AI is effectively already embedded into many of the things we do - those call centers where we get shifted around, for example - at this point I can safely say I think I could run the rest of my life without using it. Of course, I - and our generation - benefits from the fact that we have learned to live without it. It will be increasingly difficult as generations are brought up in it and know how to ask questions but not how to assess the answers.
Comments are welcome (and necessary, for good conversation). If you could take the time to be kind and not practice profanity, it would be appreciated. Thanks for posting!
I sit here typing on my laptop and listening to an LP on my turntable that i could be playing on my Apple Music account without that pesky requirement to get up every 20 minutes to change the record, so I can only say, "Yep!"
ReplyDeleteWarren, there is even something about the sound of music via vinyl or tape that is different my ears. Sadly, that is something that is passing away with our generation.
DeleteI've tackled and enjoyed some of the new tech, especially when I was self-publishing books. The biggest problem is the learning curve. And while the challenge may be fun at first, the tech is constantly changing by upgrading. It only becomes more and more complicated which almost makes it a full time job to keep up with.
ReplyDeleteOne day I figured out that it was so much quicker and easier to simply mix cake batter with my Polish whisk, rather than get out and set up the mixer, do the mixing, and then clean up the mess. I saved neither time nor work!
Older tech is definitely more interesting. Every time I read one of Eric Sloane's books, I'm amazed at the amount of intelligence and expertise that accompanied those lower tech skills. They are well worth learning and embracing.
Leigh, I have had to pick up and learn new technology, mostly new software packages, as part of my work over the years. Like you, I have found that the upgrading of software constantly makes things different. Additionally, the discontinuation of certain software packages means that years of labor can be completely wasted and lost in a minute.
DeleteLike your Polish whisk example, I have found the use of other things that would be considered non-technological far easier to use as a total package. It makes sense: often times these are the output of years or even centuries of trial and error. Often times all new technology is essentially hoping for customers to be "Beta" testers.
I am not familiar with Eric Sloane but will look him up. I will say that, having the opportunity to travel to ancient places, I become more and more impressed with so-called primitive societies, who were solving problems we face now without the benefit of modern materials or modern technology.
Eric Sloane was an artist and author who wrote numerous illustrated books on Americana. He was a collector of old early American tools and devices, and wrote much about them plus early American building techniques, custom, and lore. I think we have almost all of his books.
DeleteThanks Leigh! That sounds like a very interesting (and useful) set of books.
DeleteNever did replace the turntable when it went on the fritz since the cassette and CD players have done yeoman duty over the years. Not interested in learning new music tech TB, am a believer in physically owning something, not having it stored off in the Cloud somewhere where even if you bought it you don't have POSSESION of it. Rant over, enjoy the day.......:)
ReplyDeleteNylon12, physical ownership of things has really become a thing in the past few years. The digital model simply doesn't work; things can exist and then suddenly go off-line and you have no recourse. This is one of the reasons that I am a great believer in physical books.
DeleteI think Fred Flintstone had it right. :)
ReplyDeleteSandi, the older I get the more I am not interested in technology which I cannot even theoretically understand.
DeleteOne of the things that drove me to retirement is artificial intelligence. Just not interested.
ReplyDeleteBob, we have a big push at work as well. I may be a bit cynical, but I can already see the potential gaps.
DeleteSometimes, familiarity with a certain (sub)set of skills is more valuable than keeping on the cutting edge. Sure, This New Hotness might be more efficient when its operators know all the ins and outs of its function, but That Coldie Oldie we've been using is well-worn, time-tested, and most importantly does The Thing We Need It To Do without fuss or growing pains.
ReplyDeleteHence my personal creed with our own tech at my place of employ: If It Works, Don't [Expletive] With It!
In a perfect world, it's a not-so-simple cost/benefit question. Is it worth pushing forward with a new, untested system to replace the old and well-known one, sacrificing stability and possibly the knowledge of veteran users in the process? Perhaps not, if the old system is stable enough and all but bulletproof through extensive use ironing out its abject failures to leave its operational oddities as the learning curve. But perhaps so, if its end-of-life status is a result of it not being able to keep up with the demands asked of it and its users. But perhaps not, if...
Alas, we reside in Clown World, and the messy wetware that is Human 1.0 is ever enchanted by novelty. Ever more so when we ought to just leave things well enough alone.
P_P: "Is it worth pushing forward with a new, untested system to replace the old and well-known one, sacrificing stability and possibly the knowledge of veteran users in the process?" The difficulty, at least in business, often seems to be that the people who make those decisions are not the ones that use the technologies and so there are two different sets of questions being asked. Too often, I fear, the decision makers are entranced by public opinion and fancy sales pitches and the lure of "cutting edge".
DeleteThe history of being a "Beta" user should suggest technologies should be adapted sensibly and after full testing and verification.
A reflection on technology progress - where I worked some time ago the Training Dept invested heavily in producing slick interactive packages for the key basic health and safety issues. Unfortunately, they chose laser disc technology, and within a couple of years the entire project was obsolete as the technology moved on. They struggled with scouring the used markets for laser disc players to keep running the courses for a while, but had to write them off in the end, and went back to "chalk and talk" courses.
ReplyDeleteWill, I was discussing this with Rainbow and her husband The Archaeologist yesterday. In my case it is instruments used to gather data from product testing: there is a real concern that current outputs are not forward compatible with future technologies and at some point we will either lose the data or be forced to keep older technologies alive for the sole purpose of gathering data. And Heaven forfend that PDF is superseded as a storage medium: the last 25-30 years of "saved data" will be gone.
DeleteThose the developed microfiche might have been on to something...
I’m still pretty good at embracing new technology as long as it is relevant. However, I find I am not leading the charge to embrace it as I might have when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteEd, I think relevancy is an important point. That said, there is not much new technology that is directly impactful to my life outside of work that I could meaningfully adapt at this point.
DeleteThe first thing that I thought of was AI. I keep asking myself, "Can I manage to live the rest of my years and just not trouble myself to understand and use AI?" Then I wonder how smart that is because AI is becoming such a part of everything, it seems.
ReplyDeleteBecki, while the point has been made that AI is effectively already embedded into many of the things we do - those call centers where we get shifted around, for example - at this point I can safely say I think I could run the rest of my life without using it. Of course, I - and our generation - benefits from the fact that we have learned to live without it. It will be increasingly difficult as generations are brought up in it and know how to ask questions but not how to assess the answers.
Delete