How computers dematerialized everything on the desk in 30 years

[mooncliff]

Highly deflationary.
Explosion in ability to do and know things.

http://bestreviews.com/best-standing...on-of-the-desk

[LorenS]

Re: How computers dematerialized everything on the desk in 30 years

Some of us still work with actual stuff. And I have books dating back to the '80s. Not all of that content is online and much of it is still hard to find even if it is. I almost posted a photo of my desk, but thought better of it. I have all kinds of "stuff", circuit boards, RF connectors, a small power supply, ........

[Adeptus]

Re: How computers dematerialized everything on the desk in 30 years

Cool video but...Non virtual crap on my desk right now:
- Tissue box
- Tea pot & cup
- physical keys,
- network gear
- computer books
- pens and papers (lots of both)
- some spare cables
- wallet
- printed family pictures
- schedules
- printed dilbert cartoons
- paper with dozens of frequently called numbers
- VoIP phone
- Monitor switch
- power bar
- batteries for fancy headphones
- dust :P
- lunch container
- cereal box (snack)
- stapler
- coat
- post it notes (even though I've started using http://note.ly recently)
- scotch tape
- stack of business cards I've collected (ok I rarely look at those now)
- phone headset
- wires.. .lots of wires for 2 desktops
- laptop
- 3 monitors (+laptop screen)
- network card circuit board
- 2xdead power supplies

Guess we still have a ways to go. ;-)

[thriftyandboringinohio]

Re: How computers dematerialized everything on the desk in 30 years

... I have books dating back to the '80s. Not all of that content is online and much of it is still hard to find even if it is.....

Great point LorenS.
I not only have all my old college textbooks from the 80s, but I also have my father's from the 1940s.
We are both mechanical engineers.

His old books are chock full of fascinating practical knowledge that is vanishing fast.
Things like how an engineer could walk out to the plant floor with his own dividers and accurately transfer a measurement from a machinist's dividers.
A precise measurement made; stored on a device; transferred to another device; and brought to a desktop not only without computers, but without NUMBERS or WRITING.

[lektrode]

Re: How computers dematerialized everything on the desk in 30 years

..... an engineer could walk out to the plant floor with his own dividers and accurately transfer a measurement from a machinist's dividers.
A precise measurement made; stored on a device; transferred to another device; and brought to a desktop not only without computers, but without NUMBERS or WRITING.

a gage?
;)

[goadam1]

Re: How computers dematerialized everything on the desk in 30 years

What's a desk? I often do work with a phone or notebook elsewhere. Anywhere.

[thriftyandboringinohio]

Re: How computers dematerialized everything on the desk in 30 years

What's a desk? I often do work with a phone or notebook elsewhere. Anywhere.

LOL!! Touche`
Now see here, you young whippersnapper...when I was your age... uphill both ways...you kids get off my lawn!

[LorenS]

Re: How computers dematerialized everything on the desk in 30 years

Great point LorenS.
I not only have all my old college textbooks from the 80s, but I also have my father's from the 1940s.
We are both mechanical engineers.

His old books are chock full of fascinating practical knowledge that is vanishing fast.
Things like how an engineer could walk out to the plant floor with his own dividers and accurately transfer a measurement from a machinist's dividers.
A precise measurement made; stored on a device; transferred to another device; and brought to a desktop not only without computers, but without NUMBERS or WRITING.

There is tons of good stuff on YouTube for engineers, but things like welding don't video well. I have the Lincoln "Procedural Handbook of Arc Welding" and it's great. I set up a weld this past weekend without paying much attention to my rod size and current setting and ended up getting no penetration into the base metal. I had switched from 3/32 7018 to 1/16 6011 and I must have turned the current down too far.

The thing is, just because "it's on the web" doesn't mean it's accessible when I need it. Books don't need WiFi. And there is no way I'm going to have my smart phone any where near a welder.

[shiny!]

Re: How computers dematerialized everything on the desk in 30 years

And there is no way I'm going to have my smart phone any where near a welder.

Chicken! ;-)