Comments on: Everything Old is New Again

By: jennifer

jennifer — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 22:15:25 +0000

Yes, great comparison to Mr. Weasley!
Remember, Ed, that Ian is still not out of his teens, and so he is indulging in what I once saw referred to as “the sham nostalgia of the very young.” You’re not old – it’s just that he’s not very old, but he’s growing up in a time of head-spinning technological change. Hence the whole cycle is accelerated.
Like Gabe, Ian also teaches us how to use the new technology he sorta but not entirely disdains.

By: Ed

Ed — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 23:10:02 +0000

Great post. Ian sounds like a fun guy to be around, in a retro kind of way. Must be that zany family or something.

Yes, to him and the bros, typewriters are amazing. What ALSO is amazing, though, and a little scary, is the fact that VHS videos, cassettes and the Power Rangers already qualify to emerge from the family Wayback Machine as hopelessly-dated-but-cool-and-lovable-enough-to-be-resurrected anachronisms. Yikes.

Any day now, I’m gonna realize I’m old.

By: jeane

jeane — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:15:55 +0000

Not long ago, a fashion editor told me, “handwritten notes are the new black.” Sounds like Ian is conforming as a nonconformist! Gabe got a “vintage” Nintendo 64 last year, and wears an Atari t-shirt. Vintage or no, I’m still getting as much modern tech training from him as can while he’s still under the roof!

By: MemeGRL

MemeGRL — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:23:00 +0000

Kinda like how Mr. Weasley is entranced with the workarounds that muggles use!
And I need to take a “selling on computer” course from you!

By: Nikki Benner

Nikki Benner — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:20:36 +0000

There is something awfully satisfying about typewriter typing – maybe it’s the sound, or the effort required to type… I learned to type on a manual typewriter, inherited when my sister received an electric one. I sat practicing “asasdfdf” for hours and hours. Unlike with Word, your mistakes remained, and you truly had an assessment of your abilities (and improvement) over time.

For more fun with obsolete technology: http://www.pajiba.com/miscellaneous/of-donkey-kong-and-record-players-i-feel-old.php

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:54:21 +0000

Typewriters are very hip these days. A friend of mine bought one at a flea market on a recent trip to NYC. I still maintain a number of “snail mail” correspondences — have my whole life — and can’t imagine what I’d do without them.

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:16:44 +0000

I remember when we got “auto correct” on our electric typewriter – I was in high school and was completely amazed when all you had to do was hit back space and the white tape would appear and (kinda) erare your mistake. A few years later I sat in awe in college as my (then) boyfriend showed me his Apple computer and how you could make corrections on the screen instead of the paper which you printed LATER. Dont get me started with cell phones.. Great post!