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| Thread ID: 84259 | 2007-10-30 06:33:00 | The wonders of modern technology | Mercury (1316) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 606610 | 2007-10-30 06:33:00 | When Mum came to NZ 51 years ago a 3 minute call back to the UK needed to be booked and cost the equivalent of a week's housekeeping. It only happened on Christmas Day. 28 years ago, shortly after I got married, we lived in a double garage with a party line telephone. Trying to make a phone call involved: 1. Finding the line free (could take 20 minutes) 2. Getting out through the overloaded local exchange (another 5 minutes) 3. Hitting an engaged signal at the other end. This morning I was sitting up in bed, laptop in front of me having an hour and a half video call with my daughter in the UK. All for free on Skype. A friend rang and the cordless phone was put onto speaker and he had a chat with her. Then a few minutes later my brother logged into Skype and we had a 3 way conversation - with David sending me a couple of private chat messages about today. He also sent a couple of photos and a file to us both so we could talk about them. My brother and I have spent the last few days organising a family funeral (this afternoon). Family from all around the world have been involved thanks to email. This really is incredible stuff when you stop to think about it. |
Mercury (1316) | ||
| 606611 | 2007-10-30 07:17:00 | My condolences to your late family member. | Renmoo (66) | ||
| 606612 | 2007-10-30 07:50:00 | My sympathies also in your loss - and my agreement about the huge changes in ease of communication . To think how complicated - and expensive - a toll call was when I was a kid . . . and unless you booked early, you mightn't even GET one in the Christmas Day rush . (Maybe that's why I find it hard to be sympathetic with those who've never known anything but direct-dialling and complain if linkage isn't instant) |
Laura (43) | ||
| 606613 | 2007-10-30 07:54:00 | was a double post | Laura (43) | ||
| 606614 | 2007-10-30 11:12:00 | Sorry to hear about your loss. I like todays ease of comms, in East Timor we could ring home which was comforting, while on the otherside the world i got to ring my bank and tell them o change my credit plan to ease the costs on the otherside. Sweet as! |
rob_on_guitar (4196) | ||
| 606615 | 2007-10-30 18:19:00 | For all the resentment I have about Telecom, before it was privatised it took the District Engineers about six weeks to connect a telephone to the exchange. | Deane F (8204) | ||
| 606616 | 2007-10-30 18:42:00 | But I miss walking past the telephone exchanges in small towns. They used to leave the side door open and you could sneak a quick look at the nice telephone operators. Regards Digby |
Digby (677) | ||
| 606617 | 2007-10-30 19:45:00 | We do tend to take modern technology for granted sometimes but it is amazing. And it is not just personal computers, laptops, mobile phones, etc but also other little bionic computer devices that completely change people's lives for the better. | FoxyMX (5) | ||
| 606618 | 2007-10-30 19:59:00 | Thanks people. We knew last week that Dad's time was very close after a long illness, so we all had time to say goodbye. The grandchildren took it the hardest - particularly the one overseas. But for all the grizzles about slow broadband etc the technology today is amazing. We were able to include our daughter and Dad's brother's family in Canada in the planning. And emails kept the rest of a large family in touch. I see today that Skype are bringing out a mobile overseas that allows free Skype calls as well as normal mobile calls. Just think of the possibilities. And where else will future communications take us? |
Mercury (1316) | ||
| 606619 | 2007-10-30 21:58:00 | A lot more immersive video definitely, not here in NZ of course, we dont even have the bandwidth to hold proper 3D video conferences but overseas thats what the trend is. | beeswax34 (63) | ||
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