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And nobody makes Monty Python or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy references anymore. I had a boss 15 years ago who had watched all things Star Trek, just l

And nobody makes Monty Python or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy references anymore. I had a boss 15 years ago who had watched all things Star Trek, just like me; Knew all the things. But at one point he mentioned he wasn't really a fan, it was just "required reading, part of the literature". This is an interesting one. There used to be certain things that all nerds knew, and could talk about, use as analogies and metaphors. Something to talk about just like sales people (stereotypically, used to) talk about sports. I realized early in my career that's why some people in business follow sports, so they didn't get cut out of conversations. I always had nothing to say when that topic came up. But it's tricky because geeks and nerds shouldn't be gatekeepers about what the entertainment is, or the literature, because that cuts out a lot of people who should feel included. But at the same time most people think it's generally nice to have some common things to reference, talk about, and normalize on. I think social media, politics, streaming services, etc. have totally blown away these shared frameworks in society, and it's kind of a bummer, even though it's great to have lots of choices. People used to watch the same TV shows and talk about it the next day. I guess sports is basically the last thing that's shared. Thanks for attending my Ted Talk...

ssl-3 2y ago
Back in the day of The Internet of 1994, HHGTTG was only 15 years old. But today, HHGTTG is very nearly 45 years old. For how many decades should references to novel fiction persist, do you suppose?
- KineticLensman 2y ago
  The TV version was broadcast just over 42 (!) years ago
- saulpw 2y ago
  It's hard to believe that a 15-year-old book was a defining cultural touchstone. What do we have from 2009 that has the reach of HHGTTG in 1994? Twilight? Hunger Games?
  - ssl-3 2y ago
    We didn't read books in 2009 like we did in 1979. In 2009, we already had pocket supercomputers.
- peterleiser 2y ago
  42 years, and then never mention it again.
- account42 2y ago
  I think you are missing the point. It's not that interest in these things is what is essential to the old internet but that a shared interest and shared language is - and this includes as gp has pointed out metaphors and imagery. But to your question, Tolkien, Asimov, Lovecraft, et al. are still a heavy influence on modern Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Horror. Why do you think a mere 45 years should mean that something is no longer referenced?
GuB-42 2y ago
Monty Python, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Star Trek are becoming old. These are references from the 70s. I'd say anime took over as the stereotypical geek culture thing. Japanese otaku and western geeks got along. Also fantasy became popular over science fiction, the video game landscape has changed dramatically, and of course, younger geeks grew up with the internet more than with TV. Also, there are series like Stranger Things that are definitely geeky. Things are moving on, we are just getting old.
anal_reactor 2y ago
> because that cuts out a lot of people who should feel included Why. > People used to watch the same TV shows and talk about it the next day That's the societal cost of having personalized experience. Nobody watches the content I watch because I pick content that's specifically relevant to just me. Even my closest friends watch different things.
shiroiushi 2y ago
>geeks and nerds shouldn't be gatekeepers about what the entertainment is, or the literature, because that cuts out a lot of people who should feel included. But the sports fans never felt this way, and were always happy to cut out the geeks and nerds that didn't give two shits about the sportsball game they watched that weekend. Why should the geeks and nerds need to worry about including the sports fans, but not the other way around? >I think social media, politics, streaming services, etc. have totally blown away these shared frameworks in society, and it's kind of a bummer, even though it's great to have lots of choices. People used to watch the same TV shows and talk about it the next day. When Game of Thrones was the new hot TV show, it seemed like everyone and his dog was watching it, and that included the sports fans and the nerds too. >I guess sports is basically the last thing that's shared. Back to my first point. I don't know any sports fans in my circle of friends and work colleagues (who are all techies of course). If any are, they keep it to themselves, thankfully.
account42 2y ago
> There used to be certain things that all nerds knew, and could talk about, use as analogies and metaphors. Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
kragen 2y ago
the analects of confucius, or, in europe, plato, cicero, and the bible

ssl-3 2y ago

Back in the day of The Internet of 1994, HHGTTG was only 15 years old. But today, HHGTTG is very nearly 45 years old. For how many decades should references to novel fiction persist, do you suppose?

KineticLensman 2y ago
The TV version was broadcast just over 42 (!) years ago
saulpw 2y ago
It's hard to believe that a 15-year-old book was a defining cultural touchstone. What do we have from 2009 that has the reach of HHGTTG in 1994? Twilight? Hunger Games?
- ssl-3 2y ago
  We didn't read books in 2009 like we did in 1979. In 2009, we already had pocket supercomputers.
peterleiser 2y ago
42 years, and then never mention it again.
account42 2y ago
I think you are missing the point. It's not that interest in these things is what is essential to the old internet but that a shared interest and shared language is - and this includes as gp has pointed out metaphors and imagery. But to your question, Tolkien, Asimov, Lovecraft, et al. are still a heavy influence on modern Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Horror. Why do you think a mere 45 years should mean that something is no longer referenced?

GuB-42 2y ago

Monty Python, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Star Trek are becoming old. These are references from the 70s. I'd say anime took over as the stereotypical geek culture thing. Japanese otaku and western geeks got along. Also fantasy became popular over science fiction, the video game landscape has changed dramatically, and of course, younger geeks grew up with the internet more than with TV. Also, there are series like Stranger Things that are definitely geeky. Things are moving on, we are just getting old.

anal_reactor 2y ago

> because that cuts out a lot of people who should feel included Why. > People used to watch the same TV shows and talk about it the next day That's the societal cost of having personalized experience. Nobody watches the content I watch because I pick content that's specifically relevant to just me. Even my closest friends watch different things.

shiroiushi 2y ago

>geeks and nerds shouldn't be gatekeepers about what the entertainment is, or the literature, because that cuts out a lot of people who should feel included. But the sports fans never felt this way, and were always happy to cut out the geeks and nerds that didn't give two shits about the sportsball game they watched that weekend. Why should the geeks and nerds need to worry about including the sports fans, but not the other way around? >I think social media, politics, streaming services, etc. have totally blown away these shared frameworks in society, and it's kind of a bummer, even though it's great to have lots of choices. People used to watch the same TV shows and talk about it the next day. When Game of Thrones was the new hot TV show, it seemed like everyone and his dog was watching it, and that included the sports fans and the nerds too. >I guess sports is basically the last thing that's shared. Back to my first point. I don't know any sports fans in my circle of friends and work colleagues (who are all techies of course). If any are, they keep it to themselves, thankfully.

account42 2y ago

> There used to be certain things that all nerds knew, and could talk about, use as analogies and metaphors. Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra

kragen 2y ago

the analects of confucius, or, in europe, plato, cicero, and the bible