4 ms·

>I'd argue we haven't made such large, significant technology leaps in such a short span In 1999 I used a card catalog at my rural library to get an encycloped

by krisgee 12y ago

>I'd argue we haven't made such large, significant technology leaps in such a short span In 1999 I used a card catalog at my rural library to get an encyclopedia from 1989. Just today I used my cell phone to call my friend who is quite literally halfway around the world and had a real time video chat with her. This happened in 14 years.

dingaling 12y ago
> ... and had a real time video chat with her I'm not sure that's a particularly inspiring example of technology progress. In 1999 video conferencing over the Internet was already a reality, though it was very low quality. I know we tried it in work around that time. Skype launched in 2003 and basically solved that problem. So in the next 11 years the main development was in wireless networking, which was basically a refinement of military datalinks which had been in service at least since the AN/ARR-39 of 1956.
- mootothemax 12y ago
  So in the next 11 years the main development was in wireless networking, which was basically a refinement of military datalinks which had been in service at least since the AN/ARR-39 of 1956. You might as well write the whole lot off as a glorified telegram, if that's the stance you're going to take.
  - krisgee 12y ago
    Well the internet is essentially just a really fast mail horse so there haven't been any improvements in communication for thousands of years!
  - bitJericho 12y ago
    Reminds me of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbTT5b-wDYs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbTT5b-wDYs
- rwallace 12y ago
  Well, by that argument the space program was just a refinement of the Montgolfier balloon of 1783; both involve flying, after all. In reality, quantitative parameters - cost, performance, reliability, usability - matter more than 'the first X'.
callmeed 12y ago
I was sort of attempting to string together related milestones (transportation). It would be better to compare card catalogs to wikipedia (and the printing press before). Or video communications (FaceTime/Skype) with the telegraph and telephone. The development of telephone goes back as far as the bike/car so I'd posit that communications technology grew at about the same pace.

by krisgee 12y ago

dingaling 12y ago

> ... and had a real time video chat with her I'm not sure that's a particularly inspiring example of technology progress. In 1999 video conferencing over the Internet was already a reality, though it was very low quality. I know we tried it in work around that time. Skype launched in 2003 and basically solved that problem. So in the next 11 years the main development was in wireless networking, which was basically a refinement of military datalinks which had been in service at least since the AN/ARR-39 of 1956.

mootothemax 12y ago
So in the next 11 years the main development was in wireless networking, which was basically a refinement of military datalinks which had been in service at least since the AN/ARR-39 of 1956. You might as well write the whole lot off as a glorified telegram, if that's the stance you're going to take.
- krisgee 12y ago
  Well the internet is essentially just a really fast mail horse so there haven't been any improvements in communication for thousands of years!
- bitJericho 12y ago
  Reminds me of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbTT5b-wDYs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbTT5b-wDYs
rwallace 12y ago
Well, by that argument the space program was just a refinement of the Montgolfier balloon of 1783; both involve flying, after all. In reality, quantitative parameters - cost, performance, reliability, usability - matter more than 'the first X'.

callmeed 12y ago

I was sort of attempting to string together related milestones (transportation). It would be better to compare card catalogs to wikipedia (and the printing press before). Or video communications (FaceTime/Skype) with the telegraph and telephone. The development of telephone goes back as far as the bike/car so I'd posit that communications technology grew at about the same pace.