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Wowza, this post from palm93 really got things moving. Look at all these responses in the last few days, and that's just collected off Antenna!
Is Obsolete Technology Obsolete?
Re: Compact Discs / Is Obsolete Technology Obsolete?
Re: Compact Discs / Is Obsolete Technology Obsolete?
Re: Compact Discs / Is Obsolete Technology Obsolete?
Obsolete \Ob"so*lete\, a. [L. obsoletus, p. p. of obsolescere.
See {Obsolescent}.]
1. No longer in use; gone into disuse; disused; neglected;
as, an obsolete word; an obsolete statute; -- applied
chiefly to words, writings, or observances.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Biol.) Not very distinct; obscure; rudimental;
imperfectly developed; abortive.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: Ancient; antiquated; old-fashioned; antique; old;
disused; neglected. See {Ancient}.
[1913 Webster]
Judging by the definition that dict(1) spits out, then yeah…
Technology that's "gone into disuse" has in fact, gone into disuse. A few people holding out and using it doesn't change the fact that it has become obsolete to a society. I think if we focus on the "neglected" aspect of the definition we may find more of the sentiment shared by a lot of the thread responses.
CDs are great. They don't degrade as fast as cassettes. They hold music and data well. But things have moved on from them and now they're left, neglected, in bins and closets. Is it a shame? Only if we personify them. It's the same for VHS, or 8-tracks, or any number of other technologies we've used and left behind.
I think the emotional connotations associated with obsolete tech are personal ones stemming from nostalgia more than anything else. Pine for the simpler time when you were in college, or high school, or when that cool movie made it seem neat to have a modem that took your phone on a cradle.
Hells no. Feel what you feel, people. If you get a spark of life from firing up a VIC-20 then by all means you spend your time there. If you want to make mix-tapes on cassette and mail them around the world to your 7 friends that are into that shit, you have stumbled on a pure gem of awesomeness. Embrace it. And if you have 6,500 CDs in meticulously organized binders from your 3 months as a party DJ in 2005 then celebrate that shit. You are a golden god and you probably have some true gems that have all but disappeared.
In fact, if you are one of the holdouts that not just play with antiquated tech but LIVE on it, let me point you over to logout's new NoViCoGE 2021 challenge!
You do you. Who cares about anything else. The world is full of people who think America celebrated it's 2021st birthday in July. The masses are beyond stupid. Find your bliss.
Originally Published 2021-10-29 at:
gemini://tilde.team/~tomasino/journal/20211029-cds.gmi
If you have questions or thoughts to add please send me a link to your response.