The Myth: "The good ole days"

[Dingman]

At least as far as hardware and technology. While I often pine for the good ole days, I have to recognize that my life is way easier and I have way more fun toys today than what was available 40 years ago.
The computers, the bikes, the medical care, the audio gear - I can't think of any tech product and most any hardware (textile?) that isn't cheaper and better 95% of the time.
It wouldn't too hard to pull out some examples in that 5% where the item was incredibly overbuilt or robust - but check to see if it's reproduceable today at a reasonable price, then we'll compare.
The good ole days are a myth. We're better off today with tech that is regularly improved, more than we realize. Again - pick a car example, medical, audio, bicycles (LOL, I like to ride, so I had to add that).
At any rate - an example - maybe extreme, maybe not.


EDIT:
Another example - I love classic cars\trucks. However, I rarely love driving them these days. They suck - either they don't brake well, or they don't steer well. Or they ride like crap. I'll go to the car shows and that's about it these days. Not fun to drive compared to todays' offerings.

 

[OBMG74]

The "good ol' days" had no internet.
I certainly wouldn't want to go back to going to the library to look at their 2 or 3 Chilton's auto repair manuals.
Now, there's probably a YouTube video on how to fix your particular car problem.

Not to mention the information available on the web for audio repair! (AK)

 

[peterp1]

I often see legit "good old days" examples in modern times. One example is the iPhone -- I'll take my iPhone 6 with headphone jack and touch ID a million times over my iPhone 13 with no headphone jack and face ID. The iPhone 13 has amazing battery life, a much better camera -- so those are leaps forward as can be expected with technology advances -- but the user interface on the iPhone 13 is positively horrible compared to the old touch ID interface. I hate Face ID itself, but what's far worse is the "home-button-less" navigation. I've had the 13 for nearly a year and still find it clumsy. The funny thing is that when I use my wife's iPhone 8 or my son's SE, hitting the home button feels kind of "old", but the navigation on those phones is a million times better. The lack of a headphone jack is just stupid, even though I've always used wireless 99% of the time, when I need wired, I want wired. I see many, many examples of tech moving backwards.

 

[sanford12]

I've thought this forever. Amazing the static I and others have gotten for that opinion

 

[Dingman]

I often see legit "good old days" examples in modern times. One example is the iPhone -- I'll take my iPhone 6 with headphone jack and touch ID a million times over my iPhone 13 with no headphone jack and face ID. The iPhone 13 has amazing battery life, a much better camera -- so those are leaps forward as can be expected with technology advances -- but the user interface on the iPhone 13 is positively horrible compared to the old touch ID interface. I hate Face ID itself, but what's far worse is the "home-button-less" navigation. I've had the 13 for nearly a year and still find it clumsy. The funny thing is that when I use my wife's iPhone 8 or my son's SE, hitting the home button feels kind of "old", but the navigation on those phones is a million times better. The lack of a headphone jack is just stupid, even though I've always used wireless 99% of the time, when I need wired, I want wired. I see many, many examples of tech moving backwards.

While my post was thinking a few more decades in the past, I also don't like current phones - really today's phones are computers, data collection, internet devices - with voice phone added on top. The voice SQ sucks on every damn phone I try. I want phones that work best as phones! Great, I have a nice camera, nice internet, nice apps - but phone call quality is getting worse and worse, IMO.

 

[ampdan]

I know that every tool in my garage that was made in the "good 'ol days" is damn sure better than any cheap crap made today.
Same with vacuum tubes, guitars, amps. That's just off the top of my head.

 

[ConradH]

I think I appreciate the good new days much more, having been through the good ole days. OTOH, without the 'net, there seemed to be a lot more time to do fewer things. Wet process photography took forever but I really enjoyed it and had the time to do it. Cars were simpler and you could do more service. Raw materials were cheaper and you could build electronics and whatever else you wanted for a lot fewer $$. Good thing, since I had a lot fewer $$! Information wasn't that hard to come by since magazines could survive and manufacturers were free with databooks and sales materials.

 

[ernieb1536]

I think I appreciate the good new days much more, having been through the good ole days. OTOH, without the 'net, there seemed to be a lot more time to do fewer things. Wet process photography took forever but I really enjoyed it and had the time to do it. Cars were simpler and you could do more service. Raw materials were cheaper and you could build electronics and whatever else you wanted for a lot fewer $$. Good thing, since I had a lot fewer $$! Information wasn't that hard to come by since magazines could survive and manufacturers were free with databooks and sales materials.

In the good old days you could go and hang out ,more places to go and things to see amusement parks were cheap so we’re haunted house camping was a lot cheaper, gas was cheaper ! You new your neighbors as kids ! Today’s tech is amazing but are lose of social interaction is alarming !

 

[OBMG74]

The voice SQ sucks on every damn phone I try.

They can be used to make a call?........

Female voice on a cell speaker phone is like nails on a chalkboard.

 

[ernieb1536]

They can be used to make a call?........

Female voice on a cell speaker phone is like nails on a chalkboard.

Especially if its the x wife !!!!!!!

 

[Tom Brennan]

I know that every tool in my garage that was made in the "good 'ol days" is damn sure better than any cheap crap made today.

So don't buy cheap tools.

 

[ampdan]

So don't buy cheap tools.

I don't. What I own was built to last. In the "good 'ol days".

 

[grillebilly]

Judging by all the people on behavior meds, mental illness and suicide rates, obesity, and other social ills, I don’t think the easy life has done much for making people any happier. I think we fool ourselves thinking possessions are the brass ring. The internet is both the greatest thing on earth and the most wicked. It is a tool beyond your wildest dreams but also very destructive. To quote an old drunk “the disease and the cure are one in the same”.
I agree life is less of a struggle now than it’s ever been. That’s probably a good thing despite everyone seeming to now think they have some rights to being happy.

 

[kirk57]

I think what we are really remembering about products from the good old days is the fact that we were younger when we were using them

 

[ernieb1536]

I think what we are really remembering about products from the good old days is the fact that we were younger when we were using them

I remember using my realistic sta2080 I bought new I 1981 and was really happy with it ! Oh wait I’m still using it !

 

[grillebilly]

I think what we are really remembering about products from the good old days is the fact that we were younger when we were using them

Yeah a lot of truth to this. I wanted a catcher’s mitt when I was 10 and there’s no way my folks were going to buy me one. I saved up the $13 and got the Ted Williams Signature Series from Sears. I sucked at baseball but loved that glove. I still have it.

 

[ernieb1536]

Yeah a lot of truth to this. I wanted a catcher’s mitt when I was 10 and there’s no way my folks were going to buy me one. I saved up the $13 and got the Ted Williams Signature Series from Sears. I sucked at baseball but loved that glove. I still have it.

When I was 12 worked all summer to buy an sears am/fm tv band radio with cassette had it till I was 28 only reason it broke was my xwife threw it at me ! That sucker hurt lol

 

[Tom Brennan]

I don't. What I own was built to last. In the "good 'ol days".

I find that current high quality tools are...well...high quality. They ain't cheap.

 

[Old Guy Bill]

In my particular situation, a type 1 Diabetic, it’s the vast medical advancements available now that make these the great ole days.
In the not so good ole days I had a rough guess at my blood sugar by peeing on a strip and matching the color to a chart. I took two types of insulin, long & short acting made from beef and pork extracts by multiple shots everyday
Now I have a thumb drive size super accurate glucose meter, and a Constant Glucose Monitor both communicate by Bluetooth to my Insulin Pump that uses powerful short acting synthetic insulin in precise minute amounts. These keep my blood sugar in a very tight range of control.
I wouldn’t be alive now in the not so good ole days…

 

[Bill S]

Not to start anything but there's one thing I miss about the good ole days and that's when we as a nation weren't so divided. There's lots that goes into that of course but that's not the point. We've become very intolerant of opposing views and I miss the relative civility of days past. Nuf said.