Comments | swinehund: Privacy means a different thing these days

swinehund

Privacy means a different thing these days

Dec 22, 2009 01:16

Hey, remember when you were a teen (or whenever it was, before everyone had cell phones), when you generally had only one phone number for everyone in your household? If you were lucky, you got a second phone (to the same line) in your bedroom, so you could talk about private things? If you were really lucky, you got another number that would dial ( Read more... )

Comments 6

Don't hate me. kiwano December 22 2009, 17:49:36 UTC

It's not like anyone helped me steal that second phone line (well except for the textfiles on BBSes describing the various phreaking boxes, and the basic instruction on electricity from science class).

Maaaaatlock marlo December 22 2009, 18:30:05 UTC

We only had a second phone line so we could use it for dialup internet.

When I was a little kid in the Old Kountry... crazyhackerdude December 22 2009, 18:49:42 UTC

I had to walk to school uphill both ways(through snow too!). And I remember families(including ours till early 90s) that did not have a single phone number! One had to dial their neighbour and ask for the right person to be fetched.

Needless to say we all knew the names of our neighbours and seen insides of their flats :)

Re: When I was a little kid in the Old Kountry... swinehund December 22 2009, 19:25:41 UTC

I am guessing there were fewer sweet nothings exchanged by phone in that case. Maybe I am wrong.

Though I actually lived for years (most of 18-20) without a phone myself, or even without a neighbour's phone (just the pay phone down the street). After that, sharing a line with 4 other people (one of whom talked to her boyfriend for hours) seemed like a luxury.

auditioning December 23 2009, 02:46:49 UTC

Friends and I even abused our families' one phone line to play songs to each other in the 90s. (this fact drives Taras crazy) Or to read something funny. Total nonsensical data transfer. Just people connecting.. that was what was important.

I like that email is now almost as useful as texts for getting a hold of people...email is free, people! Now that I have a phone with a full keyboard it's so tempting just to send "un petit texto".

mmcirvin December 23 2009, 06:53:49 UTC

We had a second line for dialup BEFORE there was dialup Internet. So my dad could work from home on the GECOS mainframes with an acoustic terminal.