Biggest Technological Advance of the Last 20 Years

[Dan Gould]

I was watching an episode of Mad About You where Paul and Jamie get separated and the entire episode is based on their inability to communicate with each other, and I realized that probably within two or three years of the episode being broadcast, it became completely out of date, as no one ever has such a problem since the rise of cell phones.

So that got me thinking about the most important, life-altering technological advances that have happened recently, and also about which one is most aggravating. I bet a lot of people will identify cell phones as the thing they couldn't live without, while also identifying them as the most annoying (for the lack of privacy in public spaces and the inability to have any "down time" when tethered to a phone).

[Big Al]

Chose the computer as the most transformative. Seems we wouldn't have the internet or the cel phones without the computer.

As for most annoying, I chose the cel phone; or more specifically, people who always have one stuck in their ear no matter where they are: driving, grocery store, movie theater, their own house. Especially when they talk at insanely high volumes.

[sidewinder]

The Internet, for sure.

The advances in PC technology and optical fibre communications were fairly predictable based on the trend extrapolations the Profs at Uni were putting out way back when but the ability of the internet to totally transform every aspect of society was not.

Jeez, when I think that just 25 years ago I was punching a stack of paper cards to program a whole floor full of hardware in Fortran 77 to work out some daft equations 'overnight' (assuming you didn't drop the whole lot and screw up the order of the control cards ), the mind boggles as to just how far we have come !

Edited August 30, 2006 by sidewinder

[Tom Storer]

I chose the personal computer on the grounds that Big Al cited, that without PCs the Internet would not have the influence it has.

But then I changed my mind. I should have voted for the Internet. I think the advent of the Internet is more important to a PC-connected world than the advent of the PC was to a world without PCs. Tough choice, though.

The Internet is certainly what I would have the hardest time giving up. It's such an intimate part of daily life: email, document transfer, message boards, research, travel planning, the list could go on and on of things it would be very annoying to have to do solely offline.

Doing without a cell phone is no problem--I've never had one!

[GA Russell]

I chose the internet as the most transformative, because my life would not be a whole lot different with a computer without the internet.

I chose the cellphone as the most annoying for the reasons stated above. But it's the people who are annoying, not really the phone. If everyone turned off his phone except while using it, I don't think it would be all that annoying. Of course, people who use their cellphones in public places are pretty annoying, all right.

[Matthew]

Love the internet. Don't have, don't want, never will have, a cell-phone. Bah humbug!

[Big Wheel]

All three of these technological advances are more than 20 years old.

[7/4]

All three of these technological advances are more than 20 years old.

Don't confuse him with the facts.

[md655321]

Being a young lass (barely 25) it has been very interesting to grow up on the cusp of the Great Technological Advances of the computers and the internet. How someone booked a flight or figured out long distance directions before the internet is just beyond me. However, I do remember the early days of cell phones (anyone remeber pagers?) and the internet. I'm glad to have atleast alittle bit of experience living in the stone age.

How about the ipod? That has certainly had a HUGE effect on my overall enjoyment level in life.

[brownie]

The Internet does really make a difference. Wish it had been available when I was much younger!

[Dan Gould]

All three of these technological advances are more than 20 years old.

They did not become a matter of popular use until the last 15 years or so, and far fewer for cell phones.

The time frame was given based upon when they became a fact of daily existence.

[7/4]

How someone booked a flight or figured out long distance directions before the internet is just beyond me.

I know it's wild, but: http://www.astrolabes.org/.

[Soulstation1]

internet porn

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

The Internet, for sure.

The advances in PC technology and optical fibre communications were fairly predictable based on the trend extrapolations the Profs at Uni were putting out way back when but the ability of the internet to totally transform every aspect of society was not.

Jeez, when I think that just 25 years ago I was punching a stack of paper cards to program a whole floor full of hardware in Fortran 77 to work out some daft equations 'overnight' (assuming you didn't drop the whole lot and screw up the order of the control cards ), the mind boggles as to just how far we have come !

I've got to agree with Sidewinder. PCs became part of my life (they were called microcomputers in those days) in the early '80s. The Internet may have existed then, but only as a set of links between some universities (and possibly only in the US at that stage). At least I missed out on the punched cards:) We all wanted to learn BASIC, because it was great for games.

But at a more basic level, PCs only enabled people to do the things they were doing already - faster, or perhaps in a slightly different way. The Internet enables people to do different things. And that seems to be more significant.

I voted for cellphones as the most annoying. Not because of all the people in libraries who yell down their phone, "I'm in the library! Shout!" (Brits will know who this is.) Though I've got to admit that that's pretty annoying. What really annoys me about them is that every three weeks you've got to switch your provider or some oher thing, in order to get the best deal on costs. It's as bad as gas and electricity.

MG

[Robert J]

It was actually 22 years ago, but in 1984, the twist-off beer cap was introduced by Labatt Brewery.

[7/4]

It was actually 22 years ago, but in 1984, the twist-off beer cap was introduced by Labatt Brewery.

And history was made.

[Quincy]

The technological advance that's made life easier not listed by you would be <drum roll>

CLUMPING CAT LITTER!

[7/4]

The technological advance that's made life easier not listed by you would be <drum roll>

CLUMPING CAT LITTER!

Well there you go. Makes me wish i had a cat again.

[Dan Gould]

I think the person who voted that the Internet is most annoying should explain, as should the 4 who chose "something else" for most annoying.

[Quincy]

Don't have, don't want, never will have, a cell-phone. Bah humbug!

I'm with you, though I'm not bold enough to say never, even though that's my intent. I mean, like in 20 years when we finally get those flying cars we were supposed to have by now, maybe just maybe I'll have a cell phone that doesn't allow incoming calls.

[Neal Pomea]

I haven't voted yet, but I would say dominance by Microsoft and Google are annoying. And, more recently, the appearance of Wikipedia:

Google Announces Plan to Destroy All Information it Cannot Index

I just get annoyed with all of Google's projects like Google Books, Google Scholar, etc.

and this one is meant to be serious:

Know it All: Can Wikipedia Conquer Expertise

Wikipedia founder says that if it isn't found on Google, then it doesn't exist, and other outrageous claims.

[medjuck]

I thought it was "Saran Wrap"-- at least that was what the 2000 year old man said and he should know.

[Jim R]

Being a young lass (barely 25)...

...I'm glad to have atleast alittle bit of experience living in the stone age.

[Neal Pomea]

Most important would be not the Internet but the Web.

Without the Web, the Internet would be mostly e-mail, ftp, and gopher. It would probably just be used by ARPA folks.

[BERIGAN]

Don't have, don't want, never will have, a cell-phone. Bah humbug!

I'm with you, though I'm not bold enough to say never, even though that's my intent. I mean, like in 20 years when we finally get those flying cars we were supposed to have by now, maybe just maybe I'll have a cell phone that doesn't allow incoming calls.

Wait till you have car trouble at 2 AM, on a deserted highway....then a cell phone will seem like the Biggest Technological Advance of the Last 20 Years