Saturday, October 20, 2007
 
COMMUNICATION YESTERDAY and TODAY


YESTERDAY

In the thirties when I was a little girl growing up, the world was very small. All I knew about was what I heard from the neighborhood children or what I learned in school. When my mother sat on the stoop in front of our house she got the neighborhood news. My father heard the news when he went to work or read the local newspaper.

Old Radio

We did have a Zenith radio and listened to Gabriel Heater's broadcasts.

Audio: VE Day Gabriel Heater [ mp3 ]

If something of great importance happened the newspaper would publish an extra edition. I remember hearing the newspaper boy going around the neighborhood yelling, "EXTRA, EXTRA, Read All About It."

Telephone

When we finally got a telephone, it was a two party line! Does anyone remember those? If you were lucky you shared the line with a reasonable person, many times it was difficult to "get the line."

As far as making a long distance call, it had to be for a very special occasion or an emergency. My mother had two brothers who lived in Chicago and I don't ever remember her calling them on the phone. She communicated with them by mail and they did the same.


Movietone News Video Clip

Then we had Movietone News at the movies - Before the picture was shown we saw news from around the world, not current, but the world was getting larger. We could see and hear what was happening.

Then came television - Funny thing about early television, all I remember is "The Milton Berle Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show." I don't recall any news programs at that time, Cronkite and Murrow must have come later?

TODAY

I hardly listen to the radio.

Boston Sunday Globe

I watch some daytime news programs if I'm home, watch the nightly news and still read the newspaper.

I don't think anything of making a long distance call.

iTweet vs. twitter interface

Cellphones and iPhones are commonplace.

The internet has opened a whole new world to me.

My Moms Blog Screenshot

I can communicate with people all over the world through e-mail and blogging.

I can read many newspapers and magazines.

Watching people on Youtube, I see all age groups, singing, dancing, acting and doing whatever makes them happy.



Next Saturday I will attend PodCamp Boston 2. It's an unconference exploring new media community tools like blogging, videoblogging, podcasting, second life, twitter, and more. I'm involved with blogging and videoblogging but know little about some of the what's new in the media today. This will give me the opportunity to learn and grow my knowledge.



On Wednesday I'll be on a panel at Video on the Net where Chris Brogan will moderate "Meet Tomorrow's Stars Today." To quote Chris, "It's going to be a conversation about the videoblogging/internet video world and hopefully enlighten folks in the audience about the life of videobloggers."

And what do you know, my son Steve is going to be on the panel with me!!

I'll tell you all about it in my next post. That's communication!!


Comments:
I love reading posts like this. Times have changed and quite dramatically. Though I'm only 41 I do remember the 2-party line. We shared with an elderly lady who rarely ever used the line. The second she would pick up we would automatically end our call and give her the line. Respect and courtesy. That's the other thing that has changed dramatically but every now and then it does come back around.
 
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And I especially love the headline in the paper. I'm loving JD Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury and Curt Shilling this morning.
 
I remember two and four party phones in our part of the country. you could only hear the rings on your side of the line,usually one or two to tell you if it was for you or the other party. But being four party you had to listen closely when you pick up the receiver in case someone on the other side of the line was using it. I remember the paper boy on his bike shouting the President has died. F.D. Roosevelt had past away.

We always listened to radio and in the early 50s my folks got a Muntz TV. Remember the three colored plastic sheet you put on the screen to simulate color tv? Yes things sure have changed.
 
Millie,

I grew up in the mountains (not that long ago) and we were pretty isolated, too. The communication changes just in the past 15 years are astounding. I personally love this, especially since I'm not a big phone chatter. Do you find it hard to keep up? Do your peers think you are a rare person, being so hep with tech? Do you think things are better or worse?

BTW, I love your posts! I met your son at Podcamp Philly (great smile!) and I learned about your blog through his Tweets. Keep on keepin' on, girl!

-Christine (a.k.a. PurpleCar)
 
That's incredible! I turned 30 (again) today, and was thinking how marvellous it was that so much had changed since I was a kid. WOW Millie! :D
You have lived one incredible life.
 
Something tells me it's only a matter of time before Mille gets her own satellite, TV staion and a robot to open things she has difficulty with tee hee. KP
 
Technology has progressd in leaps and bounds hasn't it? I remember my grandmother (born in 1890) was afraid of our telephone and refused to pick it up. How would we manage without a phone nowadays?
 
What a terrific oommunications history, Millie. And not only do I remember party lines, where I lived we didn't even have dial telephones until the late 1950s. You picked up the phone and the operator asked who you wanted to call; then she connected you.
 
yes, times have changed quite a lot.
How lucky you are to be going to podcamp! I'll be looking forward to the vlogging on this ;)
 
Millie - What fun to be on a panel with Steve! Break a leg .. I know you'll be amazing.
 
Gosh, Millie, I remember those Movietones at the Paramount Theater in Salem during the '60's.
Communication has sure come a long way since then!
Have fun at that conference....good for you! Always looking to learn more....no wonder you stay SO young!
Looking forward to hearing all about it.
 
qHi Millie, What a beautiful post! Gabriel Heatter was a ritual every evening with "I have good news and I have bad news tonight". He was a very important and respected commentator to inform us of the going on in the world. My mom and dad gathered in the kitchen to hear his words.
We seemed to be more connected as a family then. Today the family seems to be scattered everywhere and yet we can communicated more easier. Communications keeps us close but we are not closer in person.
I want to hear about your conference as it seems so exciting. Thank you so much for a spectacular post! Nanci
 
Christine

You ask some good questions - do I fine it hard to keep up?
I'm always reading and asking questions - there seems to be something new ALL the TIME.

Do my peers think I am a rare person?
Yes, I would say so. Some have computers but they only use it for e-mail and games.

Times better or worse?
Now, that's a big question. The answer to that question would make a good post. For now I would say, in someways it's better and some ways worse.
 
What a wonderful blog, I so enjoyed it. God Bless
 
I remember visiting my grandmother in the country and she had a party line with a crank you had to ring to call out. Yeah, and long distance calls (so expensive) even years later with the dial phone at our house, were only made if it was an emergency -- somebody died -- where was the emergency then, I wondered. As for radio news, I can still hear the resonant voice of Lowell Thomas, and later years, Paul Harvey, with "the story behind the story" or some such slogan.
 
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