Thursday, June 9, 2011

I learned to operate one of these when I was seventeen...

do you know what it is?


I also know what to do with this.  Guess again...


17 comments:

Subvet said...

A) Telephone switchboard.
B) IBM computer card.

Adrienne said...

You're just too dang smart - or old. heh

I learned how to operate a PBX switchboard at my first real job. It was a bit bigger than the one in the picture and was so much fun. I love it...

My next real job was bookkeeping (yeah - I'm a math idiot, but my legs are great so I got the job), and I asked to learn how to pull punch cards for the "computer." Also way fun...

Obviously, I'm easily amused.

Subvet said...

It's "old". Half the conversations with my 35 yr. old wife turn into history lessons. One of the first was regaling her with how Jimmy Carter got attacked by a rabbit. Remember that one? Even when riding a hybrid bike our current Idiot-in-Chief hasn't topped that for nerdiness.

Adrienne said...

It's hard to forget a rabbit attack or where you were and what you were doing when Kennedy was shot.

I even remember the first McDonald's to hit the Twin Cities and frozen mugs at A & W. And carhops that brought those cute little trays to your car and hung them on your window. How about drive-in movies? Half the time the speakers didn't work but who cared...

Randy-g said...

I will still call you "young lady".

LibertyAtStake said...

No and Yes (sort of). I'm old enough to have been required to touch punch cards for my Comp Sci undergrad, but never saw one across the motley assortment of assignments spanning my IT career.

d(^_^)b
http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
“Because the Only Good Progressive is a Failed Progressive”

Old Bob said...

I recognized them immediately even without Subvet's help. By the way, Subvet, thanks for serving! As my "name" says, I'm old. The story of how I learned to operate a switchboard is interesting; maybe I'll tell it someday.

Terry Nelson said...

Wow - I have no idea what that stuff is. I'm so young!

WomanHonorThyself said...

lol we're dating ourselves girly!

Woodsterman (Odie) said...

Well Young Lady, the world does get smaller everyday. I worked for Ma-Bell as a cable splicer for thirty years. I would supply the lines you used. The one that was the most fun was the generator pair. It supplied you with your ringing current and it could melt my fillings when I touched it.

Adrienne said...

Randy - I insist on it!!!

Adrienne said...

Liberty - one of my very earliest jobs in food service did their billing with punch cards. Honestly - it would have been faster to hand-write the dang things.

Adrienne said...

Bob - I want to hear your story. Really! (and you're not old!!!)

Adrienne said...

Terry - you lie!

Adrienne said...

Angel - I'm well seasoned and admit it. You're just a child!

Adrienne said...

Odie - I never worked for MaBell (although my grandma was one of the very first phone operators in St. Paul, MN. It was considered a very risque job, right up there with nursing. heh

I ran a fairly large board at a car dealership. I take credit for inventing the first conference calling. Late in the evening I would call all my friends and open the board. Fun!

Adrienne said...

Odie - glad you didn't blow yourself or your fillings away!