Computer skills that have become 'lost arts'?

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  • Sarah_Jayne
    Now with more Jayne
    • Dec 2002
    • 40077

    #1

    Computer skills that have become 'lost arts'?

    Things that you used to have to know to use a home or office PC but which people starting today probably don't know.

    I will throw disk formatting in as my first offering. My college years are filled with memories of having to format my disks before saving my papers to them.

    What are other lost arts of computing?
  • d-null
    . . .
    • Apr 2007
    • 13724

    #2
    how about the old "ATDT" type commands to run modems to call up bbs's or other dialup sites way back when

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    • voa
      Too lazy to set a custom title
      • Nov 2006
      • 16532

      #3
      Ahh memories Technology go up very fast

      Comment

      • xenigo
        Confirmed User
        • Jan 2001
        • 8067

        #4
        Um, the lost art of patience. I remember when I was in highschool, putting a copy of Windows NT 4.0 on 80 3.5" 1.44mb floppy disks - for archival purposes. What do you think are the chances of one of those 80 floppies having an error?

        How about downloading a file off the Usenet using UUencode/UUdecode to look at a single pussy picture. I spent up to an hour downloading a single photo on my 14.4 modem.

        Oh, and how about dialing into a BBS that doesn't have any sort of a PPP interface, and needing to run Trumpet Winsock with the most cryptic and complex custom script just to be able to have what most of us take for granted... an internet connection.

        I remember running Netscape 1.0 for the first time on my Pentium 90, and nearly pissing my pants with excitement that I was able to experience this thing called the World Wide Web.

        Then I have a vivid memory of surfing someone's site for pussy pics (do you notice a theme?) and seeing someone say "adult content has not, and will not ever exist on the Web... because it is too easily accessible to everyone" I nearly fell into a depression as a result of that. If I had only known what was to come...

        Comment

        • pimpware
          Confirmed User
          • Jan 2006
          • 1673

          #5
          And high and low density floppy disks, remember ?


          High density disks was a huge step 1.2Mb of fucking storage


          And how about a hack ? Remember ?

          Transforming a low density into a high density disk, doubling the storage capacity.

          Using a drill to do an extra hole on a low density, then format it and surprise surprise, you got a new High Density Floppy Disk !!

          That's oldschool, which means I'm getting old
          Last edited by pimpware; 05-20-2009, 01:50 AM.
          icq: 284494832
          realsexforyou.com

          Comment

          • xenigo
            Confirmed User
            • Jan 2001
            • 8067

            #6
            I don't remember ever knowing it was possible to turn a 720k 3.5" floppy into a 1.44mb floppy... there was never any differences in the two besides the hole?

            That's odd.

            Comment

            • seeandsee
              Check SIG!
              • Mar 2006
              • 50945

              #7
              Originally posted by Sarah_MaxCash
              Things that you used to have to know to use a home or office PC but which people starting today probably don't know.

              I will throw disk formatting in as my first offering. My college years are filled with memories of having to format my disks before saving my papers to them.

              What are other lost arts of computing?
              formatting, making partition all via system floppy disk and fdisk tool . Windows installation
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              • pimpware
                Confirmed User
                • Jan 2006
                • 1673

                #8
                Originally posted by xenigo
                I don't remember ever knowing it was possible to turn a 720k 3.5" floppy into a 1.44mb floppy... there was never any differences in the two besides the hole?

                That's odd.
                I just know that I did it a lot of times and always with sucess. That was an huge hack back on old days.
                It was a 2 in 1 hack, :

                1 - You just felt good to know you did it.

                2 - Was a money thing, buying low density cheap disks and turn them into high density.
                icq: 284494832
                realsexforyou.com

                Comment

                • Sarah_Jayne
                  Now with more Jayne
                  • Dec 2002
                  • 40077

                  #9
                  Originally posted by d-null
                  how about the old "ATDT" type commands to run modems to call up bbs's or other dialup sites way back when
                  That is a flash back..I used to be very into BBS fun.

                  Comment

                  • Tom_PM
                    Porn Meister
                    • Feb 2005
                    • 16443

                    #10
                    Using debug to low level format hard drives.
                    43-922-863 Shut up and play your guitar.

                    Comment

                    • Rand
                      Industry Vet
                      • Jan 2002
                      • 2663

                      #11
                      I remember programming in BASIC using line numbers.



                      .
                      -- Rand


                      Payment Industry - Communications - Quality Assurance

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                      • cykoe6
                        Confirmed User
                        • Apr 2005
                        • 4499

                        #12
                        Originally posted by xenigo
                        Oh, and how about dialing into a BBS that doesn't have any sort of a PPP interface, and needing to run Trumpet Winsock with the most cryptic and complex custom script just to be able to have what most of us take for granted... an internet connection.
                        Damn... the words "Trumpet Winsok" brings back a lot of painful memories.......... how I used to struggle with that shit.
                        бабки, шлюхи, сила

                        Comment

                        • Sarah_Jayne
                          Now with more Jayne
                          • Dec 2002
                          • 40077

                          #13
                          Originally posted by cykoe6
                          Damn... the words "Trumpet Winsok" brings back a lot of painful memories.......... how I used to struggle with that shit.
                          Now there is a name I haven't heard in years.

                          Comment

                          • Rochard
                            Jägermeister Test Pilot
                            • Dec 2001
                            • 75733

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Rand
                            I remember programming in BASIC using line numbers.
                            .
                            Not to mention DOS.
                            Herschel Savage
                            Brooklyn, NY

                            Comment

                            • D Ghost
                              null
                              • May 2006
                              • 9820

                              #15
                              Originally posted by xenigo
                              error?
                              How about downloading a file off the Usenet using UUencode/UUdecode to look at a single pussy picture. I spent up to an hour downloading a single photo on my 14.4 modem.
                              LMFAO

                              Comment

                              • TOURKNOOK
                                Confirmed User
                                • Dec 2005
                                • 173

                                #16
                                having all my OS (DOS) and programs (wordstar, lotus) in one floppy disk
                                You may contact me thru my email at [email protected], ym=burnneck69, skype=j..nard or icq= 565445189

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                                • Zorgman
                                  Confirmed User
                                  • Aug 2002
                                  • 6103

                                  #17
                                  Rending a hi-res 800x600 3d image on a 4HMz machine.

                                  I did this amazing car in 3d with refecting balls next to it. I pressed "render" and went away for the weekend. When I came back the message on the screen said "No light source found - Click to cancel". It didn't even start.
                                  When I did click it, 1% was done in 5 hours. I canceled the process which took it 20 minutes to stop.

                                  Oh the good old days.
                                  ---

                                  Comment

                                  • Sarah_Jayne
                                    Now with more Jayne
                                    • Dec 2002
                                    • 40077

                                    #18
                                    I remember it taking me all night to download netscape only to have the connection drop 2 percent from the end.

                                    Comment

                                    • Babaganoosh
                                      ♥♥♥ Likes Hugs ♥♥♥
                                      • Nov 2001
                                      • 15841

                                      #19
                                      Manually jerking with IRQs to resolve conflicts. That was always a hoot especially if you had a lot of devices.
                                      I like pie.

                                      Comment

                                      • Ace_luffy
                                        www.creationcrew.com
                                        • Feb 2005
                                        • 12164

                                        #20
                                        i remember the 3.5 disk .... i guess i have 30 pieces of them

                                        now... flash drive rocks , but still old schools is like an art


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                                        • Tom_PM
                                          Porn Meister
                                          • Feb 2005
                                          • 16443

                                          #21
                                          Oh hell, I still have tons of 5.25" disks.

                                          Runtime error 61 - Disk full
                                          43-922-863 Shut up and play your guitar.

                                          Comment

                                          • czarina
                                            Webmaster Extraordinaire
                                            • Jul 2002
                                            • 10752

                                            #22
                                            how about spelling? not a computer art, but you certainly needed it back in the day. Not anymore thanks to Word :P

                                            Comment

                                            • Angry Jew Cat - Banned for Life
                                              (felis madjewicus)
                                              • Jul 2006
                                              • 20368

                                              #23
                                              paying for slow ass internet by the hour

                                              Comment

                                              • MaDalton
                                                I am Amazing Content!
                                                • Feb 2004
                                                • 39861

                                                #24
                                                Originally posted by pimpware
                                                And high and low density floppy disks, remember ?


                                                High density disks was a huge step 1.2Mb of fucking storage


                                                And how about a hack ? Remember ?

                                                Transforming a low density into a high density disk, doubling the storage capacity.

                                                Using a drill to do an extra hole on a low density, then format it and surprise surprise, you got a new High Density Floppy Disk !!

                                                That's oldschool, which means I'm getting old
                                                or using a puncher to turn your single side 5 1/4" floppy into a double side floppy for your Commodore 1541 drive


                                                Originally posted by Rand
                                                I remember programming in BASIC using line numbers.

                                                .
                                                10 print "Hello World!"
                                                20 goto 10


                                                Originally posted by cykoe6
                                                Damn... the words "Trumpet Winsok" brings back a lot of painful memories.......... how I used to struggle with that shit.
                                                that and patching Windows 95 for 32 bit programs


                                                Originally posted by Babaganoosh
                                                Manually jerking with IRQs to resolve conflicts. That was always a hoot especially if you had a lot of devices.
                                                this i really hated, it once took me 2 weeks to make a scanner work


                                                I would also like to add:

                                                Trying to write a nice looking text with a program that does not support WYSIWYG and made your text look like HTML sourcecode. and then dealing with the frustration that it took 10 minutes to print one page on a 9 pin printer that sounded like fingernails on a blackboard at the volume of a starting 747. and at the end it still looked shitty
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                                                • CyberHustler
                                                  Masterbaiter
                                                  • Feb 2006
                                                  • 28736

                                                  #25
                                                  Doing stuff without a mouse...
                                                  “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”

                                                  Comment

                                                  • xenigo
                                                    Confirmed User
                                                    • Jan 2001
                                                    • 8067

                                                    #26
                                                    Originally posted by PR_Tom
                                                    Oh hell, I still have tons of 5.25" disks.

                                                    Runtime error 61 - Disk full
                                                    Sounds like you need to do some house cleaning!

                                                    Comment

                                                    • PurrrsianPussyKat
                                                      Confirmed User
                                                      • Jan 2004
                                                      • 2088

                                                      #27
                                                      parking my hard drive before turning off my old 286. lol
                                                      Need a reliable, reasonably priced php programmer? Hit me up! 2934409

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                                                      • Nautilus
                                                        Confirmed User
                                                        • Sep 2002
                                                        • 1631

                                                        #28
                                                        Editing autoexec.bat
                                                        .
                                                        .

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                                                        • dready
                                                          Confirmed User
                                                          • Oct 2002
                                                          • 5247

                                                          #29
                                                          Load "name" ,8,1
                                                          ICQ: 91139591

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                                                          • SifuE
                                                            Confirmed User
                                                            • Aug 2007
                                                            • 877

                                                            #30
                                                            floppy disk... shit i found some the other day i shit load probably with hot girls but you know what I dont have a floppy reader anymore.. lol
                                                            I.C.Q 360-553-673

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                                                            • psbfo
                                                              Confirmed User
                                                              • Mar 2006
                                                              • 181

                                                              #31
                                                              Making webpages using a text editor!

                                                              Comment

                                                              • mikesouth
                                                                Confirmed User
                                                                • Jun 2003
                                                                • 6334

                                                                #32
                                                                shit

                                                                CPM

                                                                Z80 assembly language

                                                                fortran

                                                                os/vs

                                                                vax 11/750 with Ultrix

                                                                IBM system 36
                                                                Mike South

                                                                It's No wonder I took up drugs and alcohol, it's the only way I could dumb myself down enough to cope with the morons in this biz.

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                                                                • harvey
                                                                  Confirmed User
                                                                  • Jul 2001
                                                                  • 9266

                                                                  #33
                                                                  thinking. that's a lost art
                                                                  This post is endorsed by CIA, KGB, MI6, the Mafia, Illuminati, Kim Jong Il, Worldwide Ninjas Association, Klingon Empire and lolcats. Don't mess around with it, just accept it and embrace the truth

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                                                                  • SilentKnight
                                                                    Megan Fox's fluffer
                                                                    • Oct 2005
                                                                    • 24818

                                                                    #34
                                                                    Designing ansi graphics for BBSes.

                                                                    Telix for DOS (then later came Procomm for Windows).

                                                                    My first copy of Nutscrape Navigator came on four 3.5 floppies (which took an hour to install on a PC-XT with 640k ram and a whopping 20mB harddrive.

                                                                    Anyone remember the 'Turbo' button on the front of the PCs?

                                                                    I still remember payin' $300 for an HP Colorado Travan tape drive back in the early 90s (which I later sold at a garage sale for $20 bucks, hehe).

                                                                    My first USRobotics 14.4 modem card was longer than the motherboard itself.

                                                                    Comment

                                                                    • Sarah_Jayne
                                                                      Now with more Jayne
                                                                      • Dec 2002
                                                                      • 40077

                                                                      #35
                                                                      Originally posted by xenigo
                                                                      How about downloading a file off the Usenet using UUencode/UUdecode to look at a single pussy picture. I spent up to an hour downloading a single photo on my 14.4 modem.
                                                                      I certainly do remember that and also that on a multi-node BBS you could often see what other people were downloading or had recently downloaded. That is fine unless you know the other people on the BBS in real life. There are times when I didn't want to know the kid sitting next to me in math class had downloaded horse porn the night before.

                                                                      Comment

                                                                      • uno
                                                                        RIP Dodger. BEST.CAT.EVER
                                                                        • Dec 2002
                                                                        • 18450

                                                                        #36
                                                                        Mobo jumpers and dipswitches for the most part.
                                                                        -uno
                                                                        icq: 111-914
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                                                                        • CurrentlySober
                                                                          Too lazy to wipe my ass
                                                                          • Aug 2002
                                                                          • 38944

                                                                          #37
                                                                          Originally posted by Rand
                                                                          I remember programming in BASIC using line numbers.



                                                                          .
                                                                          Yup ! I remember programming in basic too


                                                                          👁️ 👍️ 💩

                                                                          Comment

                                                                          • Zorgman
                                                                            Confirmed User
                                                                            • Aug 2002
                                                                            • 6103

                                                                            #38
                                                                            What was that email type system in the BBS's. FIDO or something right?
                                                                            ---

                                                                            Comment

                                                                            • the Shemp
                                                                              congrats to the winners
                                                                              • Nov 2001
                                                                              • 10891

                                                                              #39
                                                                              copy *.* a:
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                                                                              • Voodoo
                                                                                ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠
                                                                                • Sep 2002
                                                                                • 10600

                                                                                #40
                                                                                Back Orifice, AOHell, Phreaking etc...

                                                                                "I'm selflessly supporting the common good, but only coincidentally looking out for No.1."

                                                                                Comment

                                                                                • Sarah_Jayne
                                                                                  Now with more Jayne
                                                                                  • Dec 2002
                                                                                  • 40077

                                                                                  #41
                                                                                  Originally posted by Zorgman
                                                                                  What was that email type system in the BBS's. FIDO or something right?
                                                                                  I still have real life friends that I originally met on Fidonet.

                                                                                  Comment

                                                                                  • Fletch XXX
                                                                                    GFY HALL OF FAME DAMMIT!!!
                                                                                    • Jan 2002
                                                                                    • 60840

                                                                                    #42
                                                                                    "logging on" to the internet

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                                                                                    • rowan
                                                                                      Too lazy to set a custom title
                                                                                      • Mar 2002
                                                                                      • 17393

                                                                                      #43
                                                                                      Originally posted by Zorgman
                                                                                      What was that email type system in the BBS's. FIDO or something right?
                                                                                      Fight-o-net (Fidonet) is still around, although it's pretty small compared to its hey day. Many nodes use TCP/IP to transfer mail packets now.

                                                                                      Comment

                                                                                      • rowan
                                                                                        Too lazy to set a custom title
                                                                                        • Mar 2002
                                                                                        • 17393

                                                                                        #44
                                                                                        I remember reading about a project in BYTE in the early-mid 80s where you could make a camera from memory chips that had a metal lid rather than being encapsulated in a monolithic plastic case. With a clear lid the dynamic RAM matrix became light sensitive and could be read out as grey levels. The whole thing was fiddly and required a LOT of circuitry for interfacing.

                                                                                        Now you just buy a $10 webcam and plug it into your USB port...

                                                                                        Comment

                                                                                        • SilentKnight
                                                                                          Megan Fox's fluffer
                                                                                          • Oct 2005
                                                                                          • 24818

                                                                                          #45
                                                                                          Originally posted by Sarah_MaxCash
                                                                                          I still have real life friends that I originally met on Fidonet.
                                                                                          Same here.

                                                                                          And if memory serves, we used BlueWave as a mail packet reader.

                                                                                          Comment

                                                                                          • efp
                                                                                            Registered User
                                                                                            • Oct 2007
                                                                                            • 34

                                                                                            #46
                                                                                            basic, pascal command line programs.
                                                                                            .com extension executables!

                                                                                            optimizing autoexec.bat and config.sys to free up some RAM to run "newer" games.

                                                                                            feeling that 128 mb is A FREAKING LOT of diskspace!

                                                                                            considering it a big jump in capacity to change from 5.25" disks to 3 1/4"

                                                                                            the good old times
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                                                                                            • Raf1
                                                                                              Too lazy to set a custom title
                                                                                              • Oct 2003
                                                                                              • 12117

                                                                                              #47
                                                                                              I remember using my apple macintosh where you had one floppy with the system and the other with the application you wanted to use. That was in the early 80's I think
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                                                                                              • buyandsell
                                                                                                Confirmed User
                                                                                                • May 2008
                                                                                                • 692

                                                                                                #48
                                                                                                Originally posted by Nautilus
                                                                                                Editing autoexec.bat
                                                                                                batch files in general

                                                                                                damn they were usefull
                                                                                                I actually used a batch file to process folders of content for my first adult sites!
                                                                                                Last edited by buyandsell; 05-21-2009, 06:08 AM.

                                                                                                Comment

                                                                                                • MaDalton
                                                                                                  I am Amazing Content!
                                                                                                  • Feb 2004
                                                                                                  • 39861

                                                                                                  #49
                                                                                                  Originally posted by SilentKnight
                                                                                                  Designing ansi graphics for BBSes.

                                                                                                  Telix for DOS (then later came Procomm for Windows).

                                                                                                  My first copy of Nutscrape Navigator came on four 3.5 floppies (which took an hour to install on a PC-XT with 640k ram and a whopping 20mB harddrive.

                                                                                                  Anyone remember the 'Turbo' button on the front of the PCs?

                                                                                                  I still remember payin' $300 for an HP Colorado Travan tape drive back in the early 90s (which I later sold at a garage sale for $20 bucks, hehe).

                                                                                                  My first USRobotics 14.4 modem card was longer than the motherboard itself.


                                                                                                  we bought a double speed CD Burner for the music studio i was working at that time (early 90ties). it had the size of a 19" 2 HE server and cost 5000 german marks at that time which is nowadays about $3500 USD
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                                                                                                  Monetize your content on Veegaz.com - one of Germanies largest VOD sites
                                                                                                  Got German traffic? We convert it into money for you!
                                                                                                  Email: oltecconsult [at] gmail [dot] com

                                                                                                  Comment

                                                                                                  • TrainWreckContent
                                                                                                    Confirmed User
                                                                                                    • Dec 2008
                                                                                                    • 8152

                                                                                                    #50
                                                                                                    anybody remamber zip drives from the 90's? I think the first ones cost around $200 and held 100mb

                                                                                                    Telegram @DanTrainwreck / Whatsapp TrainWreck / Email [email protected]

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