The tech industry probably hates me. Despite being told how “backwards” I am, there are quite a few things that I refuse to replace (or have gone back to after trying the “newfangled” thing). While the last 40 years have brought us a lot of marvels that I do use (because they create value), there are quite a few I won’t. So, here is an arbitrary list of “old school” or “analog” technologies that I refuse to give up:
Paper – I like to write things down in a notebook or sketch them out on a pad. I can better think about what I’m creating if I can hold it, touch it, rotate it, rearrange it, etc. If information passes through my brain to my hands, I can better retain it. I use a paper grocery list – anyone in the household can easily add things. Ironically, Amazon is the only place I can find these – local stores seem to no longer carry them.
There are some people who print every email they get. I don’t but I do print important things like hotel reservations, tickets, and set lists. I don’t want to have to rely on batteries, network connectivity, and other tech shenanigans to ensure that I can get this information.
Watch – No, not a smart watch, just a regular analog timepiece. It has exactly one function – to tell me the time (although now that I have progressive lenses, I can also read the date window). I can simply glance at it and it’s never going to distract me with a bunch of other information that I didn’t ask for. It never needs to be recharged and loses less than a second a month. Plus, it looks nice. I regularly get compliments on it.
Like most of the things on the list, I used the modern alternative for a while and switched back. When I got a cell phone in the late 90s, I stopped wearing a watch. But as the dumb phone gave way to the smart phone, I got increasingly distracted by other noise whenever I would pull it out to check the time. I bought a new watch in 2019 and have worn it ever since. I feel naked without it!
DVDs/Blu-Ray/CDs – While I do use streaming TV and music services to find things that are new to me, I make sure to purchase physical copies of things that I want to keep forever. Streaming is renting. You don’t truly own something unless you physically possess it. The powers that be can and have altered and removed past content. You cannot watch the original cut of Star Wars, only the Special Edition. E.T. was altered to replace guns with walkie talkies. The Simpsons’ Michael Jackson episode has been disremembered altogether.
I have a large collection of movies and music that I have built up over the years. I have loaded them into a Jellyfin server, so I have the convenience of streaming them to my TV without having to rely on the internet. I can even watch them during a hurricane when the internet and power are out! As far as expense, many of these were acquired from thrift stores, received as gifts, or even inherited from relatives. And speaking of expense – why pay for the same thing month after month?
Books – I own a Kindle and have read quite a few books on it. As far as tech devices go its creators did a great job of keeping the distractions down and making it easy to use. However, I still prefer to read books on paper. Books don’t need batteries or an internet connection – just a light source. Like DVDs, I can really own them and can loan them out and give or receive them as gifts. Their content can’t be “revised” to fit modern culture. If I take it somewhere and lose it, I’ve only lost a $10 book, not a $100 device. But the biggest reason (pun intended) is that the pages are larger and easier to read. Also, there’s just something calming and peaceful about reading a book on the porch on a nice summer/spring/fall day.
AM/FM Radio – Imagine if someone came out with a device that let you receive professionally produced music, news, and information streamed at the speed of light. And that this device only cost a few dollars to purchase, required no subscription fees, didn’t care what brand of phone or PC you used, could be powered by AA batteries that last for weeks, and would last for decades without becoming obsolete? That’s exactly what the humble AM/FM radio does. Why is it that an entire generation doesn’t even seem to know of the existence of this technology?
I’ll be honest – broadcasting isn’t what it used to be. National ownership has destroyed the local flavors of most stations, the music is tightly programmed and a bit worn out, and news is operated on such a tight budget that they hire people who can barely speak. But, it’s still worthwhile to have this system – and it really shines during an emergency, when a gust of wind can instantly disable the last 50 years of tech innovations. Do yourself a favor and go buy one of these and a pack of batteries from a drug store. Next time a natural disaster strikes you won’t be cut off from the rest of the world.
Cash And Checks – I must admit that the cash goal is aspirational for me. I would like to pay cash for everything because the merchants (usually local small businesses whom I like) will get the full price rather than having to pay a cut to a behemoth bank. Furthermore, if everyone did this, everything would be 3% cheaper (since we, the consumers, are ultimately the ones paying these fees). Unfortunately, everything is so expensive now I can’t seem to keep enough cash in my pocket to cover it all. Also, some local merchants are cash-hostile (which I don’t understand).
Checks aren’t usually taken at retail locations, but they are usually accepted for paying bills. Rather than having to use each vendor’s “walled garden” bill payment system (where I must create individual usernames and passwords and agree to whatever terms and conditions they dictate), I can just stuff a check in an envelope and toss it in the mail. The vendors don’t like this because it costs them more to process a paper envelope, yet some of them are so greedy they dare to charge you a fee for paying electronically using their system!
I can tell you from experience that if you ever get in a dispute with a vendor, the first thing they will do is lock out of their payment system leaving you with no evidence to refute their claims. The evidence that does exist is under their control and it is possible for them to alter it, since it’s just PDFs stored on a file server.
In truth I do pay most of my bills electronically but using my bank’s system where I have complete control of the transaction amount, timing, and my own set of records. I tend to use checks for “one offs” that don’t recur every month.
Tube Amps – I am a guitar player. While I’ve seen all sorts of digital modelers that sound “almost like the real thing” why not just use the real thing? Sometimes I question this when I’m lifting my 45 lb Deluxe Reverb, but I also have a tube amp that only weighs about 5 lbs and sounds killer when mic-ed up. I am currently only using analog effects pedals as well. They are easy to use, sound great, and sip power. But maybe if the right digital pedal came along, I’d use it.
Maps – On a recent trip through the TN mountains, I was out of smartphone coverage and my phone’s GPS no longer could tell me anything useful. We drove around the back roads for 3 hours, blind and dumb. The first thing I did when I got home was purchase a Rand McNally road atlas that stays in my car. It’s also nice to look at it ahead of time and build a mental picture of where you are going.
Stores – Yes, I know you can get everything in the world delivered, but I prefer to use local businesses. If I can’t use a locally owned business, my next stop is a local chain or big-box store. If they don’t have what I need, then I’ll order it online. If a local store has something in stock, you can get it even faster than next-day or same-day delivery and you don’t have to pay extra or carry a monthly subscription. These stores provide us a valuable service and employ our friends and neighbors on terms more equitable than “gig workers” get.
I buy most of my books at Barnes and Noble and most of my techie stuff at Best Buy. This is ironic because these were the corporate behemoths of earlier decades. But they are much more tame versions of what they used to be, and I get treated well when I come in.
Bonus Entry: Personal Computer – OK, PCs are modern devices. However, tech pundits have been spewing out articles for years predicting the demise of PCs and their ultimate replacement by smartphones and tablets. I don’t think this is going to happen and the pandemic was proof of that (PC sales exploded as needs changed).
The way I see it, smartphones and tablets are consumption devices. Computers are creation devices. I like to create rather than consume. Yes, it’s possible to edit video on a smartphone or compose a document on an iPad, but it’s much easier to use a real computer. It’s faster, you have a wider range of tools, bigger displays, better input devices, more storage and most importantly – you own it. “Devices” are locked down so that only vendor-approved software can be installed (and the vendor gets a 30% cut of the purchase price). A computer is yours – you own it and you can install whatever you want on it, even software you wrote yourself.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve made it this far, perhaps you are considering a “minimally digital” lifestyle like mine. I hope you’ll give a few of these consideration and come up with your own list of stuff that shouldn’t die yet.