People old enough to remember life pre-Internet, what are some less obvious things you miss about that time?

[Araucaria]

VHS rental shops.

I remember going into a video rental store with my ex in the early '80s. Back then there was this excitement over this new thing-- You could rent a movie and see it when you want to, and not wait until they play it on TV? Everybody in the store was under 30. There was a special room with porn movies, and a good male on male selection. My ex made ample use of the adult films, a lot of them were very good. He even worked for them for a couple of years.

 

[jjonn3]

When confronted by someone you have been avoiding about why you did not call them back you could say "Sorry - I did not get the message you called" - and they had no way of knowing if that is the truth or not.

Also printed smut - things like Playboy and Penthouse magazines - where if one guy had them we would all look at them - not just e-mailing a buddy a link - it was a shared experience.

 

[cynicus]

Tower Records and penny postcards and 3 cent first-class stamps.

 

[smokeshadow]

^^WOW! I didn't think anyone except philatelists and people older than myself remember 3 cent postage. First class postage hasn't been that low since 1958 when it jumped to 4 cents; where it stayed until 1963 when it went to 5 cents. The current 55 cents is expected to raise to 58 cents sometime in the next 12 months. Regardless, it's still a bargain at that price. What other delivery service delivers to every address on the planet for that price?

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

Not being aware of the breadth and scope of white supremacy.

Believing this is a postracial country where I can be whatever I want and theres no powerful white men standing in the way of my success.

Socializing without everyone's face buried in a smartphone.

 

[Cormac135]

 

[HoodedRat]

I miss second-hand bookshops.

There used to be at least twenty really good ones within a short walk of where I live; now there are none.

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

Not being aware of the breadth and scope of white supremacy.

Hey! We sat through Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air... and we listened to [STRIKE]TAFKAP[/STRIKE] Prince and he had his hair relaxed! And The Supremes and The Ronettes! What's a white guy gotta do to get into some black pants, these days?

Believing this is a postracial country where I can be whatever I want and theres no powerful white men standing in the way of my success.

Planet of the Apes (the reveal).

I miss second-hand bookshops.

There used to be at least twenty really good ones within a short walk of where I live; now there are none.

Come to the Netherlands.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

I miss ordinary people not thinking their every opinion needs to be expressed. Now every half-cooked thought is shot out into the internet like its some brilliant fucking mark twain shit-- regardless of how common or unoriginal it is.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

Fewer bullies. Now everyone feels like Thanos w/all 6 infinity stones hiding behind a keyboard intimidating and harassing others. *exasperated sigh*

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

Fewer bullies. Now everyone feels like Thanos w/all 6 infinity stones hiding behind a keyboard intimidating and harassing others. *exasperated sigh*

Street bullying was much much worse (here in The Netherlands and in New York)...

 

[cityboy-stl]

Bad post, deleted. Never mind. Wrong thread.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

Street bullying was much much worse (here in The Netherlands and in New York)...

I want you to bully my anus.