Smiley Anders for June 22, 2009
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Was there life before Internet?
I met Dave Astor many years ago, when he was covering the National Society of Newspaper Columnists conferences for Editor & Publisher magazine.
He stood out because he was the only person at the conference actually working.
Dave is now writing for the Montclair, N.J., Times and posting on The Huffington Post.
On the Post, he recently recalled what it was like in the old days of communications. Here’s part of his article:
“I’m occasionally asked, ‘What was it like before the Internets?’
“So here’s my prehistoric primer:”
How did people correspond before e-mail?
“They wrote words on paper, put the paper in an envelope, affixed a stamp to the envelope, walked to a mailbox, and stood there paralyzed when they couldn’t find the ‘send’ button.”
How did people correct mistakes in the pre-computer days of typewriters?
“They either retyped the page or blotted out errors with white stuff. Mashed potatoes worked best.”
When journalists were out of town, how did they transmit typewritten stories to their editors?
“They folded the stories into paper airplanes and hurled them out of hotel windows.”
In the old days, how did people make unimportant phone calls while riding commuter trains?
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