So, an interesting conversation developed on Twitter with another engineer.
[ME]: Unix old-timers loved printed manuals, and we can all see why before the advent of 4K monitors at reasonable prices.
[P1]: Who you callin’ an old timer, young whippersnapper?!
[ME]: Who am I calling an old timer? Anyone who was smart enough to step up to the plate when the PC revolution was at its finest in the late 1980s and 1990s. It’s an honor to know you, great master.
[P1]: Each generation has unique but equal challenges to overcome. I can’t imagine trying to start out these days with the sprawl of technology domains. There was a brief moment in the mid 90s when I thought I could keep enough in my head to be considered an a domain expert.
[P1]: But alas, I am ever-drawn to be a generalist.
[P1]: While your praise is unwarranted, it is also awkwardly acknowledged. [geek glasses emoji]
So, interestingly, this conversation reaffirms some previous statements that have been mentioned once before. Again, I reiterate, because this is important! I’ll summarize here.
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Like any good engineer, this engineer changes the world and shrugs off fame and fortune.
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Being counted among the number of considerable innovators is credit in its own right, regardless of the individual’s personal merit. Part of what made the community really great back then was simply due to its size. Even minor participants and key roles in helping the major participants simply by being available as a minor participant for performing minor tasks. A strong community is a team together.
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We cannot understate the delivery of results that have occurred during the late 1980s and 1990s, regardless of the possibility that the effort and merit put in isn’t really that much different from today.
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What was one of the reasons why technology moved so fast in the late 1980s and 1990s? The simpler technology was easy to develop a complete, full, and concrete understanding of, compared to the sprawling technology complexity of today. Simple tasks back then were, in fact, really simple, and could be executed quickly and swiftly compared to today.
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Like every good mentor, it is great to reiterate that everyone has challenges, they are not just confined to one person or one generation. It’s just that the challenges are not the same every time.