Toilet paper
this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2025
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When I started a new job in IT around 2009, I learned that AS400 / iSeries / IBM i was a thing, and it's still doing pretty well with big retail and the insurance business.
In the same vein, the system used by the aviation industry to book flights is also quite ancient but still very much used to this day.
Steam.
Always impressed that a nuclear power plant actually, doesn't use much nuclear physics/engineering but is mostly a steam machine (with a top notch turbine)
Thought you were a PlayStation fanboy for a second.
I'm not surprised at all since I use them every single day, but the pen and paper have yet to be rivaled by anything digital. At the very least, in regards to:
- portability: available in any size one may fancy, only a few grams.
- autonomy: a notebook needs no battery and offers weeks or months worth of storage depending how much you write or sketch (certain models can even be refilled),
- ease of use: put pen(cil) onto paper and write, or sketch + no upgrades, no bugs, no crashes.
- privacy: no tracking, no spying by any corporation. No ads, either.
- low cost: I've yet to find an iPad with its Pencil at the two dollars I spend on my cheap notebook and cheap ballpoint, or pencil.
- Sturdiness: I can (and often) sit on the notebook I store in my jeans back pocket, I often use it under the rain too.
- Low attraction to thieves: I can use it anywhere without risking attracting attention from potential thieves. I can also let my notebook alone in any public places, chances are no one will even consider stealing it: it's just paper. Try doing that with a digital notebook, be it a tablet or a phone ;)
- Versatility: I can write (errands, novels, plan to conquer the world, a poem for my spouse), sketch (bad or good sketches), draw a map, play some games, make paper planes or origami, and even share info with anyone by tearing of a sheet of paper from my notebook (that won't break it) and give it to that person.
Yeah, I think it's kinda obvious I do like my cheap notebook and pen, a lot more than I will ever like that corporate and government spyware that disguises itself as a smartphone and that I'm expected to be using and carrying with me everywhere I go ;)
Cars.
Fax machines!
They were invented long before the computer or modem, with the original patent being issued in 1843.
They seem wildly outdated, but the ability to replicate the signature (iirc) led to faxes being accepted as legal documents.
This speaks more to the underlying usefulness in earlier eras, but it's still wild to make a phone call that leads to a printed document.
Faxes are secure after sending. The only way for a third party to get a fax is to physically tap the line at the time of transmission, or to break into the building and steal the paper.
Email sits online, where everyone can get at it unless you prevent it. Faxes sit in a drawer, behind the locks you already have.
It may have started with the ability to replicate signatures, but even during the internet age, fax does have one interesting advantage.
It uses a dedicated circuit to communicate rather than using packets.
By that I mean that two fax machines that are connected to send a fax are electronically linked together in a dedicated circuit for the duration of the session, and all the data takes the same path.
This is in stark contrast to an email, which is split up into packets which may take quite different paths to reach the other destination.
That's also why I love the idea of old copper landline. Commutation of connections versus commutation of packets.
So over PSTN traditionally you'd basically send signals. I don't think I need to say much more about how cool it is - you may not necessarily use a modem with a computer over it, you can connect a couple of analog electronic devices that an 80s schoolboy knew how to solder together, for whatever kind of functionality. Those could even be used not only with a phone network, but over radio too.
Now instead of electric connectivity (either you have it or you do not) you have data connectivity, and that is very complex and not a given. It's bad. Like - really bad.
More sophistication in a system means fewer people able to maintain it, fully master it, fix it. Generally.
I can't help but feel nostalgic for USSR in this regard, despite all the truths about it. Many people living there and then knew their shit on most basic technologies the society relied upon. Knew how various machine parts were called, knew enough of mechanical engineering to maintain machines, knew a lot of civil engineering (of the Soviet level naturally, but still a lot), knew enough of electricity and radio to fix stuff if needed (and not break it in the first place), could use a slide rule. Same with chemistry and agriculture. OK, "many" is an overstatement, but more common than now, and it seems to be the case in western countries too.
At my old government job, we had a fax machine because it "couldn't be hacked", so we would only accept certain documents via fax. Is this true? I have no idea. It was even more questionable when we switched the fax line to digital and received all the faxes via a software program on computers. Is THAT "un-hackable" too? No clue.
Fax. Its all over germany still the standard in the bureaucracy
An easy answer is pagers in hospitals. I know it's because they're simple RF technology, and work reliably in cinderblock buildings. But given how advanced so much of our medical equipment is, you'd think there would be a different system. Granted, that system would almost definitely need updates and have potential downtime/crashes, which you cannot afford in that kind of environment
Some telcos are willing to guarantee that pager messages will arrive. No-one's willing to guarantee shit for mobile phones.
There was a good episode of Planet Money where they interviewed some doctors who were trying to get rid of beepers at their hospital. Basically during testing, it was found that when using an app to send messages to doctors, it was almost too simple and non critical messages were being sent to doctors. This was creating a lot of noise and causing them to be overwhelmed and ignoring the notifications on the phone. It seemed as though the clunkyness of paging someone was a feature so that doctors on call were actually getting relevant information.
Modern hospitals have an integrated wifi based network that mimics the cell system.
The one I worked at was a very large modern university hospital (in the US) that handled a large part of the states patients. We used pagers in the Emergency Room for code red patients. Many doctors also still use them
Clipboards with pen and paper at the doctor’s office check-in visits
As a programmer it makes me livid being forced to poorly hand fill the paper only to see someone at the desk enter it all into a computer.
Also, couldn’t I have done this online beforehand?
You forgot the n^th^ generation copy of a copy of a copy that has no true blacks, just these weird grey pointillism bands that are so askew your basically writing at an angle.
I also have some horrendous carpal tunnel syndrome, if I’m filling out something on a clipboard, my already rusty handwriting is going to rapidly degrade even further.
I’ve literally asked them this, and they just shrug apologetically. It is what it is, is the attitude I am met with.
I saw an urgent care (in the US) using iPads in a thick case and I think an apple pencil for signatures? (or maybe I misremembered and just used my finger to draw the signature).
Everything is digitized now, really bad for a political dissident with depression since you can't openly talk about being a dissident especially when the country is under autocratization.
Mirrors on cars.
I mean, logically I know why, but it just feels so weird and out of place in the 21st century.
Like you got this high tech vehicle with a bunch of computers inside and a lot of screens/displays, radios, GPS, "assisted driving", then you see this mirror that's thousands of years old and not some advanced 360 radar system.
I know that a mirror isn't gonna fail like electronics do, so its better reliability, but still feel odd seeing old tech and new tech merged.
@[email protected] btw, the Original OP already crossposted the question lol. Check first next time 😉
humans