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  3. What old technology are you surprised is still in use today?

What old technology are you surprised is still in use today?

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  • L [email protected]

    So does pretty much the whole banking and credit industry. When you get money out of an ATM there's usually some COBOL code involved.

    T This user is from outside of this forum
    T This user is from outside of this forum
    [email protected]
    wrote last edited by
    #63

    True, we stack old technologies on top of older technologies, and somewhere at the bottom, there is z/OS with COBOL running. A young person right now learning COBOL has a secure future with big paychecks.

    L 1 Reply Last reply
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    • T [email protected]

      True, we stack old technologies on top of older technologies, and somewhere at the bottom, there is z/OS with COBOL running. A young person right now learning COBOL has a secure future with big paychecks.

      L This user is from outside of this forum
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      wrote last edited by [email protected]
      #64

      Depends on your tolerance for code spelunking. Back in the 90s I was encouraged to do Y2K prep because I had some COBOL experience, but I really hated pawing through old code. To be fair, COBOL was designed to be self documenting and English-like. But I'm glad I got into web dev instead back then. It was right at the dawn of "dynamic HTML" when web pages started actually doing things. Very cool time. Right now I'd be more inclined to go into helping companies recover from failed AI projects.

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      • W [email protected]

        The IRS still use COBOL.

        A This user is from outside of this forum
        A This user is from outside of this forum
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        wrote last edited by
        #65

        Reminds me I have to catalogue 2 Tandem Non-stop! Systems at work… I don’t need to meddle with the cobol code atop but still, this was quite a surprise to stumble upon.

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        • F [email protected]

          Fax, still in official use in Germany.

          S This user is from outside of this forum
          S This user is from outside of this forum
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          wrote last edited by
          #66

          Fax is too simple to completely die.

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          • T [email protected]

            we dont posess the knowlegde of how to do that, that isnt done by magnetism. maybe if aliens come to earth than maybe.

            S This user is from outside of this forum
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            wrote last edited by
            #67

            Talking to a good friend 20 years ago, very smart guy, and he was thinking we already artificial gravity.

            T 1 Reply Last reply
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            • S [email protected]

              Talking to a good friend 20 years ago, very smart guy, and he was thinking we already artificial gravity.

              T This user is from outside of this forum
              T This user is from outside of this forum
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              wrote last edited by
              #68

              i remember mythbuster tried to experiment with it.

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              • theimpressivex@lemmy.todayT [email protected]
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                driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.brD This user is from outside of this forum
                driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.brD This user is from outside of this forum
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                wrote last edited by
                #69

                Trigonometry is still used to take measures all around the world.

                C 1 Reply Last reply
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                • B [email protected]

                  It's considered a secure method of document transfer over email, despite email being able to be secured and fax can be hacked with like a length of wire and a knife. Fucking irks me.

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                  wrote last edited by
                  #70

                  How does one hack fax in that fashion?

                  B 1 Reply Last reply
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                  • D [email protected]

                    How does one hack fax in that fashion?

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                    wrote last edited by
                    #71

                    Fax operates as data over phone line, similar to dialup. If you can get a wiretap on a phone line, you essentially can get everything that passes over it. Technically you could encrypt it, but it's usually not required you do legally.

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                    • theimpressivex@lemmy.todayT [email protected]
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                      captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.worksC This user is from outside of this forum
                      captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.worksC This user is from outside of this forum
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                      wrote last edited by
                      #72

                      General Aviation is still using magnetos. The typical GA airplane is hilariously primitive.

                      bfg9k@lemmy.worldB R 2 Replies Last reply
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                      • captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.worksC [email protected]

                        General Aviation is still using magnetos. The typical GA airplane is hilariously primitive.

                        bfg9k@lemmy.worldB This user is from outside of this forum
                        bfg9k@lemmy.worldB This user is from outside of this forum
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                        wrote last edited by
                        #73

                        NOOO I NEED LEADED FUEL CAUSE MY LYCOMING IS FROM THE 60s 😭😭

                        captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.worksC 1 Reply Last reply
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                        • theimpressivex@lemmy.todayT [email protected]
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                          bfg9k@lemmy.worldB This user is from outside of this forum
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                          wrote last edited by
                          #74

                          Pagers.

                          Still in use by hospitals and emergency services

                          therobohour@lemmy.worldT 1 Reply Last reply
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                          • bfg9k@lemmy.worldB [email protected]

                            NOOO I NEED LEADED FUEL CAUSE MY LYCOMING IS FROM THE 60s 😭😭

                            captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.worksC This user is from outside of this forum
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                            wrote last edited by
                            #75

                            If you buy a brand new Skyhawk here in the space year 2025, it will come with a newly made Lycoming IO-360 that requires 100LL. I think they're still working on eliminating leaded avgas, I think because the Trump regime hasn't noticed it yet.

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                            • tattorack@lemmy.worldT [email protected]

                              Steam engines.

                              The vast majority of our power comes from making something really hot and boiling water. Coal plant? Oil plant? Gas plant? Nuclear fission plant? Geothermal plant? The grand holy grail of energy production that would be a nuclear fusion plant? All steam engines.

                              Yes, unbeknownst to everyone, this is what a steampunk society realistically looks like.

                              thebat@lemmy.worldT This user is from outside of this forum
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                              wrote last edited by
                              #76

                              After first contact

                              A: These are our mini neutron star fusion reactors. The most advanced technology to have ever existed. We basically take a chunk of neutron star matter and divide it into two. We neutralize the negative effect and extreme gravity with our space-time bending gravity manipulation technology. We let the two mini neutro spheres accelerate and collide. This generates enough energy to power atleast 3 planets for 1000 cycles. Not onl--

                              H: Wait a minute. I have a question.

                              A: Please feel free to ask any questions.

                              H: How do you convert the raw energy generated into a usable form at that scale?

                              A: We use utlra high intensity lasers for energy transfer to plane--

                              H: No. That's not what I'm asking. How do you convert the raw energy at reactor into a usable form?

                              A: ...

                              H: ...

                              A: We boil water wi--

                              H: Motherf-- enrages and loses sanity


                              Stolen from reddit.

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                              • theimpressivex@lemmy.todayT [email protected]
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                                wrote last edited by [email protected]
                                #77

                                Pager and satellite phone. Mostly a niche usecase for health workers and remote location settlement respectively.

                                1 Reply Last reply
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                                • bfg9k@lemmy.worldB [email protected]

                                  Pagers.

                                  Still in use by hospitals and emergency services

                                  therobohour@lemmy.worldT This user is from outside of this forum
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                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #78

                                  Shit works

                                  1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • theimpressivex@lemmy.todayT [email protected]
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                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #79

                                    Radio. I still listen to radio over the airwaves, and received by an antenna, as it has been done since 1920.

                                    Bicycles are not much different since around 1900.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
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                                    • captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.worksC [email protected]

                                      General Aviation is still using magnetos. The typical GA airplane is hilariously primitive.

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                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #80

                                      Yeah, it's so hilarious to want an engine that will continue to run after a complete electrical system failure at 10000ft.

                                      Fuck 100LL though.

                                      captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.worksC 1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • B [email protected]

                                        It's considered a secure method of document transfer over email, despite email being able to be secured and fax can be hacked with like a length of wire and a knife. Fucking irks me.

                                        F This user is from outside of this forum
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                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #81

                                        Because how many attackers are actually interested in attacking fax? Like... have you ever heard of hackers hacking physical mail? It's to old for people to care, and "people not caring" is implicitely secure by ignorance.

                                        B C 2 Replies Last reply
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                                        • R [email protected]

                                          Yeah, it's so hilarious to want an engine that will continue to run after a complete electrical system failure at 10000ft.

                                          Fuck 100LL though.

                                          captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.worksC This user is from outside of this forum
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                                          wrote last edited by
                                          #82

                                          The Rotax engines use digital CDI ignition that is independent if the airframe electrical system, and from each other. I've never seen one fail.

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