Originally Posted By Mr X ***And, since the McCain mailings use manipulative techniques straight out of the direct mail industry, they probably would not appear out of place to most Americans.*** True. I'm sure it's very unusual for a person to be receiving mail from both sides too, as you said. Your description sure does seem undignified though, interesting to read about. I wonder if this is new, or something Bush came up with? Or, if not him, who was the first?
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< ***There's a questionnaire that's printed on what looks like old-school, "greenbar" computer printer paper stock, complete with perforated tractor feed hole strips on the side. In fact, I'm instructed to tear off the tractor feed hole strips before returning it. But, it's obvious that this form was not printed on any technology that would require tractor feed paper*** I don't understand the point of this (the other stuff I can understand, given SD's description of techniques designed to make you feel important and feel that you must act quickly). If anything, this plays right into the "30 years out of touch" thing, doesn't it? >>> 30 years out of touch? What are you talking about? You're not even 10 years younger than I am! What's that, a half a generation? And as a point of order, although in my younger years I did know both of these terms off the top of my head, I did have to think a bit just now to come up with "greenbar" and "tractor feed." For those that may not be familiar with the technology that us old folk used to have to deal with, "Greenbar" is a type of computer printer paper that has alternating lines of green and white bands: <a href="http://www.fm.emory.edu/recycling/rebar.jpeg" target="_blank">http://www.fm.emory.edu/recycl...bar.jpeg</a> "Tractor feed" refers to a type of computer printer paper that had perforated edges with holes in it that the printer used to feed the paper: <a href="http://www.sirloin.org/myimages/ContFeedTractorPaper.JPG" target="_blank">http://www.sirloin.org/myimage...aper.JPG</a>
Originally Posted By Mr X **!0 years out of touch? What are you talking about? You're not even 10 years younger than I am! What's that, a half a generation?** lol. fwiw, I remember greenbar paper and those frustrating tractor feed printers ALL too well. I just don't understand why that would be somehow "cool" to receive in a mailing.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< I just don't understand why that would be somehow "cool" to receive in a mailing. >>> So, I guess then that you're not voting McCain/Palin in the upcoming election? You obviously don't understand what's cool and what's not. No "Cool Service" for you!
Originally Posted By Mr X Guess so. (did I ever mention that "Cool Service" was far and away the most fun thing I ever did as an entertainer? Just hop on a boat on a nice summer day, play some drums, and throw water on people. How fun is THAT!?)
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <fwiw, I remember greenbar paper and those frustrating tractor feed printers ALL too well. how about carbon paper and mimeograph machines ? Typewriters that were not elecric ? Adding machines--
Originally Posted By WorldDisney ^^Okay you lost me there vbdad lol. I do remember typewriters obviously (and use to love playing with my mothers ), but they were all electric and I dont know what a mimeograph machine is. Im sure if I see it, I would know it though. But there are kids now who never seen a walkman before, I had one as a student once lol...and it was IN Japan, where they came from lol. That's very scary for me ;D.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <but they were all electric and I dont know what a mimeograph machine is. Im sure if I see it, I would know it though. < <a href="http://www.irememberjfk.com/mt/2007/04/mimeograph_machines.php" target="_blank">http://www.irememberjfk.com/mt...ines.php</a> the teachers used to draw up the tests and then run copies ( bad copies) off on these machines. For some reason the ink was always this purplish color and had an intoxicating smell - kind of like magic markers had at the time.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 The typewriter on the far right was the one I had for homework when I was in grade school in the early 50's -- huge metal keys ( everything was metal) - that used to get stuck together if you typed too fast thing weighed like 15- pounds - at least <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwood_Typewriter_Company" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U..._Company</a>
Originally Posted By vbdad55 here's a better picture of it - honestly - this is what my homework was done on in grade school. My Mom still has this thing- you can't get ribbonsfor it and a few of the letter keys are missing their button- but it's in one piece <a href="http://www.typewritermuseum.org/collection/index.php3?machine=underwood5&cat=kf" target="_blank">http://www.typewritermuseum.or...5&cat=kf</a>
Originally Posted By chickendumpling <--- took a "key-punch operator" class in high school. I think that was the last year they offered it.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Key punch cards were these long index cards with rows of numbers on them. <a href="http://www.medien.ifi.lmu.de/fileadmin/mimuc/mmi_ws0405/uebung/essays/matthias.schicker/pix/punch%20card.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.medien.ifi.lmu.de/f...card.jpg</a> Back in the 60's & 70s, my dad would always have these in his shirt pocket from work. Remember the infamous "dangling chads"? This is from Wikipedia... >>A key punch is a device for entering data into punched cards by precisely punching holes at locations designated by the keys struck by the operator. Early keypunches were manual devices. Later keypunches were mechanized, often resembled a small desk, with a keyboard similar to a typewriter, and with hoppers for blank cards and stackers for punched cards. Some key punch models could print at the top of columns, the character punched in each of those columns. The small pieces punched out by a keypunch fell into a chad box, or (at IBM) chip box, or bit bucket.<<
Originally Posted By chickendumpling Here's another link that explains it that's worth looking at just for laughs: <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/acis/history/026.html" target="_blank">http://www.columbia.edu/acis/h...026.html</a> Dear lord I feel old!!! LOL!
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Me too, Chicky! I remember going into my dad's office on a visit a few times, they had this massive "key punch department" and computers with the spinning tape drives. It looked very Willie Wonka-ish! LOL
Originally Posted By SuperDry I worked at a place in high school that had a news story done on it by a local TV station. It involved computers, but the reporter was expecting a 70's-style room full of computers with spinning tapes and washing machine hard drives. So, instead of the actual footage, they used stock footage that looked like that for the news story instead of the actual computer room.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 My dad worked for AT&T on tele typemachines -- <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/acis/history/teletype.html" target="_blank">http://www.columbia.edu/acis/h...ype.html</a>
