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In reply to the discussion: Do you have any job skills that are now obsolete? [View all]Zambero
(9,781 posts)199. Xerox repair and maintenance
Dress code was suit and tie.
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Typing the cards that went into the library card catalogs using a manual typewriter
zeusdogmom
Nov 23
#74
Oh I love manual typewriters. Can't believe how expensive they've become. nt
allegorical oracle
Nov 24
#215
Oh, i think I very briefly watched someone do that IRL, or I even briefly (lunch hour?) filled in for a small board
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#321
They pay the counselors well. I just couldn't deal with working in such a drab place.
kerry-is-my-prez
Nov 23
#168
You sure can't find a job that pays for college now. Unless military. Good going, multigraincracker!
Diamond_Dog
Nov 23
#97
At one point over several decades when NYC had Ticker Tape Parades amongst the various things they'd tossed out the ....
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#323
I did much of what you describe at a medium size print shop but I mostly ran the big graphics camera...
wcmagumba
Nov 23
#4
We used to have an old-style printing dept that I used to do my newsletters. And we also had a graphic design dept doing
kerry-is-my-prez
Nov 23
#180
While I was doing metal type in a typography class in Art College our....
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#332
I'd do my layout, then over to the sports department and hand it over to the editor, then check in the photo...
brush
Nov 25
#390
Yeah, i get it. It's not quite but similar to my work in the art dept except I didn't do layouts...
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#414
Also illustration and graphic design. Put together many a mechanical. Kept up with
allegorical oracle
Nov 23
#9
{hug} for you. I remember looking at computer graphics books at the store. Debated about saving for a class etc...
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#333
Flight instructor! Very cool. Saw your post obviously some tricky times.
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#334
I like contour maps interesting to look at. The cross section drawing sound interesting, too. I'm sure I've seen some..
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#347
One of my early office jobs included walking literal blueprints produced by our drawing office to a photo service
Emrys
Nov 24
#336
My dad waaaay back had real blue prints to look at where lights were placed (electrical engineer got into lightning) I..
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#343
Soubds like pretty good timing. Too bad the office wasn't so goid either, but...you did get fit...
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#348
I think... my dad had about a 3' x 3' foot table next to his desk, and...
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#372
I don't have much experience with those but I do remember those old word processors.
Diamond_Dog
Nov 23
#104
Reveal codes has gotten me out a mess and frustration many times. That alone is worth it
fargone
Nov 24
#260
Ha, I remember my sister hated that dictaphone when she worked in a law office.
Diamond_Dog
Nov 23
#103
Yep, all the big camera manufacturers switched to digital long ago, early 2000s. I'd keep your cameras though.
brush
Nov 23
#42
Loved the IBM Selectrics! You could change the typeface on those, and the sound of the keystrokes!
mucholderthandirt
Nov 24
#214
I saw my first IBM Selectric at Art College. I had to do some kind of text for a project, or maasybe something for...
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#425
At the small magazine publisher I worked for the editor would come in to fit articles that ran too long...
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#354
I used to do mechanicals olso on illustration board with overlays of amber or ruby lith. Also keylines. Then computers..
brush
Nov 23
#29
Amber, and rubylith! I remember those. Esp amberlith at Scholastic Magazines...
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#355
Yeah, I'd put all the illustrator's cards on the wall for when I needed a certain style of illustration.
brush
Nov 25
#389
Nice! My friend just put them in a drawer next to him. I like your idea better! 😄👍
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#417
That's a skill that not many people can acquire successfully-good on you La Coliniere.
Diamond_Dog
Nov 23
#116
How many kids have T-squares from both parents? I did. My dad must have used his before he got married...
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#424
I took accounting 101 & 102? As a fres small business course for POC & Women small business that ?NYU gave...
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#359
Like the unreadble holes turning back into text. As far as ticker tape goes...
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#361
Analog disc jockey and audio production. Some of the skills would still transfer:
rsdsharp
Nov 23
#43
I got in just after that. A station I worked at (3 times) had reel decks for commercials,
rsdsharp
Nov 23
#126
I liked being a jock. I also worked as a music director, program director, and did a lot of production,
rsdsharp
Nov 23
#145
In another Parallel Earth I'm a Rock but also free form DJ , so I can add any genre in; here, and there
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#363
Me too! I don't really know if they still use it or not. I even studied court stenography, a whole different ballgame.
SheilaAnn
Nov 23
#61
Don't courts still use stenographers? That would be way beyond my ability, any of it!
Diamond_Dog
Nov 23
#140
No, not beyond anyone's abilities, really. Just heroically dull, but a necessary...
keep_left
Nov 23
#152
Good on you. I wanted to be a f/t freelance illustratior, but it never worked out....Did some....
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#364
I think what I did for years was make Christmas, or mostly New Year cards by making one master card, then xerox them...
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#373
I used to be good at redlining which is where you mark changes in documents
LetMyPeopleVote
Nov 23
#67
Computers have taken over so many jobs. Some for the better and some times not.
Diamond_Dog
Nov 23
#161
I perfected those same skills, Diamond Dog, but managed to roll with the times . . .
Journeyman
Nov 23
#68
Ha, I was just going to make a post about the Proportion Wheel before I saw this! 😄
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#367
Back when I worked retail, my partner Dick and I were older than the other workers.
FuzzyRabbit
Nov 23
#100
no one was faster than me at a cash register before scanners came along.
The Wandering Harper
Nov 23
#81
I worked at a department store in the summer a few times between high school and college
Diamond_Dog
Nov 23
#144
10 finger typing. Laptops ruined it as I now only use around 7 or 8 to type.
sinkingfeeling
Nov 23
#82
The vasectomy obsoleted one particular skill. I love those five kids who don't look like me, anyway.
keithbvadu2
Nov 23
#85
I can use tens complement to subtract with a mechanical adding machine!
struggle4progress
Nov 23
#95
Not sure what that is, LeftIn TX but if it's computers, I am sorta dumb. It sounds impressive, though.
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#263
I know exactly what a paste-up artist is ... I did the same work for about 15 years
FakeNoose
Nov 23
#135
I worked in a small printshop too back in the day as a paste-up artist. Also learned...
brush
Nov 23
#171
I briefly taught graphic design at one of thos for-profit colleges when me and my wife...
brush
Nov 23
#195
That was my story,too, brush. My first job out of art school (art major) at Kent State.
Diamond_Dog
Nov 23
#191
Those union journeymen make good money. Guess they're called journeywomen now too?
brush
Nov 23
#194
Well now, at least he was pleased to see women doing the job. All the jobs I've had I've worked with and...
brush
Nov 24
#269
Hmmm...golden rod paper thst sounds vaugely familliar. Kind of (duh) yellow orange?...
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#369
Yeah, it is, or was then at least, the yellow-orang paper that you taped down on a lightbox over the neg...
brush
Nov 26
#438
Your teacher did a nice job, you received a great background in offset printing
FakeNoose
Nov 25
#382
It was a fabulous class! Yeah, obsolete now...Another cool thing he taught us...
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#429
Yuck! We in a specialized art & music HS were marched off one semester...
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#371
Reading upside down and backwards, now there's a skill not too many people have!
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#264
Sounds like you were both fast and accurate, LogDog75. That's a real skill there!
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#296
I used to do Seatch Engine Optimization I'm sure that will be taken over by AI.
kerry-is-my-prez
Nov 23
#151
How did you do Seatch Engine Optimization? After google came in, it change web design amatuers...
brush
Nov 23
#173
I had web position gold and then hired a webmaster who had a bunch of linking sites.
kerry-is-my-prez
Nov 23
#188
You definitely need empathy and problem solving skills to be a good counselor, Kerry-is-my-prez.
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#223
I was once a designer on a newpaper art staff that had designers, cartographers, air brush artists...
brush
Nov 23
#175
DD it seems we had very similar careers. It's a pleasure conversing with you on these experiences.
brush
Nov 24
#268
Rapidiographs! Loved them! It was my dad's neighbor who introduced them to him, then me. I never did ask what he did...
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#419
I was a sheet metal layout-man for years. Laying out patterns for ship ventilation duct.
maveric
Nov 23
#177
Computers have made us all more efficient but maybe they make things too easy!
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#272
Good legal arguments are never obsolete! I'm very impressed with your career, elleng
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#281
We were spread out, geographically, and age-wise, so 'limited' holidays together,
elleng
Nov 24
#294
Neat story and, yes, how times have changed. We had a 'paperboy' when I was young, too.
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#282
I'm afraid I don't remember what a Telex machine is either, although I've heard of them.
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#284
I started my career in banking and finance, keeping track of balances using a calculator, spreadsheet paper and a pen
BlueWaveNeverEnd
Nov 24
#204
I remember when calculators first came out, remember how expensive they were?
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#297
first they were very expensive and kinda big. then they got small and banks were giving them away free
BlueWaveNeverEnd
Nov 24
#311
Sadly there a huge lack of that around today. You should hire yourself out, John Shaft.
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#301
One of my uncles had an oscilloscope in his basement. I was fascinated by it!
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#376
Those are all disciplines that take brains and patience, niyad! Good for you.
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#307
Yes, technology changes so fast. Good for you seeing the writing on the wall and pursuing another field.
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#308
It looks like there are several of us graphic arts professionals here, electric _blue!
Diamond_Dog
Nov 24
#325
Yay, for us! But what are these "keys" you're refering to. Never heard the term used in your context.
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#326
Ohhhh.. "keylines"...maaaaybe an echo of a memory for that term vs the others! Ty
electric_blue68
Nov 24
#335
Idk, i think I disagree. While it may be a smaller market (so, yeah, more competition) i believe there'll always be a...
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#378
Hmmm...bc they're so thin do they break more often? Or is the metal stronger somehow?
electric_blue68
Nov 25
#418