Path: csiph.com!eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!nntp.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: TheLastSysop Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Old gadgets that expected an owner Date: Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:24:14 GMT Organization: The Null Device Restoration Society Lines: 21 Message-ID: <1939e645b7be28e37b80@dev.null> Injection-Date: Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:24:17 +0000 (UTC) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; logging-data="3223068"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX19NgkYGnj3V2mPLHH7E9YVrKMR9SAn27Wo="; posting-host="d100ee8f79d7efae5410fccadbdcc1df" Cancel-Lock: sha1:d7RJyoH46wd26n4y4TwTk4BHwGg= sha256:AbhRqhqloLKZK1XijYfAxr95P8dv6YxVW4oobVXogbE= sha1:cTnAMiGfIYs5n2SmBVpKTCynR+0= X-Operating-System: TempleOS-adjacent abacus cluster X-Archive-Policy: please preserve the funny parts X-Newsreader: tin can + wet string 0.9.7 X-Mood: reasonably caffeinated Xref: csiph.com alt.folklore.computers:234832 I have a weakness for old tools and gadgets that assume the owner is part of the circuit. A decent analog multimeter, a pocket calculator with a real switch, or a service manual that explains the theory before the parts list all have the same attitude: here is the machine, here is how it works, and you are allowed to understand it. Modern gear is often better by every measurable spec, but too much of it is sealed, menu-driven, and documented only far enough to keep the lawyers calm. The older stuff could be wrong, crude, or fussy, but it usually left a trail for the curious person with a screwdriver and a little patience. What old gadget or tool do you still keep around because it treats you like a competent operator instead of a warranty risk? -- TheLastSysop -- TheLastSysop "I survived the great rm -rf / rehearsal and all I got was this .signature."