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Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad

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Le 20/06/2026 à 02:26, Steve Hayes a écrit :
> Hibou wrote:
>>
>> There are some big differences between now and the 1950s. Technology has
>> become pervasive, largely incomprehensible, and has fallen into the
>> hands of the nastier elements of humanity - hackers, fraudsters, toxic
>> governments, and the owners of 'social' media.
> 
> I doubt that technology has become more pervasive, but agree that it
> has become more controlling and controllable by the nastier elements
> of humanity, though to hackers, fraudsters, toxic governments, and the
> owners of 'social' media you could add big business.
> 
> No doubt more people have cars now than in the 1950s, but that is
> partly because there are more people now than in the 1950s. But if
> your car broke down in the bundu far from the nearest dealer, you
> could repair it with the tools provided -- and that was technology,
> working for the benefit of the buyer. By yesterday I read about a new
> Mercedes where you can't even open the bonnet -- it has to be done by
> a computer at the dealer. And when the vendor of the operating system
> on the computer ends support for it, not even the dealer can open it.
> What happens it it breaks down 1000 miles from the nearest dealer? [...]


Yes, that's not good. I sometimes wonder what it means to own a product 
such as a car or a phone. Doesn't ownership mean that one has control 
over what happens to the thing one owns, within the limits of the law?

Anyway, can I justify "Technology has become pervasive"? I think so. 
Back in the 1950s, no-one had a mobile phone. Rail and air tickets were 
pieces of paper and card, not QR codes or RFID cards. We paid with coins 
and notes, not bank cards. We found our way about with paper maps, not 
apps…. Many of our systems now depend on satellites - agriculture, 
aviation, emergency services, finance, railways, shipping, road 
transport, and others.

'The economic impact on the UK of a disruption to GNSS' -
<https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-the-economic-impact-on-the-uk-of-a-disruption-to-gnss/the-economic-impact-on-the-uk-of-a-disruption-to-gnss-executive-summary#key-findings>

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[OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-17 14:31 +0100
  Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Bertel Lund Hansen <rundtosset@lundhansen.dk> - 2026-06-17 18:01 +0200
    Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad athel.cb@gmail.com <user12588@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-06-17 17:10 +0000
      Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> - 2026-06-17 13:59 -0400
        Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de (Stefan Ram) - 2026-06-17 19:09 +0000
          Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> - 2026-06-17 15:43 -0400
            Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Julian <julianlzb87@gmail.com> - 2026-06-17 21:54 +0100
              Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> - 2026-06-17 17:28 -0400
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Julian <julianlzb87@gmail.com> - 2026-06-17 23:00 +0100
        Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad athel.cb@gmail.com <user12588@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-06-18 13:48 +0000
          Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2026-06-18 19:56 -0400
            Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-19 06:51 +0100
              Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-06-19 16:47 +1000
              Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-20 03:26 +0200
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2026-06-19 23:37 -0400
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-20 07:06 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-20 07:08 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-21 05:33 +0200
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-21 06:08 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Bertel Lund Hansen <rundtosset@lundhansen.dk> - 2026-06-21 08:27 +0200
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad HVS <office@REMOVETHISwhhvs.co.uk> - 2026-06-21 12:49 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-22 06:30 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> - 2026-06-21 19:05 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-06-22 07:42 +1000
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-22 06:27 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) - 2026-06-22 12:37 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-06-23 08:33 +0200
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad athel.cb@gmail.com <user12588@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-06-23 10:04 +0000
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-06-23 20:32 +1000
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-23 13:36 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad "Kerr-Mudd, John" <admin@127.0.0.1> - 2026-06-23 15:26 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Bertel Lund Hansen <rundtosset@lundhansen.dk> - 2026-06-24 01:16 +0200
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad "Kerr-Mudd, John" <admin@127.0.0.1> - 2026-06-23 15:29 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-23 16:34 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2026-06-23 14:03 -0700
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad HVS <office@REMOVETHISwhhvs.co.uk> - 2026-06-24 09:41 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Bertel Lund Hansen <rundtosset@lundhansen.dk> - 2026-06-24 10:54 +0200
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad HVS <office@REMOVETHISwhhvs.co.uk> - 2026-06-25 11:59 +0100
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Madhu <enometh@meer.net> - 2026-06-24 04:44 +0530
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-06-24 12:29 +0200
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad occam <occam@nowhere.nix> - 2026-06-22 14:13 +0200
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad athel.cb@gmail.com <user12588@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-06-22 13:16 +0000
                Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2026-06-22 16:03 +0100
          Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad occam <occam@nowhere.nix> - 2026-06-19 09:05 +0200
            Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-06-19 17:31 +1000
    Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Charles Hope <clh@candehope.me.uk> - 2026-06-17 17:30 +0000
      Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Bertel Lund Hansen <rundtosset@lundhansen.dk> - 2026-06-17 21:15 +0200
      Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2026-06-18 14:26 +0100
      Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> - 2026-06-18 22:00 +0100
    Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-18 06:48 +0100
      Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-18 06:51 +0100
      Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Bertel Lund Hansen <rundtosset@lundhansen.dk> - 2026-06-18 08:28 +0200
        Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-18 08:06 +0100
  Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2026-06-17 12:26 -0700
    Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) - 2026-06-18 09:26 +0100
      Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Bertel Lund Hansen <rundtosset@lundhansen.dk> - 2026-06-18 10:59 +0200
        Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad RJH <patchmoney@gmx.com> - 2026-06-18 09:13 +0000
          Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Julian <julianlzb87@gmail.com> - 2026-06-18 12:49 +0100
      Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-06-18 20:49 +1000
        Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2026-06-22 16:07 +0100
      Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-06-19 13:26 +0200
        Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Julian <julianlzb87@gmail.com> - 2026-06-19 13:17 +0100
        Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2026-06-22 13:52 +0100
          Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> - 2026-06-22 22:05 +0100
            Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-06-23 06:58 +0100
              Re: [OT] You've never had it so bad Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-06-24 05:45 +0200

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