Twenty Things That Died This Decade

A few weeks ago, The Huffington Post published an article called You're Out: 20 Things That Became Obsolete This Decade. I'm a little confused by which decade they're talking about (2000-2010, or if they mean the current decade we're in) but looking through the list, I have to say I can't think of any other decade where the current technology of its time became replaceable at such a rapid rate. To save some space, I'm choosing only ten from their list (you can see the rest by visiting the link.) So remove your hat and let's have a moment of silence for these pop culture objects and concepts that are either RIP or dangerously close to flatlining:

VCRs and VHS Tapes

I don't care how advanced recordable technology becomes, I'll always remember when my father purchased our family's first VHS VCR in 1981 or so. WHAT a concept at the time: recording shows and movies...recording shows and movies while you weren't home...and recording shows and movies while watching a show or movie on another channel! I think he easily paid $600 or more for the machine which was considered a big splurge at the time. 

Travel Agents

Yeah, this is one career move not to pursue these days. Come to think of it, I've never met anyone who said they worked for a travel agency. Now all of you have to do is just consult Mr. Expedia.

Photo credit Gloucester, A Bottled Spider, Flickr

The Separation Between Work Life and Personal Life

I don't know about you, but sometimes I wish the two weren't so conjoined. Very few workers are allowed to have a life anymore. Mobile devices mean we are connected to our work at all times, and we're expected to be answering email up until 11 PM. Sad because most of our time should be making our personal and family life a priority.

Bookstores

Just another reason why I'm not a fan of the Kindle and other handheld reading devices; places that did double duty as retail providers and social hangouts are slowly being eradicated. I would also add record stores to this list. 

Watches

Someone warn Mickey Mouse that his days as a time keeper are numbered. When the time is constantly displayed on that smartphone you constantly keep turned on, who needs to look at their wrist any more?

Maps
First it was Google maps, then GPS that has made the good old fashioned paper map obsolete. Still, there are instances where I think it's beneficial to look at an entire town or section of a city all at once to get an idea of the layout of the land. 

CDs

I remember what a convenience it seemed at the time to play a CD - no more fast forwarding or reminding a tape to find the song you wanted to hear or skip over. Now even these are too clunky and inconvenient, thanks to iTunes and iPods. But what I don't like even more than the death of CDs is the redundancy of album cover art thanks to virtual music downloading and sharing.

Yellow Pages and Address Books

Let your fingers do the texting...however, for the sake of senior citizens, many of whom don't own a mobile device, address books are a necessity.

Fax Machines

I'd say I use the fax machine in my office once, maybe twice a year. Now all you have to do is scan a document and email it as an attachment. 

Hand-Written Letters

This one makes me sad. There's nothing quite as eloquent and rare today as receiving a hand-written letter. 

I'd add phone booths and public phones to HP's list...unless you're in England, you're not going to be seeing too much of these anymore.