
Computer Store Manager Predicts Future (1979) [video] - howsilly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNT1L3jGjbA
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drcode
Uncanny how he gets everything right until the very last sentence of the
interview... and the grin on his face shows he actually knew how that issue
would turn out as well.

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dogma1138
Well the it's the late 70's the "myth" of the American 3 day work week was
some what still relevant until the 80's pretty much blew it out of the water.

From the late 50's trough out the 70's there was a great "hope" that
automation and technology will result in shorter and shorter work weeks, that
might actually could've been achievable to some degree if the US and the
western world at large did not had to compete with emerging markets.

In 1979's China wasn't the monster it is today, India was in worse shape than
some African countries and Japan was the source of all the cheap electronic
junk.

Sadly enough today the companies and verticals that can actually drive the
work week down mainly startups rather propagate the myth of developers that
work 12+ hours a day and to make this myth a reality we get work places that
serve 3-4 meals a day, have showers, gym access and sleeping rooms even. I
wonder just how competitive a startup could really bee if it asked it's
workers to only work 5-6 hours instead of working 4 and spending the rest
playing foosball and catching up on cat videos...

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tim333
Also foosball and cat videos kinda suck. If you prefer that to the main thing
you're working on it may be the wrong thing.

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biot
So his prediction is that some will adapt to computers and some won't? And
that computers, like other automation technologies of the past, will result in
some jobs being obsolete? Not exactly bold predictions.

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drcode
I interpret his prediction as saying that society will no longer be as
stratified along traditional employment routes (i.e. getting that big company
job with a pension) and instead will turn into a technocracy where success and
riches come to those who are comfortable with new technologies.

~~~
dogma1138
>getting that big company job with a pension

If we are all honest this is what pretty much anyone who's pushing 30 these
days seek unless they were lucky and managed to find a good exit earlier in
their life of are betting on a good inheritance.

Pretty much anyone who I know at or about 30 has been switching off from
cutthroat businesses and looking for long term positions that while won't
offer "options" (even tho the employee share purchasing plans that big
companies offer tend to be much better) and some ridiculous bonus scheme and
giving up the beer fridge foosball table and huge open space for a traditional
cubical with and a breakroom.

Heck one of the most common questions I know people ask now when they
interview is what's the age of your oldest developers and if the answer is in
their mid 40's they really hope they'll get it.

