I am really depressed, down, lost after a week of throwing “stuff” away. See article I am a hoarder.
I say “stuff” rather than “junk”, because the things I have disposed of, thrown out do or did have worth to me, memories, perhaps some use in the future, or some use to someone else, perhaps to show people what life was like some few years ago, what we had to suffer with.
But what are the use of my old degree assignments? Yes I was proud of them, neatly bound, lots of effort and hours invested in them, but taking a whole shelf up. Out.
Old manuals of programming languages I used in the early days of computing, NCR‘s NEAT 3, COBOL, “C” and “C++“, IQ Lisp the Artificial Intelligence Language of Texas Instruments, operating systems like DR DOS, MS DOS, UNIX and JCL, networking systems like NOVELL, ARC Lantastic, MS Workgroups. The list goes on and on.
Cables that would allow me to connect computers together in a network, to connect printers, power cables, the circuit boards I have, networking cards, sound cards, video cards, spare hard drives so small now in capacity 100 MB, 2.5 inch floppy disk drives, 5 inch floppy inch drives.
What about the computers I had. Four good computers from around 1998. Two good video displays, massive and heavy by todays flat screen LCD screens.
Four good printers, only needing toner or ink.
Software packages, some unopened, LANtastic network software, Windows operating systems, DOS, Windows, Laplink, ProCom communication software, Word processors WordPerfect, MS Works etc. All so out-of-date. Useless.
Do I put them in the waste bin? No we are not allowed to do that.
Do I take them to a recycling depot? Could do, so they would be shipped to China to be striped down.
Do I sell them in the local paper, at a car boot or eBay? Tried eBay, no takers. Car boot, none going on near me.
Give them away? Yes.
On my daily walk into Kingston upon Thames town center to get exercise, I pass a small computer shop come internet café, Activ Euro, Old London Road, which I know repairs computers, perhaps he could have and use them?
The owner, told me he would have a look at them, but all he would do would perhaps throw them away. He told me a company collects once a month the old computers and pays £1 per machine. In his shop window there are things or “stuff” that has been there a long time, so long the packaging is fading. US Robotics or 3COM Palm PDA, still new, but so out of date, (5 years), and no takers. CD drives, no-one wants them.
People go into his shop to have a printer repaired, and he tells them to buy a new one, as it will cost more just to remove the covers than it would for a new one.
I give him two car loads of “stuff”. Perhaps he can use some of it, a cable here, a board there.
That afternoon, passing his shop again, I notice my old printer, a QMS Color Laserjet 2, sitting next to his networked internet access computers. Good he has found a use for it.
Wikipedia defines The throw-away society as :- a human society strongly influenced by consumerism. The term describes a critical view of over-consumption and excessive production of short-lived or disposable items.
In my case it was not a case of over-consumption, or excessive production, or disposable items. I only purchased what was needed at the time. But, technology moves on, new ideas superseded the old, new products are cheaper to buy than to repair the old.
In the case of my QMS printer, the cost of the replacement toner cartridges was more than the cost of a new printer.
I do not want the latest gadget, (yes I do, but cannot afford it), but sometimes technology leaves the old obsolete like analog TV, now going to digital, the old TVs will not work.
Yes, and manufacturers build in to their equipment a time clock when components fail.
It is still so depressing to throw away such history, so many memories, so much knowledge that I spent so much blood sweat and tears learning, that will never be seen or used again.
Oh well, more space for my books on NLP, hypnosis and memory. But then I have so many books that I will never make use of again, QUARKXPRESS Handbook, The UNIX Programming Environment, Visual Basic, Business Law, Human Resource Management, on and on and on. Anyone wants them?
Oh Poo Poo, I’m so depressed.
Perhaps the owner of Activ Euro can make some use of my old computer “stuff”.