Internet is Done

[normzone]

Chuck, you've only got two options.

1) something's leaking

2) it's purely coincidence

Treat it as a low risk opportunity to run some drills and gain some data.

Choose a set of topics to discuss and see what happens.

It's good to be suspicious once in a while, even if only for the practice.

[Wayne Orwig]

I was also doing computer programming on a Univac (!) at that time.
Get off my lawn!

Phffff.

I still have my PDP-8 programming manual.

[Lannis]

Phffff.

I still have my PDP-8 programming manual.

Oh my gosh, the "OS8 Handbook"; I still have mine too.   CCL, PIP, ODT, the TECO text editor, FOTP .... DECtapes (that "rocked" so you could tell the system was booted and ready), LINCtapes, paper tape readers, 360kB disks .... 940 pages of computer goodness.

But tell kids any of that today, and will they believe you ... ????   

Lannis

[Perazzimx14]

Oh my gosh, the "OS8 Handbook"; I still have mine too.   CCL, PIP, ODT, the TECO text editor, FOTP .... DECtapes (that "rocked" so you could tell the system was booted and ready), LINCtapes, paper tape readers, 360kB disks .... 940 pages of computer goodness.

But tell kids any of that today, and will they believe you ... ????   

Lannis

I doubt most adults would have any idea what your talking about.

[Dilliw]

I use Amazon all the time; the fuel I've saved more than makes up for the yearly subscription.

I remember last decade when it was Walmart that was going to end the world and tomorrow it will be something else. 


Oh, and you old farts better keep holding on those manuals, your punch cards, and your dot matrix printers :)

[Lannis]

I use Amazon all the time; the fuel I've saved more than makes up for the yearly subscription.

I remember last decade when it was Walmart that was going to end the world and tomorrow it will be something else. 


Oh, and you old farts better keep holding on those manuals, your punch cards, and your dot matrix printers :)

The-store-that-must-not-be-named wasn't going to end the world, just ended the livelihoods of the local stores owned by our neighbors and friends who had supported us through the years.   We'll throw anyone under the bus to save a few pennies.   I don't go in them.

Things that I can't get locally under any circumstances I order from Amazon, but I've never paid a subscription?   Shipping's free if you don't want 2-day service .... and I can't think of a reason why I would ever need something from them "tomorrow" ....

Punch cards?   A real man would toggle his program in from the front panel, he didn't need punch cards.   Dot matrix printers?   A teletype with a good old-fashioned ink ribbon is good enough for anyone who's not some poncy techno-freak ....   

Lannis

[Chuck in Indiana]

Chuck, you've only got two options.

1) something's leaking

2) it's purely coincidence

Treat it as a low risk opportunity to run some drills and gain some data.

Choose a set of topics to discuss and see what happens.

It's good to be suspicious once in a while, even if only for the practice.

We did that a little and didn't come up with anything. We need to do it in each room with different subjects to see if we learn anything.
Of course, it *could* be coincidence..  I'm betting not. 

[Two Checks]

The-store-that-must-not-be-named wasn't going to end the world, just ended the livelihoods of the local stores owned by our neighbors and friends who had supported us through the years.   We'll throw anyone under the bus to save a few pennies.   I don't go in them.
[/size]
[/size]Wal-Mart never put anyone out of business. People who stopped shopping at those businesses did it. If Wally's puts mop n pop stores out of business, then Wally's should be out of business!
[/size]I find it strange you refuse to use Wally's but admit to frequenting Amazon.

[Moto]

This topic made me remember how times have changed on ebay. Back in the 1990's an ebay search for "guzzi" always returned 500 to 800 items, roughly. Just now it returned 118,783!

I was about to complain about how all the generic turn signals and mirrors with "guzzi" in the description are drowning out the few hundred real Guzzi parts I used to be able to review in 10 or 15 minutes.

But times have changed again. When I started looking at my 118,783 results there wasn't a bogus turn signal or mirror to be found in the first several pages, at least. It was just like my 1990's results: cylinder heads, gas tanks, flywheels, all the stuff I might really want.

Ebay has healed itself!

Moto

[blackcat]

I went to three stores yesterday looking for a 7/16”X20X4” bolt, yes an odd size. Fastnal said it would have to be fabricated even though they showed it in their catalog.  Finally went online and found a 12” threaded rod, which is all that I needed for $1.15, but shipping is $10 bucks. Of course I could have driven the 50 miles or 100 miles roundtrip to the closest Grainger for the rod, but that didn’t make much sense.

[Kiwi_Roy]

I went to three stores yesterday looking for a 7/16”X20X4” bolt, yes an odd size. Fastnal said it would have to be fabricated even though they showed it in their catalog.  Finally went online and found a 12” threaded rod, which is all that I needed for $1.15, but shipping is $10 bucks. Of course I could have driven the 50 miles or 100 miles roundtrip to the closest Grainger for the rod, but that didn’t make much sense.

Thats why you have a motorbike, 100 miles to get a bolt makes perfect sense

[blackcat]

Thats why you have a motorbike, 100 miles to get a bolt makes perfect sense

If it was an interesting ride and not in the 30's I may have considered it but it is an entire slab ride full of bad driving maniacs, so I'm OK with the $10 bucks.

[Moto]

I went to three stores yesterday looking for a 7/16”X20X4” bolt, yes an odd size. Fastnal said it would have to be fabricated even though they showed it in their catalog.  Finally went online and found a 12” threaded rod, which is all that I needed for $1.15, but shipping is $10 bucks. Of course I could have driven the 50 miles or 100 miles roundtrip to the closest Grainger for the rod, but that didn’t make much sense.

mcmaster.com has several in that size, different materials.

Always fast shipping to me.

[Perazzimx14]

mcmaster.com has several in that size, different materials.

Always fast shipping to me.

No one has ever accused McMaster of inexpensive shipping.

[Wayne Orwig]

No one has ever accused McMaster of inexpensive shipping.

Even worse, the shipping costs are really hard to find online when ordering.
I really like McMaster Carr, but shipping costs are a problem.

[Chuck in Indiana]

MSC has been doing pretty well on shipping costs..if.. you are not in a hurry. Carr generally gets something to me overnight from Chicago, though, and shipping for that fast of service is tolerable.
(Ahem) Amazon has 7/16X20 X 3 feet for $11.26 shipped free, and 1 foot for $5.60, also shipped free..

[Moto]

Even worse, the shipping costs are really hard to find online when ordering.
I really like McMaster Carr, but shipping costs are a problem.

I just stopped worrying about it, and started expecting that shipping would be five bucks or so. If I value my time at any reasonable rate I save money paying that much shipping compared with the cost of driving to one or two hardware stores.

Moto

[Smithy]

I agree with the OP...I have gone back to buying car and motorcycle mags...mainly UK based. If you want real detailed info a good book is the way to go...the net is maxed out. E Bay is full of junk and Facebook has killed most forums.