Obsolete jobs

[Chuck in Indiana]

For the last 20 years I've been told that machinists will be obsolete. I have tried in vain to explain why this is preposterous, but people sitting at desks are convinced that they know more about machining than I do. Machining has changed for sure. It's no longer repetitive 'button pushing', smoky, noisy work. Now it's computer programming, automation.

Yep, BTDT. The software is certainly better then back in the 80s when the engineers decided they could do the machining, and would program a 1/4" cutter to cut 3 inches deep.    It still takes a practiced eye to say, "stop. that won't work."

[Guzzistajohn]

Crescent cutter at the shithouse factory jobs just ain't what they used to be 

[old head]

inventory replenishment is now done by a computer thanks to bar codes.

I used to have books of merchandise for different departments in my stores and we had to inventory and order by hand whatever we needed.  Now it is all controlled by computers.

Old Head

[blackcat]

Tollbooth operators are obsolete with tag readers or a transponder.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Humans will be obsolete if we are not pretty darn careful..  

[normzone]

My resume shows that I helped some screwed-up organizations get better organized.

Guess what are the only type of companies that hire me now ...

This kind of work does seem to be going away any time soon.

[Frenchfrog]

One thing is certain...the oldest profession in the world will always be needed.

[stubbie]

Oh I don't know Frenchfrog. I had a girlfriend once, I bit her on the neck and she pissed off out the window.

[stubbie]

I've been in the TV industry for the last 40 years. Been made redundant 2 times since 2003 due to the closure of departments and advances in technology. Just recently left my job as a Microwave/ Satellite Technician because of advancement in IP Technology and the internet. Until March 2020 was working 5 days a week, then - 19 hit, was put on call. Did 1 job in 5 weeks, then got a call, "We just worked out we don't need you anymore, we will call when we do need you". Worked 1 day every 6 or 7 weeks finally told them to shove it at the end of 2020. Haven't worked since. Not many jobs for people over 60.

[80CX100]

The whole Terrazzo style concrete trade. Forming, pouring, grinding, polishing etc.

With the right color of aggregate and cements, can be be a very beautiful material.

I've worked with some Italians who had it in every possibly place they could install it, in and around their homes.

It's an excellent durable material, used to be the gold standard for flooring in hospitals, commercial buildings etc.

Just not an affordable option anymore.

[LowRyter]

The whole Terrazzo style concrete trade. Forming, pouring, grinding, polishing etc.

With the right color of aggregate and cements, can be be a very beautiful material.

I've worked with some Italians who had it in every possibly place they could install it, in and around their homes.

It's an excellent durable material, used to be the gold standard for flooring in hospitals, commercial buildings etc.

Just not an affordable option anymore.

Interesting story.  My office had a desire to renovate the lobby to our offices which included a terrazzo floor.   The contracting office had two contracts available.  The first was with a technical contractor to assist with initial design, cost estimate and solicitation.  The second was with two bidders to perform the actual construction.   So for the deliverable for the first contract, the estimated cost was $18k, right in our budget of $20k.  Then we got the bids from the construction solicitation and the bids were 5 times higher. 

That was the end of the whole deal. 

[cliffrod]

Before i clicked on this thread, I wondered if there would just be a link to my website.....

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

When I was a kid, my doctor had his office in a 10-story building with an elevator operator, a switchboard, and a letter drop from the top floor to the basement.  While waiting for the elevator I could watch the outgoing mail fall in the glass-fronted chute from floor to floor.

Another building in town (I forgot which one) had the clear pneumatic message tubes.

I was just telling someone (they were bemoaning a lack of jobs that aren't low-wage entry level service work or high-tech/high-education) they should watch 2 episodes of Madmen.  The firm depicted had scores of secretaries, switchboard operators, elevator operators, copy editors, artists, mail clerks, coffee cart guys, etc etc etc supporting each ad executive and ad campaign.  You cant conceive of a firm that size having more than a couple dozen employees now, instead of 300 or so.

[rocker59]

I was just telling someone (they were bemoaning a lack of jobs that aren't low-wage entry level service work or high-tech/high-education) they should watch 2 episodes of Madmen.  The firm depicted had scores of secretaries, switchboard operators, elevator operators, copy editors, artists, mail clerks, coffee cart guys, etc etc etc supporting each ad executive and ad campaign.  You cant conceive of a firm that size having more than a couple dozen employees now, instead of 300 or so.

When I first started in my current occupation 25-years ago I had an assistant who helped me.  We mainly worked on the phone.  Computer program was DOS and not connected to the internet.

In recent years, volume has tripled.  No assistant.  Real nice Windows based computer program and internet access have allowed me to do a lot more with less support.  Phone calls are rare. Mostly work via email, hundreds per day.

This year, I have an assistant, again, but volume is up another 50% and everything is hyper-care due to huge demand throughout the supply chain.

I loved the Mad Man series, and you are correct.  Since we've gone into the computer/internet age, secretaries/administrative assistants/clerks been greatly reduced, if not gone away.  In my occupation, even senior vice presidents don't have assistants.  The VPs build their own power point presentations, take their own calls, answer their own emails, and schedule their own plane tickets and car rentals. 

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

Before i clicked on this thread, I wondered if there would just be a link to my website.....

Just dont retire the skully cap Clint!

But on the subject, I gotta believe there are folks doing stone carving with a 'cnc' type machine?

[Two Checks]

Photographic film processor. AMHIK.

[80CX100]

Interesting story.  My office had a desire to renovate the lobby to our offices which included a terrazzo floor.   The contracting office had two contracts available.  The first was with a technical contractor to assist with initial design, cost estimate and solicitation.  The second was with two bidders to perform the actual construction.   So for the deliverable for the first contract, the estimated cost was $18k, right in our budget of $20k.  Then we got the bids from the construction solicitation and the bids were 5 times higher. 

That was the end of the whole deal.

     That doesn't surprise me.

     It's extremely labor intensive. If done properly, with so many different stages to end up with a completely solid, smooth finish with the slurry and water involved for decent wet grinding, messy af.

[LowRyter]

I was just telling someone (they were bemoaning a lack of jobs that aren't low-wage entry level service work or high-tech/high-education) they should watch 2 episodes of Madmen.  The firm depicted had scores of secretaries, switchboard operators, elevator operators, copy editors, artists, mail clerks, coffee cart guys, etc etc etc supporting each ad executive and ad campaign.  You cant conceive of a firm that size having more than a couple dozen employees now, instead of 300 or so.

great show....beware of riding mowers in the board room.

[LowRyter]

     That doesn't surprise me.

     It's extremely labor intensive. If done properly, with so many different stages to end up with a completely solid, smooth finish with the slurry and water involved for decent wet grinding, messy af.

It was an old building and the floor was not level.   Remodel was for floor, perhaps a design, paint, chair rail and little decoration and lights.  Can't remember if ceiling was considered.  Perhaps 250 sq ft.  This was about 15 years ago.

[wrbix]

Flying checks as a pilot.

[sidecarnutz]

Retired steam powerplant operator and mechanic here. I know all about obsolete! When I retired from the Navy, I started doing seat upholstery. Became very well known in Guzzi circles back in the 2000's! I did that work for 24 years. Now a days I just try to take care of my own stuff. Barely have energy for that anymore.

[sidecarnutz]

One thing is certain...the oldest profession in the world will always be needed.

Politicians? LOL

[cliffrod]

Just dont retire the skully cap Clint!

But on the subject, I gotta believe there are folks doing stone carving with a 'cnc' type machine?

There are a number of 5-axis CNC stone milling machines trying to put me/us out of business.  They require the approx same number of billable hours to produce the same carving and they run 24/7...

BUT, they need a perfect model (made by someone like me) to scan to produce the program, can only work within a finite cone of access based on the tooling and then require the final work to be done by an expert like me to properly finish the carving, removing all combing from milling process & produce the best result.  The machines also come to a screeching halt if there's a tooling problem, with machines still under warranty requiring the company to wait until new parts arrive, like from Italy....  So by the time all is done, I am still more affordable and effective to hire to do the job from start to finish.

Some CGI people are trying to produce digital models and files for the CNC work.  Even had one pretty arrogant veteran movie CGI guy from L.A. come to the studio to make sure I understood how much of a threat his superior skills and technology are to my crude outdated methods....  They had purchased a failed CNC carving operation 3-4 yrs ago and were going to make it brilliant, because he was that good.   AFAIK, they crashed and burned too.  I'm still making chips.

For some repeat carving work and especially for panels and molding work, it's hard to beat the machine.  For one-off projects, they're not much of a threat yet.  There are simply too many variables, especially with the foreshortening required in bas relief work.

[Canuck750]

The whole Terrazzo style concrete trade. Forming, pouring, grinding, polishing etc.

With the right color of aggregate and cements, can be be a very beautiful material.

I've worked with some Italians who had it in every possibly place they could install it, in and around their homes.

It's an excellent durable material, used to be the gold standard for flooring in hospitals, commercial buildings etc.

Just not an affordable option anymore.

I love terrazzo!
Back in the late 90’s I was on the design team for the expansion of the Edmonton International Airport and part of the project was modernizing the existing terminal with its lovely terrazzo. I had the very good fortune to meet the owner of the company who installed the original floor in the 1960’s and still maintained an inventory of the original aggregate at his yard. I watched his crew replace and repair large areas of terrazzo and polish existing, very interesting and beautiful. I always wanted to see it specified on new projects but of course owners would not pay for it, shame as it is the only floor that will last near forever.

[twowheeladdict]

One thing is certain...the oldest profession in the world will always be needed.

Robots will replace them too. 

[John Croucher]

Long Distance Phone Service, it is just about gone.  I bought into the Business when It was deregulated.  Selling over $10 Million a year in service.  Today, lucky to be selling $10,000 a year.  Cellular phones have replaced the service at the residential and consumer level.  It is still a viable business in many businesses. 

I own a public laundry facility.  When I purchased the business people would say, What are you going to do when everyone has a washer and dryer.  Fortunately that is not a factor in the business.  The Customer base is very diverse.  It is not just poor, poor working class that use laundry services.  Customers are tourist, motel guest, campers, people with large items, broke washers or dryers, people moving to a new location, renter, apartment residents and people with just too much laundry to do at home. 

[geoff in almonte]

I own a public laundry facility. 

Fond memories of the local laundry.....it was just around the corner from a (small town) strip club. 

Load up the washer, go have a beer, load up the dryer, go have a beer.

The laundromat is still there - the dancing girls not.

G

[cliffrod]

Fond memories of the local laundry.....it was just around the corner from a (small town) strip club. 

Load up the washer, go have a beer, load up the dryer, go have a beer.

The laundromat is still there - the dancing girls not.

G

Used to go to a bar named Igor's in NOLA that had washing machines in the back for people like me with off-schedule hours.  Washing clothes was no problem.  After a beer or few & maybe some pool  while waiting on the washers, having enough $$ left to pay for the dryers was.   It was never any fun riding your bicycle a mile+ home in the dark with a laundry bag of 50+lbs of wet clothes balanced on the handlebars after that beer or few...

[Ncdan]

Used to go to a bar named Igor's in NOLA that had washing machines in the back for people like me with off-schedule hours.  Washing clothes was no problem.  After a beer or few & maybe some pool  while waiting on the washers, having enough $$ left to pay for the dryers was.   It was never any fun riding your bicycle a mile+ home in the dark with a laundry bag of 50+lbs of wet clothes balanced on the handlebars after that beer or few...

What, no dryers also🤔😂

[lazlokovacs]

Steeplejack  This guy Fred Dibnah was some thing of a BBC TV star in the early 80's.  Fascination character.  Have a look at about 26minutes into the linked video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wffv8YeoeeM

that man is just the ultimate lancastrian, what a ledge! thanks for sharing.....