Saturday, August 11, 2007

TWQ: Better Or Worse?

We all talk of 'the good old days' but were they really? In some cases, they may not have been. as TWQ (The Weekend Question) asks this week.

Can you name some things that were better in the past, and also some improvements in today's way of life? List as many as you like.

My answers are:

Better in the Past:

Education: Children were taught without the aid of calculators and could do it all in their head. Now they are unable to do so. Exams were a lot tougher. TRhey have to be easier now, otherwise no one would pass them.

Sportsmanship: Everybody was more sporting; now it's just about money.

Better Now:

Communication: People can call each other via a cell phone or contact each other by e mail around the world.

Home entertainment: People have DVDs with crisp sound and sharp pictures. They can see the films when they like and not on the tv laced with adverts.

Now it's over to you...

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

better in the past:

THE BEATLES were popular! "Hard days night... And everything seems to be right!"

Okay, sorry... Had to follow my theme.

-- family values: (not in my house mind you, but I remember visiting families that had games night and such... never see that now)

-- dinner on Sunday

-- Mom at home (err, again, not really for me, but you get my point)

worse then, better now:

-- I had to cut photos out of books to make reports (photocopiers didn't really exsist the way we now know them) and I'd get in crap every time. (hell, I'm visual!)

-- err, the little thing called the internet

-- the ability to socialize and meet people we never would have before

Hey, thanks for this theme! Michele sent me today!

Ciera said...

hmmm...

This is a doubles edged sword...

Transportation -
then: horse and buggy
now: horseless carriages we call cars and trucks, etc...

Printing -
then: manual printing press
now: computers, and electricity

Michele didn't send me...I came on my own {and was actually able to comment for a chamge, finicky computer...}

Amanda said...

Better in the past:
Security in Malaysia. When I was a child, we regularly forgot to lock both the front doors and the back doors when we left the house. Wouldn't dare to do that now with the news of constant breakins and even murders in the neighborhood.

Better now:
Internet. Yes, there are lots of evils to the internet but plenty of good too. Families spread all over the world are able to stay in almost daily contact for almost no cost at all. I like that!

Anonymous said...

Then:

Values. Better values were inculcated by the children. They listened to thir teachers and parents. They had respect for elders.

Now:

Transport suystem. It has made distance nearer to each other.

Flik Sivrak said...

Better then:

Food; it's all processed crap now, or contaminated with pesticides. Even if you get something "fresh" these days, it's mouldy...

Better now:

Wildlife & environmental proctection and animal welfare...allegedly...

Theo said...

better then - slow food. the quest for freash food (grow it or find it) and the process of preparation required an investment of the family. we were linked around the quest, the process of cooking and the delayed satisfaction of enjoying the meal.

better now - direct and mass communication via the internet. we can communicate and support world wide.

Theo said...

oh..Michele sent me!

susan said...

better before

rail and bus transport, at least round here.

sense of community

better now

communication thanks to telephones, and the internet

shopping, it's so easy you can go and get it yourself or go on line and get it delivered

dyslexia is recognised and children are being helped

Linda said...

Interesting question for the weekend and Michelle didn't send me either!

I would have to say that one of the things I think was much better in the past was the lack of cars on the road. Driving used to be a pleasure and now it's more of something you just do to get from point A to point B because there's just no fun in it as there are too many other people out on the roads. And a good majority of them have no business being there!

One of the better things would be computers. I used to have to type my reports for school on a manual typewriter which sometimes required starting all over due to just one mistake on the page. If I was in school now I could crank out some amazing reports on my computer complete with cool graphics!

The other thing I miss about the past is that people just seemed to be so much more civil towards each other. Now it seems like 'rude' has become the chosen way to go and I just don't understand that at all. Whatever happened to polite society??

A very good TWQ, Jean-Luc, have a great weekend and, as always, thanks for visiting me! Maybe you could do a story where Ensign Britney overloads on Monster drinks and goes beserk on the Enterprise!

Pat said...

Better in the past: - respect - not just for older people but for everyone and to trust that everyone is a decent human being until they proved differently.

Safety for children to be able to wander freely and not have their trust and faith in adults abused.

Better now: Many diseases- including cancer, are being tackled head on and often cured.

People have learnt to assert themselves and speak up against injustice and ill treatment.

Thought provoking post Jean -Luc.
Michele says ho!

dragonflyfilly said...

better in the past? hmmm... well i know this sounds disgusting but here it is anyway. People did not spit on the street, well, a few did, but now every second spits out there old yucky gob on the sidewalks...ugh, it is sooooo disgusting! The street used to be cleaner in the past.

Better now:....hmmmm, i have to think about this and get back to you.

cheers for now,
pj

Vid Digger said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Vid Digger said...

In the past MTV use to be about music videos, today 90% of their programming is reality TV trash.

The speed of surfing the internet has greatly improved, just on alot of popular sites and blogs, when you roll over text you get annoying pop-ups!

Back in the day recording artists actually wrote their own songs. Today most singers don't write their own songs, but press for writing credits on other songwriter's works that they perform.
http://tinyurl.com/28ld2o

Anonymous said...

Better in the past: prime time television in America. It used to be things like Miami Vice or Magnum P.I. Now its game shows and "reality" tv - which is far from any reality I've ever experienced.

Better now: The internet in that it does widen your social circle in a way. Although, there is still a lot to be said for face to face human contact. But without the internet as it is now, I may never have known you existed, so that makes it a good thing! ;)

Lavender said...

Interesting Query Captain.
I could probally spend all day coming up with stuff - but in the interest of brevity:

Better in the past: Hardware stores! (or maybe all stores hehehe) They used to be right around the corner, and there was always someone friendly there to ask a question.

Have a great weekend!

Bilbo said...

Very good question, Captain. I could write on this all day...but will limit myself in the interest of time and space.

Better in the past: manners and personal deportment; education; and news reporting and analysis.

Better today: medical care (if you can afford it); communications (except when they allow you to get bad news faster); movie special effects.

Nancy Wu said...

Great question, Captain. I found myself face writer's block to answer this Q. Funny, isn't it.

To examan present is better or worst, it may make lots of policitians trembling.

Today, the world is filled of noizes and pollution. heh

Then again, With internet today, it is great to be here. :) Hopefully, soon the beam machine is fully in operation.

Anonymous said...

That's a great question.

Better in the past: community. I think there were richer and stronger communities in the past.; news coverage; political leadership

Better now:; shopping and consumer choices; television (there are some great shows on cable and we get all the British shows here, too; fashion (I think there are many more fashion choices than there used to be)

MsT said...

Better now - technology. Access to communication and information pretty much wherever you wish.

Better then - simple pleasures. Eating home-cooked meals together, Sunday drives to nowhere with no worries about gas prices, drive-in movies, playing outside.

Thanks and hello from Michele!

Jean-Luc Picard said...

You all answer this well; the consensus, though is that the internet has been a great addition for all of us. \You wouldn't be able to answer this question while living all around the world otherwise.

Bernie said...

Phones, Mobile's inparticular, are much better...

Internet as well!!

Here from Michele's this evening!

yellojkt said...

I find that most people that things were better in the past are looking through rose colored glasses. Today is almost always better. That said, crime was much lower much longer ago.

eastcoastlife said...

Better in the past:
Parents have more time for their kids. Family ties were stronger.

School life was less pressurizing. We could play after school and visit friends. Now kids spend longer hours in school, have lots of homework, projects and extra
coaching/lessons after school.

Better now:
Internet!!!

Have a great week ahead! :)

Anonymous said...

Hello, Michele sent me!

Let's see, better in the past would be innocent fun that kids used to have.

Better now, ipods. I LOVE MY IPOD!

Anonymous said...

I liked your answers. I could add: Better in the past: Less plastic and all things toxic.

Better now: Internet makes for easy research (but that's a doubled edged sword).

Michele sent me.

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

bathrooms are definitely better today!!! trust me on this one y'all!

and education used to be better. we could read, do math, write, spell, do homework, get punished if we misbehaved, LEARN. and if we didn't we were held back to repeat the year.

thanks! bee

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Oh so many many things..But I'll just name one. BANKING. In the old days, you had a personal trlationship with your bank. They knew you when you came into the branch and the knew you OVER THE PHONE!
NOW? No one knows you and no one cares. So many mistakes are made with this impersonal new way...And, you now cannot even talk to the branch on the phone. HORRIBLE.

What's better? he cmoputer has made many things better, like me being able to comment right here right now, J-L....That is a Miracle of Technowledgy!

Jane said...

Great question!

In the past:
education: I agree with what you said. Children were taught to actually be able to PERFORM the mathematical problems on their own. They were also taught to use the English language correctly.

Today:
Internet: I have to agree with the others who have said this. It is an amazing tool for gathering information and for education. Of course, unfortunately, it also has the capacity to used for evil purposes.

Fab said...

Hi Jean-Luc,

sorry for the late "weekly reply to the TWQ". Was at the coast this weekend and suffer from sunburn.

Better in the past:
it wasn't fashionable to be tanned, a pale skin was considered beautiful (I'm just a bit angry because I did put on lotion and still got burned)

Better now:
the invention the video recorder (because I could program all the things I missed while away)

See you soon!

Unknown said...

Good evening!

Better in the past: Health care
Better now: Cameras (diigital)

Unknown said...

Good question Jean-Luc!

Better in the past: as children we could freely run around the neighborhood all day, explore forests, build forts... As that is no longer the case, children are spending more time inactively at home, with technology...

Better now: Access to information. Definitely.

dragonflyfilly said...

you MUST go over to "alan's" blog and read the list of excuses people give for why their kids missed school! It is hilarious.

pj