My mum is a Boomer, and she said people can just "Scrimp and Save" like she did. I asked her how long it took to pay off the mortgage. We grew up in a decent suburb. The house wasn't a palace, but decent enough standard middle class suburban house, not too far from everything. She responded "5 years".
There is also the problem that there aren't entry level jobs anymore. If you dive into the job pool trying to fish for the most accessible position you will find nearly everything requires 2-3 years of experience and mastery with some tool specific to the field.
I'm not really sure this is true.. I'm pretty sure I still see some entry-level openings for my field sometimes..
Gryphon wrote to boraxman <=-
On 19 Apr 2025 at 11:53a, boraxman pondered and said...
My mum is a Boomer, and she said people can just "Scrimp and Save" like she did. I asked her how long it took to pay off the mortgage. We grew up in a decent suburb. The house wasn't a palace, but decent enough standard middle class suburban house, not too far from everything. She responded "5 years".
I bought my first house in 1997 in a Nor Cal city suburb for $116K.
3bed 2bath 1400sqft on a corner lot. Sold it 5years later for $210K.
Today that same house is in the neighborhood of $500k. So I suspect
that when your mom bought the house at 22, she bought it at least 20+ years ago when prices were so much lower. Incomes have not increased at the same rate as home prices so there's that.
StormTrooper wrote to Nightfox <=-
I'm not really sure this is true.. I'm pretty sure I still see some entry-level openings for my field sometimes..
One of the problems is, where we went from having an undersupply of
grads and the education itself was the hurdle, there were plenty of positions to go round. Now here at least, we had about 30 years of
feed everyone you can into that education mill, just having the degree
or whatever it might be is no longer enough on its own. You're back to
it being an absolute minimum and experience with the work and a work environment have become more imortant in thinning the applicants out.
Most of our FIFO stuff is mining. I think you'd have to have the
right mindset to cope with it.. While it pays well, it's a pretty
limited field.
That was all gone by the time I hit highschool. They were always
worried about safety concerns. Got 1 semester, about 6 months of
pretty low grade woodwork. The usual wooden spoon, stool kinda
stuff. More recently they seem to have outsourced these things to
TAFEs facilities, (Tertiary and Further Education) they run
apprenticeship courses and are already geared towards this kind of
thing. But I don't know just what they offer at school level these
days.
#1 Son was able to get into an Auto Mechanics course. He's since
near completed an apprenticeship in the same.
boraxman wrote to StormTrooper <=-
One of the problems is, where we went from having an undersupply of
grads and the education itself was the hurdle, there were plenty of positions to go round. Now here at least, we had about 30 years of
feed everyone you can into that education mill, just having the degree
or whatever it might be is no longer enough on its own. You're back to
it being an absolute minimum and experience with the work and a work environment have become more imortant in thinning the applicants out.
Technically, you need a science degree to do my job, but I reckon 95%
of it can be done without one, and the other 5% you could muddle
through without it or just research on the go. I definately don't need the entire degree to do this.
Same with programming, I learned it myself, and see people with degrees who struggle to do what I taught myself. Degrees are overrated.
Does "TAFE" occur well before the child becomes an adult (if so, then
that is a good thing)? Or is this something they have to go do after
they finish normal school? If that's the case, that was a terrible idea..
Does "TAFE" occur well before the child becomes an adult (if so, then that is a good thing)? Or is this something they have to go do after they finish normal school? If that's the case, that was a terrible id
TAFE used to be aimed pretty squarely at adults... its an odd
insitution, you can do almost any kind of course, at almost any level.. Everything from essentially hobby level stuff, through uni entry courses.
I s'pose its pretty much always covered trades, but in the days of my youth that was kinda hidden, the push was always more education. In theory as soon as you're of age to leave/drop off out highschool you
could hit the TAFE circuit...
boraxman wrote to StormTrooper <=-
One of the problems is, where we went from having an undersupply of grads and the education itself was the hurdle, there were plenty of positions to go round. Now here at least, we had about 30 years of feed everyone you can into that education mill, just having the degre or whatever it might be is no longer enough on its own. You're back it being an absolute minimum and experience with the work and a work environment have become more imortant in thinning the applicants out.
Technically, you need a science degree to do my job, but I reckon 95% of it can be done without one, and the other 5% you could muddle through without it or just research on the go. I definately don't ne the entire degree to do this.
Same with programming, I learned it myself, and see people with degre who struggle to do what I taught myself. Degrees are overrated.
No doubt that *sometimes* degrees are very overrated. But there are
some jobs that you CANNOT do the required work without that degree (and even advanced degrees), because you simply would not understand the job. Those kind of jobs can't be faked. I'm talking about things like
nuclear work, physics, chemistry, some medical work, and more. You
can't learn some things "on the fly" or with OJT. Another example of when a degree is required is when the employer won't even consider you unless you have that "credential", regardless of actual knowledge or experience.
In the end, I think it's self-regulating. People with useless degrees end up in jobs that don't require a degree. People with no degree sometimes hit the right combination and make it big. People with "trades" skills often make much more money than many "degreed" jobs.
boraxman wrote to Dumas Walker <=-
I haven't been to slums in the US, but from what video I've seen,
they're worse than here. I've seen "no go " areas in Europe, and
again, thats a problem we don't have as much of here.
StormTrooper wrote to boraxman <=-
This was truly the "Renovators Delight" and worst house in the street. Sold it out ~5 years later and the prices had already more than
doubled. Probably close to 215%... but so long as someone can buy it...
I guess in some sense they're still affordable. But even by then I'd be struggling to buy from scratch.
Arelor wrote to Nightfox <=-
There is also the problem that there aren't entry level jobs anymore.
If you dive into the job pool trying to fish for the most accessible position you will find nearly everything requires 2-3 years of
experience and mastery with some tool specific to the field.
Frankly, the whole get-a-job process is so fucked up these days that people should just skip it altogether and set up their own shop.
--
gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken
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No doubt that I would prefer someone who studied medicine to perform surgery, over someone "self taught". However "degree preferred" type jobs? Someone smart, able to learn would be just as good. A friend in the software development industry was saying his company for a time was looking at SPECIFICALLY people who were self taught, did not do a degree in software, to get a different perspective, and not be dissapointed.
Same with programming, I learned it myself, and see people with degrees who struggle to do what I taught myself. Degrees are overrated.
boraxman wrote to Dumas Walker <=-
I haven't been to slums in the US, but from what video I've seen, they're worse than here. I've seen "no go " areas in Europe, and again, thats a problem we don't have as much of here.
I should pull the dashcams out of my car from my drive through Oakland, CA. Sometimes my nav system routes me through side streets under the freeway, and they've grown since I left in 2007. 5-6 blocks of
continuous dead vehicles, tarp tents, regular tents, walls made of pallets...
It was never that bad before - but drive 5 minutes and you're in areas with manicured front lawns, immaculate houses, nice cars...
Same with programming, I learned it myself, and see people with degre who struggle to do what I taught myself. Degrees are overrated.
I've viewed degrees as minimums.
E.g., a high school degree isn't a guarantee that someone is competent; it's just proof that you were able to sit through classes through a certain age, and that reduces some of the risk people would take in
hiring someone.
And same with a college education, except that there's a _little_ more
on what people would have had to have learned in order to make it
through.
And, so, a degree isn't a requirement for being good at programming;
it's just that it's a way of easily dismissing a group of people that
will be 90%+ people with little to no programming skills.
So the degree becomes important. Not because of the skills, but because it's a sieve for people doing hiring decisions.
That said, I _did_ get a lot out of my master's program, and I certainly left it knowing more than I did going into it. Even though, going into
it, I was already plenty techy, if worse at programming.
Obviously, if people are making something on their own, degrees are only useful for the information gained, or if the degree lends some level of prestige that can be used for marketing purposes.
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On 22 Apr 2025 at 08:00a, poindexter FORTRAN pondered and said...
boraxman wrote to Dumas Walker <=-
I haven't been to slums in the US, but from what video I've see they're worse than here. I've seen "no go " areas in Europe, an again, thats a problem we don't have as much of here.
I should pull the dashcams out of my car from my drive through Oaklan CA. Sometimes my nav system routes me through side streets under the freeway, and they've grown since I left in 2007. 5-6 blocks of continuous dead vehicles, tarp tents, regular tents, walls made of pallets...
It was never that bad before - but drive 5 minutes and you're in area with manicured front lawns, immaculate houses, nice cars...
Sounds like parts of the US are turning into a third countr.y
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On 22 Apr 2025 at 09:45p, Adept pondered and said...
Same with programming, I learned it myself, and see people with who struggle to do what I taught myself. Degrees are overrated.
I've viewed degrees as minimums.
E.g., a high school degree isn't a guarantee that someone is competen it's just proof that you were able to sit through classes through a certain age, and that reduces some of the risk people would take in hiring someone.
And same with a college education, except that there's a _little_ mor on what people would have had to have learned in order to make it through.
And, so, a degree isn't a requirement for being good at programming; it's just that it's a way of easily dismissing a group of people that will be 90%+ people with little to no programming skills.
So the degree becomes important. Not because of the skills, but becau it's a sieve for people doing hiring decisions.
That said, I _did_ get a lot out of my master's program, and I certai left it knowing more than I did going into it. Even though, going int it, I was already plenty techy, if worse at programming.
Obviously, if people are making something on their own, degrees are o useful for the information gained, or if the degree lends some level prestige that can be used for marketing purposes.
--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
Further education can be a liability too, as people are tau.ecalpkrow
eht ot
revo yrrac neht yeht hcihw ,sfeileb laicos dna lacitilop egnarts rehtar ,saera emos ni ,thg
--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
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I've viewed degrees as minimums.
E.g., a high school degree isn't a guarantee that someone is competent; it's just proof that you were able to sit through classes through a certain age, and that reduces some of the risk people would take in hiring someone.
Further education can be a liability too, as people are tau.ecalpkrow eht ot
revo yrrac neht yeht hcihw ,sfeileb laicos dna lacitilop egnarts rehtar ,saera emos ni ,thg
I s'pose its pretty much always covered trades, but in the days of
my youth that was kinda hidden, the push was always more education.
In theory as soon as you're of age to leave/drop off out highschool
you could hit the TAFE circuit...
poindexter FORTRAN wrote to boraxman <=-
I haven't been to slums in the US, but from what video I've seen,
they're worse than here. I've seen "no go " areas in Europe, and
again, thats a problem we don't have as much of here.
I should pull the dashcams out of my car from my drive through Oakland, CA. Sometimes my nav system routes me through side streets under the freeway, and they've grown since I left in 2007. 5-6 blocks of
continuous dead vehicles, tarp tents, regular tents, walls made of pallets...
It was never that bad before - but drive 5 minutes and you're in areas with manicured front lawns, immaculate houses, nice cars...
blood? I'm hearing shop classes are making their way back into some of
the schools that removed them around these parts (luckily those schools weren't near me).
Re: Re: New to this
By: boraxman to Adept on Wed Apr 23 2025 10:03 am
Further education can be a liability too, as people are tau.ecalpkrow ot
revo yrrac neht yeht hcihw ,sfeileb laicos dna lacitilop egnarts reht ,saera emos ni ,thg
... say what?
Further education can be a liability too, as people are tau.ecalpkrow eht ot
revo yrrac neht yeht hcihw ,sfeileb laicos dna lacitilop egnarts rehtar ,saera emos ni ,thg
This one wasn't cut off, but did get scrambled somehow.
Got to fix JuiceSSH on my Android. I was saying that University degrees can be a liability, because people learn some strange and extreme political and social view from Uni, that get transferred into the workplace, where they are definately less than welcome.
He started speaking backwards mid message. Maybe he is a witch!!! :D
After finishing high school, students get a 'diploma', not a 'degree' (at least, where I am, I've never heard of ca high school calling it a "high school degree").
This one wasn't cut off, but did get scrambled somehow.
Further education can be a liability too, as people are tau.ecalpkrow eht ot
revo yrrac neht yeht hcihw ,sfeileb laicos dna lacitilop egnarts reht ,saera emos ni ,thg
I suppose that does make sense, as the diploma is what you get at the end of the education, and the degree is what you accomplished while there.
And, since there's no specialization with high school things, you get both diplomas and degrees in universities, but only diplomas in high school.
I'm usually ready for the weekend as soon as I wake up on Monday. ;)
Regards,
Does it get easier in the US? In Australia, it just gets harder and harder and
harder, and prices go up with no respite.
I'm pretty sure our pollies are deliberately trying to make many of us homeless.
What's the difference between a college diploma and a college degree?
What's the difference between a college diploma and a college degree?
The diploma is the piece of paper that says you've graduated / finished the program. It likely will mention the degree that was earned.
Nightfox wrote to Adept <=-
What's the difference between a college diploma and a college degree?
The diploma is the piece of paper that says you've graduated / finished the program. It likely will mention the degree that was earned.
Isn't the degree also a confirmation that you've graduated and
completed the program? My understanding is that the degree says you've graduated & completed the program and are thus are qualified for the material covered in the program. Having a diploma to also say you've completed the program seems redundant to me (and I don't recall seeing
a college in my area issuing dimplomas separately). I have an
associates and a bachelor's degree that were issued to me after I
finished the college programs but never got a college diploma issued to me.
Does it get easier in the US? In Australia, it just gets harder and harder and harder, and prices go up with no respite.
I'm pretty sure our pollies are deliberately trying to make many of u homeless.
It does seem that way here in Aus. I believe its the same in NZ too lately... The issue here is that anyone that HAS property doesn't want
I think they are saying (and I agree) that the degree itself isn't a physical "thing". The diploma is. The diploma states that you have earned the degree.
The framed thing you hang on the wall is a diploma, proclaiming that you have earned the degree.
Re: Re: New to this
By: boraxman to Nightfox on Wed Apr 23 2025 11:56 pm
Got to fix JuiceSSH on my Android. I was saying that University degr can be a liability, because people learn some strange and extreme political and social view from Uni, that get transferred into the workplace, where they are definately less than welcome.
I feel like that would be a strange thing to be happening. I can't say I experienced any political bias in college, but maybe some colleges & universities are doing that for some reason..
What's a weekend??
This one wasn't cut off, but did get scrambled somehow.
It's _mostly_ fine if you read it backwards.
Further education can be a liability too, as people are tau.ecal eht ot
revo yrrac neht yeht hcihw ,sfeileb laicos dna lacitilop egnarts ,saera emos ni ,thg
Does it get easier in the US? In Australia, it just gets harder and harder and
harder, and prices go up with no respite.
I'm pretty sure our pollies are deliberately trying to make many of u homeless.
It does seem that way here in Aus. I believe its the same in NZ too lately... The issue here is that anyone that HAS property doesn't want
the prices to fall as houses are an investment no matter which way you look at it. Politicians no doubt all have investments portfolios that include some number of properties too, so they'll do anything in their power to make negative gearing work!
Wife and I own (via mortgage) the home we live in, but also have a townhouse as an investment in our super... While I don't like that our kids are unlikely to be unable to purchase property when the time comes, for us I'm banking on prices increasing - ultimately hopefully leaving a small nest egg for them when we're gone. Not sure how far it will go
when divided for 6 kids :D
Ahhh life...
boraxman wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
Sounds like parts of the US are turning into a third countr.y
Accession wrote to StormTrooper <=-
I get it. The days of my youth the push was always more education,
also. However, we had those shop classes all throughout high school, at least to give the idea that if more education wasn't for you, there was other options.
boraxman wrote to Nightfox <=-
Got to fix JuiceSSH on my Android. I was saying that University
degrees can be a liability, because people learn some strange and
extreme political and social view from Uni, that get transferred into
the workplace, where they are definately less than welcome.
Nightfox wrote to Adept <=-
What's the difference between a college diploma and a college degree?
My mum is a Boomer, and she said people can just "Scrimp and Save" likeAs someone who is "older" now (50s) statements like that piss me off. It is amazing how people 20 years older than I am think the world hasn't changed since 1955. They don't realize, or want to acknowledge, how many government programs and aid they had in their day, compared to what Gen X and beyond got - which was squat.
she did. I asked her how long it took to pay off the mortgage. We grew
Anyway, I've ranted enough. I just think this issue is even bigger than most people think it is.
boraxman wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
Sounds like parts of the US are turning into a third countr.y
Reduce the middle class and turn housing into an investment vehicle,
and that's what happens.
boraxman wrote to Nightfox <=-
Got to fix JuiceSSH on my Android. I was saying that University degrees can be a liability, because people learn some strange and extreme political and social view from Uni, that get transferred into the workplace, where they are definately less than welcome.
Yeah, but they can unlearn them, too. Uni was a great place for people
to become as libral or conservative or as alternative as they wanted to
in a safe place to do so. For a couple of years.
One of the dramas I saw play out multiple times were committed same-sex
relationships between two women in college. Unfortunately, one of them
was more confident in their sexuality and their partner was
experimenting. As soon as they graduated, got jobs and started
associating with people outside of that environment, they chose to date
men and forget about "that phase".
It happened often enough that there was a term for it - LUG, or Lesbian
Until Graduation. Lots of heartache among my friends.
BY: boraxman (21:1/101)
On Saturday,April 19, 2025 at 10:53 AM, Boraxman (21:1/101) wrote:
My mum is a Boomer, and she said people can just "Scrimp and Save" like she did. I asked her how long it took to pay off the mortgage. We greAs someone who is "older" now (50s) statements like that piss me off.
It is amazing how people 20 years older than I am think the world hasn't changed since 1955. They don't realize, or want to acknowledge, how
many government programs and aid they had in their day, compared to what Gen X and beyond got - which was squat.
This attitude nowadays of "I got mine, and screw you" is prevelant with
so many people of that generation, and others. They feel the younger generation should shoulder all the burden of society and taxes while
they amass even more wealth. I'm very much against that, and believe
that EVERYONE - I don't care your age - should pay in to taxes, etc. I don't support "senior tax freeze" nonsense. Why should young families have to "scrimp" to pay for services you are using while you have more than enough assets to pay for own?
Anyway, I've ranted enough. I just think this issue is even bigger tha most people think it is.
It is... and getting worse .
Thank you Klunk. I hope you have a great weekend.I am new to this FSX. How is everyone?
Welcome to FSX. I'm good thank you.
Klunk
... Radioactive cats have 18 half-lives
Re: New to thisThank you very much.
By: Meghan Fitzgerald to All on Tue Apr 15 2025 06:52 pm
I am new to this FSX. How is everyone?
Doing well. Welcome!
On 15 Apr 2025 at 06:52p, Meghan Fitzgerald pondered and said...
No not my first time. I have been using this one here for many years and now that I am getting close to retirement with more free time I wanted to get back into this. I used FidoNet a LONG time ago and am starting to get back into it. I don't like the way social media today looks and feels. This is what I remember most. Have a great day and thanks for writing back to me.I am new to this FSX. How is everyone?
Meg
Welcome. Obviously not your first time on BBS?
Thank you. I hope to be on a little more often soon.I am new to this FSX. How is everyone?
Meg
The horrors persist, but so do I.
Welcome to the net!
What's the difference between a college diploma and a college degree?
The diploma is the piece of paper that says you achiieved a college degree.
It happened often enough that there was a term for it - LUG, or Lesbian
Until Graduation. Lots of heartache among my friends.
I've known women who went through that, one or two. One stated that they broke up with a guy, and decided to try women. Its interesting how that happens, as I would wager most men would NEVER consider dating other men, simply because the last woman they were with didn't quite work out.
I don't really support the idea of "experimenting" at Uni. You should be finding reality, finding your feet, not going off on tangents that lead nowhere.
boraxman wrote to Adept <=-
A very strange way for an SSH client to behave! To literally insert
the same characters, but backwards at the end!
I've heard of guys "experimenting" in college too. And for some peple,
I think going off on tangents and experimenting in college may actually
be a way to find reality. As they say sometimes, you never know until
you try..
Meghan Fitzgerald wrote to boraxman <=-
On 15 Apr 2025 at 06:52p, Meghan Fitzgerald pondered and said...
I am new to this FSX. How is everyone?
Meg
Welcome. Obviously not your first time on BBS?
No not my first time. I have been using this one here for many years
and now that I am getting close to retirement with more free time I
wanted to get back into this. I used FidoNet a LONG time ago and am starting to get back into it. I don't like the way social media today looks and feels. This is what I remember most. Have a great day and
thanks for writing back to me. Meg
Nightfox wrote to boraxman <=-
Re: Re: New to this
By: boraxman to poindexter FORTRAN on Sat Apr 26 2025 01:47 am
It happened often enough that there was a term for it - LUG, or Lesbian
Until Graduation. Lots of heartache among my friends.
I've known women who went through that, one or two. One stated that they broke up with a guy, and decided to try women. Its interesting how that happens, as I would wager most men would NEVER consider dating other men, simply because the last woman they were with didn't quite work out.
I don't really support the idea of "experimenting" at Uni. You should be finding reality, finding your feet, not going off on tangents that lead nowhere.
I've heard of guys "experimenting" in college too. And for some peple,
I think going off on tangents and experimenting in college may actually
be a way to find reality. As they say sometimes, you never know until
you try..
poindexter FORTRAN wrote to boraxman <=-
boraxman wrote to Adept <=-
A very strange way for an SSH client to behave! To literally insert
the same characters, but backwards at the end!
62 TOR encryption?
covered in the program. Having a diploma to also say you've completed
the program seems redundant to me (and I don't recall seeing a college
in my area issuing dimplomas separately). I have an associates and a
It happened often enough that there was a term for it - LUG, or Lesbian
Until Graduation. Lots of heartache among my friends.
Every week in my city they march and yell, and when you speak to them, they are utterly clueless about the politics they peddle.
I've heard of guys "experimenting" in college too. And for some peple,
I think going off on tangents and experimenting in college may actually
be a way to find reality. As they say sometimes, you never know until
you try..
I could never understand why people just automatically go to college
with no idea what they want to study. I knew years before I started
Experimenting would be trying new hobbies, joining groups, societies, finding what you like. Just smoking weed, getting drunk and doing
drugs though...
Quoting Nightfox to Adept <=-
Re: Re: New to this
By: Adept to Nightfox on Thu Apr 24 2025 05:41 pm
What's the difference between a college diploma and a college degree?
The diploma is the piece of paper that says you've graduated / finished the program. It likely will mention the degree that was earned.
Isn't the degree also a confirmation that you've graduated and
completed the program? My understanding is that the degree says
you've graduated & completed the program and are thus are qualified
for the material covered in the program. Having a diploma to also say you've completed the program seems redundant to me (and I don't recall seeing a college in my area issuing dimplomas separately). I have an associates and a bachelor's degree that were issued to me after I
finished the college programs but never got a college diploma issued
to me.
Quoting Boraxman to Dflorey <=-
As for politicians keeping prices high for their own personal benefit. They are traitors to their nation, and should be dealt with as such.
How people think this is acceptable, and shouldn't result in severe punishment is beyond me. But hey, thats why we're all going to end up homeless, because we accept this from them.
Quoting Poindexter Fortran to Accession <=-
I've said it before - the two classes I regret not taking in high
school were auto shop and typing.
I'm surprised that the kids in auto shop got to use the facilities
outside of class and on their own cars. Nowadays, that would be a liability nightmare.
Quoting Dmxrob to Boraxman <=-
BY: boraxman (21:1/101)
On Saturday,April 19, 2025 at 10:53 AM, Boraxman (21:1/101) wrote:
My mum is a Boomer, and she said people can just "Scrimp and Save" like
she did. I asked her how long it took to pay off the mortgage. We grew
As someone who is "older" now (50s) statements like that piss me off.
It is amazing how people 20 years older than I am think the world
hasn't changed since 1955. They don't realize, or want to
acknowledge, how many government programs and aid they had in their
day, compared to what Gen X and beyond got - which was squat.
This attitude nowadays of "I got mine, and screw you" is prevelant
with so many people of that generation, and others. They feel the
younger generation should shoulder all the burden of society and taxes while they amass even more wealth.
I'm very much against that, and
believe that EVERYONE - I don't care your age - should pay in to
taxes, etc. I don't support "senior tax freeze" nonsense. Why should young families have to "scrimp" to pay for services you are using
while you have more than enough assets to pay for own?
Quoting Boraxman to Dmxrob <=-
On 25 Apr 2025 at 10:43a, Dmxrob pondered and said...
We're in for some big trouble...
By the way, I did once work a job where I took complaints and queries about consumer products. The older people had the greatest sense of entitlement, by far. A friend who worked in a financial services
company, taking calls, had the same feedback.
I don't really like how Social Media works. Toxic, and the interface
is pretty poor too. Unfortunately, that is where the people are, but
its like having to walk into a minefield to talk to people, because
everyone else is there. You stand there and say "We shouldn't stand
in a minefield", but everyone stays, because thats where the people
are.
(in the US. The UK's version is a lot of debt, but if your job doesn't
pay well, it's irrelevant. And Germany's version is cheap.)
I've heard of guys "experimenting" in college too. And for some peple,
I think going off on tangents and experimenting in college may actually
be a way to find reality. As they say sometimes, you never know until
you try..
I could never understand why people just automatically go to college with no idea what they want to study. I knew years before I started college. Maybe some people have money to burn, but I wanted to make every day count. It took me 10 years to pay off my college loans and I would feel foolish if I wasted all of that time and money "experimenting."
boraxman wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
I don't really support the idea of "experimenting" at Uni. You should
be finding reality, finding your feet, not going off on tangents that
lead nowhere.
Nightfox wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
The diploma is the piece of paper that says you achiieved a college degree.
That's something I hadn't realized, or really thought about..
Adept wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
Also, "LUG" sounds like a... questionable term that dismisses young women's experiences as being a "fad". So I'd be wary on using it unless you were one of the women describing herself.
Cougar428 wrote to POINDEXTER FORTRAN <=-
I loved auto shop, as you mentioned I could pull my 1970 F-100 into the garage and work on the 360 for an hour! That thing was a beast. I never really took advantage of the facilities after hours though.
Adept wrote to boraxman <=-
Every week in my city they march and yell, and when you speak to them, they are utterly clueless about the politics they peddle.
To be fair, given my personal pedantry, political science degree, and long-established reading habits, I feel that about a large portion of people, regardless of whether I agree with them or not.
And, on many days, I even feel it about myself, as there are many areas where I know shockingly little. Even if I don't realize it afterward, because of the Dunning Krueger effect.
That said, in all my "reasonableness", it's the unreasonable person
that drives change, way more than I ever will.
Adept wrote to boraxman <=-
Experimenting would be trying new hobbies, joining groups, societies, finding what you like. Just smoking weed, getting drunk and doing
drugs though...
On the other hand, drinking with friends in frats is a time-honored tradition for getting ahead.
(I don't think it has worked _quite_ like that in sororities)
That said, I had a flatmate who was in school, and with whom I drank,
and somehow that turned into starting a winery.
(If I'm going to be pedantic, I'd also point out that we literally
_never_ got drunk doing this, so it's probably _technically_ closer to "trying new hobbies" than "getting drunk", but I feel as though that
ruins the entertainment value, so would be fine if people pretend this paragraph doesn't exist.)
Not that this means I disagree with your statement. I'm just prone to
some amount of being contrary because of my brain always trying to find flaws in data and arguments.
Cougar428 wrote to boraxman <=-
Quoting Boraxman to Dflorey <=-
As for politicians keeping prices high for their own personal benefit. They are traitors to their nation, and should be dealt with as such.
How people think this is acceptable, and shouldn't result in severe punishment is beyond me. But hey, thats why we're all going to end up homeless, because we accept this from them.
I do get what you were explaining, but we're all going to end up as
dust in the wind. 100 years from now, no one will even remember we were alive. Sobering.
Once you're gone, even your kids will forget. We all have to make our
own way in this world. And it all ends the same way. Apologies for the dire words...
Cougar428 wrote to boraxman <=-
Quoting Boraxman to Dmxrob <=-
On 25 Apr 2025 at 10:43a, Dmxrob pondered and said...
We're in for some big trouble...
By the way, I did once work a job where I took complaints and queries about consumer products. The older people had the greatest sense of entitlement, by far. A friend who worked in a financial services
company, taking calls, had the same feedback.
I believe I may be older than you, and I might be in a different
country. But I could tell you quite a few stories of conversations I
have had with 'younger' people who were very 'entitled'. That doesn't
mean I haven't had conversations with 'older' people whe felt
similarly
'entitled'.
I don't believe it has anything to do with age. Just the attitude of
the individuals involved. Some people think they deserve something for
nothing, others don't.
Cougar428 wrote to DMXROB <=-
Quoting Dmxrob to Boraxman <=-
BY: boraxman (21:1/101)
On Saturday,April 19, 2025 at 10:53 AM, Boraxman (21:1/101) wrote:
My mum is a Boomer, and she said people can just "Scrimp and Save" like
she did. I asked her how long it took to pay off the mortgage. We grew
As someone who is "older" now (50s) statements like that piss me off.
It is amazing how people 20 years older than I am think the world
hasn't changed since 1955. They don't realize, or want to
acknowledge, how many government programs and aid they had in their
day, compared to what Gen X and beyond got - which was squat.
I shouldn't - but I will.
I am "older" (almost 70). It's not that I think the world hasn't
changed since 1955, I tend to think more along the lines that the
peole
have changed.
I don't think I have ever received any government assistance other
than
unemployment when I was out of work temorarily. I worked at a minimum
wage job and was married with a child, but did not get food stamps.
My attitude has always been that if I didn't need assistance, I
wouldn't take it. I was raised to believe that assistance was for
those
who were unable to make it on their own. I am a veteran but don't take
advantage of free offers for that group as I don't need them. Some
folks do, and that's alright.
Younger people (not sure about gen-whatever), seem to feel entitled to
any and all assistance as if it's normal to get something for nothing.
This attitude nowadays of "I got mine, and screw you" is prevelant
with so many people of that generation, and others. They feel the
younger generation should shoulder all the burden of society and taxes while they amass even more wealth.
My attitude is more in line with I worked my whole life to get mine
and
you should probably work hard to make a life for yourself. Every young
generation shoulders it's own burden. Not the burden of society. And I
imagine alot of us 'boomers' have amassed wealth in the millions
(not).
You make it sound as if all people are greedy nasty bastards. Believe
it or not - I wish the best for all the young generation. They are the
future and I for one am proud they are going to make it on their own.
I'm very much against that, and
believe that EVERYONE - I don't care your age - should pay in to
taxes, etc. I don't support "senior tax freeze" nonsense. Why should young families have to "scrimp" to pay for services you are using
while you have more than enough assets to pay for own?
I agree with you, everyone SHOULD pay taxes. Some people are
misinformed as to who actually does pay taxes. We ALL do.
You make it out as EVERYONE didn't have to scrimp to pay for services
that they used? You make me feel like an ogre since I worked for
50 years and saved my money so I could pay my bills after I have
finished my working life. I'm here to tell you, we're not all
millionaires.
Apologies - guess I'm the one ranting now, or so it sounds to me.
boraxman wrote to Cougar428 <=-
Younger people (not sure about gen-whatever), seem to feel entitled to
any and all assistance as if it's normal to get something for nothing.
This attitude nowadays of "I got mine, and screw you" is prevelant
with so many people of that generation, and others. They feel the
younger generation should shoulder all the burden of society and taxes while they amass even more wealth.
My attitude is more in line with I worked my whole life to get mine
and
you should probably work hard to make a life for yourself. Every young
generation shoulders it's own burden. Not the burden of society. And I
imagine alot of us 'boomers' have amassed wealth in the millions
(not).
I'm very much against that, and
believe that EVERYONE - I don't care your age - should pay in to
taxes, etc. I don't support "senior tax freeze" nonsense. Why should young families have to "scrimp" to pay for services you are using
while you have more than enough assets to pay for own?
I agree with you, everyone SHOULD pay taxes. Some people are
misinformed as to who actually does pay taxes. We ALL do.
You make it out as EVERYONE didn't have to scrimp to pay for services
that they used? You make me feel like an ogre since I worked for
50 years and saved my money so I could pay my bills after I have
finished my working life. I'm here to tell you, we're not all
millionaires.
I do see where you are coming from. To clarify, I'm a dad, have a
family, kids I own my home. I have a decent job (in theory). I sort
of "made it". Sort of.
See, I only *just* scraped into getting a home, and that was largely
in part due to coming into significant money that I inherited. I was priced out of where I grew. Looking at the prospects for me children, they appear utterly dire. The city has changed *dramatically* since I
was young. I just came back from there, and now I'm a minority!
Again! I wish I could say my children will be better off, but they
won't be. And you know what, I'm old enough now to compare my adult
life now, with my adult life when I was in my early 20s, and *despite* moving to a better position, becoming a leader, I'm worse off. And
all my peers are seeing the same.
Things are going down. Its palpable. My wife knows it. My friends,
her friends. Most parents see it. Parents I talkt to at work, my age cohort, see it. Ther eis this sense we are being pushed off a
cliff. That was not the case when my parents were young. Its
something bigger, deeper. When I have to turn away job interviews for managerial roles, because I can't afford to move, things are dire.
San Francisco was a magical place back then. I feel like I just caught
the tail-end of an accepting, open, creative era that changed shortly afterwards.
Quoting Poindexter Fortran to Cougar428 <=-
A carbueretor, points, distributor, and an engine compartment big
enough to get around in - must have been nice!
On my last gas-engine car, a Toyota Prius, some engineer decided to
run the spark plugs out the back end of the transversely-mounted
engine, meaning you need to take off the wiper arms and tray and some other parts to get to the plugs! At least the 12v battery was in the trunk...
Quoting Boraxman to Cougar428 <=-
We do matter, because the decisions we make affect the future. They
may not know our names, but they WILL be impacted by what we do. So
yeah, I think we do matter, whether others know it or not!
Quoting Boraxman to Cougar428 <=-
things are dire.
psychedelic or two. I don't even think these are things for your
College days only. In fact, I think they should be done when you are
MORE mature, more responsible, and around other people who are able to
I plan to live forever. So far, so good!
I plan to live forever. So far, so good!
I've heard rumors that on some cars they 'deleted' the oil and transmission dipsticks. May be just a rumor...
Cougar428 wrote to boraxman <=-
Quoting Boraxman to Cougar428 <=-
things are dire.
Relax my friend, things will never be what they were. Those times are
past. Believe it or not, we will go on. You will continue and your
children will make their own way.
I understand it's sometimes hard to persevere, but when things look
like they are at their worst - they can only get better. Take a break
and you'll feel better.
Have a great day!
Adept wrote to boraxman <=-
psychedelic or two. I don't even think these are things for your
College days only. In fact, I think they should be done when you are
MORE mature, more responsible, and around other people who are able to
I think, with drinking, we'd probably be better off if people were
exposed to it at a young age, but in a responsible form.
Whether that'd _actually_ makes things better I leave to people who
have done good science research on the topic.
Since, yeah, the idea is about whatever brings about the best outcome,
for whatever "best" means. And I don't want to stick to my opinions if there's another path that would lead to better results for the goals I actually want.
Adept wrote to boraxman <=-
I plan to live forever. So far, so good!
I feel as though you're not committed enough.
I plan to live forever, _or die trying_.
Gotta lean into it.
(And, yes, I'm sure I shamelessly stole that from _someone_.)
StormTrooper wrote to boraxman <=-
I plan to live forever. So far, so good!
Today is a new personal record for consecutive days alive? :P
I plan to live forever, _or die trying_.
Gotta lean into it.
(And, yes, I'm sure I shamelessly stole that from _someone_.)
Today is a new personal record for consecutive days alive? :P
Maybe for you, but I'm yet to beat my old record...
boraxman wrote to Adept <=-
In continental Europe, alcohol is everywhere. You can buy a beer at McDonalds, you can see Germans drinking a beer during lunch, or even in the morning.
Build a brand, make a name for yourself, get engaged by a company and
have them hire you - that does work.
I'm hiring for the first time in 8 years. I'm curious to see how the
vetting process works, because I'm only seeing massively overqualified
candidates who I wouldn't want to work with.
I feel like that would be a strange thing to be happening. I can't say I experienced any political bias in college, but maybe some colleges & universities are doing that for some reason..
I could never understand why people just automatically go to college
with no idea what they want to study. I knew years before I started
college. Maybe some people have money to burn, but I wanted to
make every day count. It took me 10 years to pay off my college
loans and I would feel foolish if I wasted all of that time and
money "experimenting."
You make it sound as if all people are greedy nasty bastards.
I understand it's sometimes hard to persevere, but when things look
like they are at their worst - they can only get better. Take a break
and you'll feel better.
I remember a once I was at an RPG party and the electric circuit responsible for the lights went kaput. Rather than cancel the party - everybody was enjoying the game - a friend from Engineering college and I disconnected one of the ceiling lamps from the circuit and ran a cable from an electrical socket into it. The RPG game was saved. The guy told me, as the lamp was
This reminds me of a regular subject for conversation that pops up every now and then with aquitances. The subject is the fact I will never get a public retirement pension because by the time I retire, the public retirement funds will be effectively bankrupt.
People usually takes it as a joke. Some guy, one day, told me something that serves as the perfect example of why society is wrecked: he said "Don't worry, what we know is we will all get our retirement pensions."
My experience is lots of people went there because they wanted a degree, but they didn't care which one, hence they were not sure what to study.
StormTrooper wrote to Arelor <=-
My experience is lots of people went there because they wanted a degree, but they didn't care which one, hence they were not sure what to study.
There was a time here, when positions were government funded we had a cadre of essentially professional students. They'd finish a course,
poke around and see what was available and then start another one, sometimes they might have 3-4 incomplete courses, and that was pretty
much all they did their entire working lives. None of it was ever put
to any use whatsoever.
Quoting Arelor to Cougar428 <=-
You make it sound as if all people are greedy nasty bastards.
People are greedy nasty bastards. The only thing you can count on is
they will run you over if it fits their interests. For all the talking about morality we get, people always bends their principles in such a
way that any actions to defend their interests are justified.
Hence my well known BBS motto "People sucks and deserves to die"
Quoting Arelor to Cougar428 <=-
I understand it's sometimes hard to persevere, but when things look
like they are at their worst - they can only get better. Take a break
and you'll feel better.
This reminds me of a regular subject for conversation that pops up
every now and then with aquitances. The subject is the fact I will
never get a public retirement pension because by the time I retire,
the public retirement funds will be effectively bankrupt.
People usually takes it as a joke. Some guy, one day, told me
something that serves as the perfect example of why society is
wrecked: he said "Don't worry, what we know is we will all get our retirement pensions."
Such claim is worrysome in itself because it shows people believes
stuff won't change even if all evidence points at the fact it will.
You can point at the tendencies and strains retirement funds get and
also at the fact absolutely nothing is being done or planed to save
them - in fact, what we know is in 30 years retirement pensions will
allow you to buy a fistful peanuts per month at best. And yet people refuses to openly acknowledge it because the popular thing to do is pretend things will fix themselves.
I think it is soooo much constructive to acknowledge in 30 years retirement funds are gona be deeply fucked up so you can withstand the storm when it hits. Being a prepared pesimist motherfucker beats
optimism.
My point is that when things look bad you have to assume they are bad instead of pretend they aren't.
I read a SF novel where the protagonist has been given an allocation
from his parents' estate, for as long as he is in university. He'd
successfully bounced from major to major for years until he'd finally
taken every course offered, and would have completed one of the degrees
by default...
I don't disagree with you, but sometimes you need to stop worrying
about something which is deeply bothering you in order to relax and
worry about the things that are dear to you.
On 23 Apr 2025 at 09:51a, Nightfox pondered and said...
Re: Re: New to this
By: boraxman to Nightfox on Wed Apr 23 2025 11:56 pm
Got to fix JuiceSSH on my Android. I was saying that University can be a liability, because people learn some strange and extrem political and social view from Uni, that get transferred into th workplace, where they are definately less than welcome.
I feel like that would be a strange thing to be happening. I can't s experienced any political bias in college, but maybe some colleges & universities are doing that for some reason..
Its pretty rife in the major universities in Melbourne and Sydney, particularly Melbourne. More-so student activism that rubs off on
others. They adopt a particular set of values, then seek to exert these in the workplace, or vice-versa, the workplace then modifies its culture and its workings, in order to accomodate their beliefs.
You end up with a situation where the company is geared towards a very specific, very localised worldview.
As for politicians keeping prices high for their own personal benefit. They are traitors to their nation, and should be dealt with as such.
How people think this is acceptable, and shouldn't result in severe punishment is beyond me. But hey, thats why we're all going to end up homeless, because we accept this from them.
Accession wrote to StormTrooper <=-
I've said it before - the two classes I regret not taking in high school were auto shop and typing.
I'm surprised that the kids in auto shop got to use the facilities
outside of class and on their own cars. Nowadays, that would be a liability nightmare.
BY: boraxman (21:1/101)
On Saturday,April 19, 2025 at 10:53 AM, Boraxman (21:1/101) wrote:
My mum is a Boomer, and she said people can just "Scrimp and Save" like she did. I asked her how long it took to pay off the mortgage. We greAs someone who is "older" now (50s) statements like that piss me off.
It is amazing how people 20 years older than I am think the world hasn't changed since 1955. They don't realize, or want to acknowledge, how
many government programs and aid they had in their day, compared to what Gen X and beyond got - which was squat.
This attitude nowadays of "I got mine, and screw you" is prevelant with
so many people of that generation, and others. They feel the younger generation should shoulder all the burden of society and taxes while
they amass even more wealth. I'm very much against that, and believe
that EVERYONE - I don't care your age - should pay in to taxes, etc. I don't support "senior tax freeze" nonsense. Why should young families have to "scrimp" to pay for services you are using while you have more than enough assets to pay for own?
Anyway, I've ranted enough. I just think this issue is even bigger tha most people think it is.
It is... and getting worse .
Meghan Fitzgerald wrote to boraxman <=-
On 15 Apr 2025 at 06:52p, Meghan Fitzgerald pondered and said...
I am new to this FSX. How is everyone?
Meg
Welcome. Obviously not your first time on BBS?
No not my first time. I have been using this one here for many years and now that I am getting close to retirement with more free time I wanted to get back into this. I used FidoNet a LONG time ago and am starting to get back into it. I don't like the way social media today looks and feels. This is what I remember most. Have a great day and thanks for writing back to me. Meg
I don't really like how Social Media works. Toxic, and the interface
is pretty poor too. Unfortunately, that is where the people are, but
its like having to walk into a minefield to talk to people, because everyone else is there. You stand there and say "We shouldn't stand
in a minefield", but everyone stays, because thats where the people
are.
Anyway, I'm here because I like to practice what I preach, and if more people come to better platforms, the better for us.
I wish there were a way to updoot this message.
People are greedy nasty bastards. The only thing you can count on is
they will run you over if it fits their interests. For all the talking about morality we get, people always bends their principles in such a
way that any actions to defend their interests are justified.
Hence my well known BBS motto "People sucks and deserves to die"
Re: Re: New to this
By: Gryphon to boraxman on Tue May 06 2025 06:17 am
I wish there were a way to updoot this message.
What is "updoot"?
The platform won't help. If you remember, fidonet is called FIGHT-O-NET, and for good reason. The problem isn't you have to walk through a minefield to talk to people. The people ARE the minefield. Where ever you get people with opinions together (like here) they will bring the mines with them.
Gryphon wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
On 24 Apr 2025 at 08:19p, poindexter FORTRAN pondered and said...
Accession wrote to StormTrooper <=-
I've said it before - the two classes I regret not taking in high school were auto shop and typing.
I'm surprised that the kids in auto shop got to use the facilities
outside of class and on their own cars. Nowadays, that would be a liability nightmare.
When I was in HS, shop class was about as dated as computer
programming. I mean, I could learn to fix brakes or clean a carburetor
in shop class, but what good is that skill now? I learned COBOL and FORTRAN in HS. YOU of all people know how dated that skill is now.
Arelor wrote to Gryphon <=-
Well, I think the platform matters because some platforms are fully operated by censors.
See, if I write a Dovenet review about an RPG book and critizise it for pushing political points that are shoehorned into it, some people might
be angry and argue my review is trash. **And that is fine**. Talking
only to people you agree with is boring after a while and you don't get
to learn much.
However, you post the same review on RPGnet and you get banned, they create a thread about why you got banned and how cool it is you got banned. The place is dying for a reason.
Communication systems without global banning authorities are a godsend. They make a total difference. They will never achieve mass appeal again because regular people can't take the heat and will rather have the Ban Police take their freedom in exchange for saving them from imaginary threats, just like in real life. This does not mean we can't use them ourselves.
Gryphon wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
When I was in HS, shop class was about as dated as computer
programming. I mean, I could learn to fix brakes or clean a carburetor
in shop class, but what good is that skill now? I learned COBOL and FORTRAN in HS. YOU of all people know how dated that skill is now.
However, you post the same review on RPGnet and you get banned, they create a thread about why you got banned and how cool it is you got banned. The place is dying for a reason.
Is that a forum or reddit or what? I don't 'hang out' on either, but I
do enjoy RPG's! :-) Having a Christian worldview means my views are not really welcome in the modern RPG space... No, I don't go attacking, but
as you inferred, disagreement means you are evil.
Meghan Fitzgerald wrote to All <=-
I am new to this FSX. How is everyone?
RPGnet is a forum about, you guess it, tabletop Roleplaying Games :-P
Arelor wrote to Jimmy Anderson <=-
RPGnet is a forum about, you guess it, tabletop Roleplaying Games :-P
There are lots of traditional style games still made if you don't like modern trends. I don't know what your tolerance towards dark subjects
is (ie. if you are fine with a game having demons and the like) but you can fish for lots of cool stuff in the OSR movement or the NSR (Old
School Renaissance and New School Renaissance, respectively).
If you want something more traditional there is the Pendragon game, designed to roleplay the Arthuric Legend. This game is usualy bought
with the Great Pendragon Campaign in order to play the whole story of
King Arthur from start to finish.
On 05 May 2025 at 12:20p, Nightfox pondered and said...
Re: Re: New to this
By: Gryphon to boraxman on Tue May 06 2025 06:17 am
I wish there were a way to updoot this message.
What is "updoot"?
It's slang for a reddit-style upvote.
poindexter FORTRAN wrote to Utopian Galt <=-
The problem is the PEOPLE. Real estate owners see their holdings as
sacrosanct and always on the rise. Building affordable housing could
lower your resale value. Those same people lobby for hurdles to
affordable housing in government.
In many places, there's available rentals - but the inflated real
estate market has landlords and home owners alike is keeping prices
high.
be angry and argue my review is trash. **And that is fine**. Talking only to people you agree with is boring after a while and you don't ge
When I was a kid, my friends and I would do something to
keep from being too bored - We would have debates. One
of us would take one side of the arguement and another
kid would take the other (even if we totally disagreed
with it).
Try that sometime. It really opens up your mind. After
taking am opinion you didn't agree with at all and
trying to defend it, we would sometimes go "Aha"
and change our actual beliefs.
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