Difference between revisions of "325--Week 8 Questions/Comments"
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In "Memoir of a Telephone Operator," I found it interesting that women were not only preferred for telephone operating, but boys were actually "abolished." In response to Taylor, I think that maybe it was not as big a deal for men to be "rowdy" while working at telegraph operating. They were not speaking directly to people, they were sending messages over the telegraph, in other words, there was no real personal interaction. I enjoyed this document because, as others pointed out, it led you through the development of the telephone. Also, I agree with Jimmy that it does seem that the telephone has made a full circle and ended up as a "toy" again. Much like only prosperous business men were able to have a telephone in the beginning, now only those who are well off are able to have the "best" phone out there - which has so many gadgets on it that it's almost hard to tell that it is even a phone anymore. -- Stefanie Holder | In "Memoir of a Telephone Operator," I found it interesting that women were not only preferred for telephone operating, but boys were actually "abolished." In response to Taylor, I think that maybe it was not as big a deal for men to be "rowdy" while working at telegraph operating. They were not speaking directly to people, they were sending messages over the telegraph, in other words, there was no real personal interaction. I enjoyed this document because, as others pointed out, it led you through the development of the telephone. Also, I agree with Jimmy that it does seem that the telephone has made a full circle and ended up as a "toy" again. Much like only prosperous business men were able to have a telephone in the beginning, now only those who are well off are able to have the "best" phone out there - which has so many gadgets on it that it's almost hard to tell that it is even a phone anymore. -- Stefanie Holder | ||
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| + | Katherine M. Schmitt's comments on the telephone say a great deal about society. In the early years one had to speak to an operator to be connected to who you wanted to call. People were often on a first name basis with their operators and made small talk with them. After phones had become commonplace by the 1930s (in the New York area at least) Schmitt notes that she and her fellow operators became part of the machine. No one wanted to speak to the operator, the phone had become just another part of fast-paced life. Another interesting thing to note was that people didn't pay for the minutes they used but were charged for a flat rate and therefore used their "toys" as much as possible. -Lauren Milner | ||
== Ronell on Thomas Watson == | == Ronell on Thomas Watson == | ||
