this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2025
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

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The ability to be massively efficient with todays computers would have probably made you $250k/yr 25-30 years ago. (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 3 days ago by bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
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Sometimes I think about all the things I do for work and how not very long ago, it would have taken months instead of days.

Imagine taking an average worker of today and their output back to 1998. They would definitely be under suspicion of cocaine use.

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[–] 1D10@lemmy.world 45 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

I was an inspector in an airplane factory in 1998. And honestly if we had had 2020 PCs in the shop I would have been around 75% more effective.

A large part of my day was spent resetting PCs they had just started useing them on shop floor and all the old fucks who worked there had 0.00 computer knowledge I got calls to "Send 1d10" by union contract I wasn't allowed to do "IT" jobs as I was union and IT mostly didn't exist, it took days for a IT call to get answered.

90% of the "send 1d10" calls were because they had locked up the PC by having to many windows open, they were afraid to close them so they minimized the non work related windows, but then didn't know where they went so they opened a new one.

[–] BaroqueInMind@piefed.social 16 points 3 days ago (1 children)

We need you to regale us with more of your interesting ancient 1990's computer stories, old man/woman!

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 days ago

But I hope he can find the period key.

[–] 123@programming.dev 6 points 2 days ago

Yes, I was thinking how finicky and slow computers were back then (when compared to your now average PC) requiring restarts and the occasional BSoD showing up.

My guess is that with my current knowledge of computers now, I could have been more effective, but would be limited by the hardware more than anything.

Nowadays I freak out if my personal computer even gets a hint of slowness on day to day tasks (as i recently found out using unrar on Linux...)

[–] Suck_on_my_Presence@lemmy.world 34 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Taking the average worker from 1998 and comparing their output to today's workers would be insane. And then compare the pay? I feel like I'd probably be mad as hell.

I work in mapping and in the 90s, everything was hand drawn. In the 00s, things switched to CAD, and then by 2010 or so our department went to GIS. We're still using that same GIS program today but held to so much more insane standards. If I don't have 98% first-pass accuracy on my mapping and data input, I get a talking to. If I'm not putting out 50 jobs a month minimum, I'm getting a talking to.

Comparing any of this to what some of our older staff members did in the 90s is just insanity.

[–] QuarterSwede@lemmy.world 11 points 3 days ago

I was talking to an old timer that went part time and asked him if he thinks it’s gotten harder to manage people and processes. He responded, “oh hell yes. I couldn’t do what you are expected to do.”

[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

CAD is obviously something that got much better with better computers, but apart from such heavily PC focussed jobs, I'm not sure this holds true.

Digital systems waste a ton of worker's time as well, and we now have much, much more bureocracy than before.

In many cases, computers are great at helping you fix problems and accomplish tasks you didn't have without computers.

[–] halfdane@lemmy.world 19 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I wonder where all the gains from increased worker's efficiency went. Well, no way to know I guess 🤷

In totally unrelated news, I heard humanity will soon have its first trillionaire 🥳

/s

[–] thisbenzingring@lemmy.today 16 points 3 days ago

Its not efficiency that got people 250k a year 25-30 years ago, it was ingenuity. Being able to improvise and adapt was much better then being efficient. But even then, you had to be a little cut throat to get into the 250K+ area

[–] stelelor@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 days ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decoupling_of_wages_from_productivity

[–] yesman@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You know how you right click something and can choose "save" or "copy"? That used to be two hole jobs.

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago

Exactly! Its crazy.

[–] AlecSadler@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 3 days ago

See OE.