Do you have personal exposure to telegraph? (cables, TV, printer)
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I believe one of the "Ts" in the name AT&T is telegraph, did you ever use it personally? My understanding is, this was privileged transmission, expensive and only high level people had access to it.
Yes. I was "exposed" to it many times.
Telegraph is a device used to send telegrams.
Sending and receiving telegrams was expensive but not a privileged transmission for high level people. Telegrams were sent and received at the Post office, and hand delivered by a courier immediately after it was received 24/7
I personally know how to operate a teleprinter. I think that this system in the US was called Telex.
I believe one of the "Ts" in the name AT&T is telegraph, did you ever use it personally? My understanding is, this was privileged transmission, expensive and only high level people had access to it.
Wow. Just... wow.
Telegraphy was the primary high speed long distance communication through the mid-1900s. Up till the early 70s, long distance phone calls were expensive and reserved for special situations. How do you think a soldier who had an unexpected leave told his mom to come meet him at the station on Wednesday when his train got in at 11:30 am?
Everyone, and I mean everyone, sent telegrams.
Haven't you seen the photographs of the telegraph operators at the train stations, even in little tiny burgs? Haven't you read any books (whether fiction or non-fiction) set in the years between 1860 and 1960, where reference is made to
A telegram is how we found out my Grandfather in England was dying. Haven't used it since then though. Early on AT&T declined to invest in packet-switching network technology. The rest, as they say, is history.
Even when telephony was widespread and common, telegrams carried a certain gravitas. You could have them delivered on specialized forms for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. A definite cool factor.
And of course, my country has the 1942 Telegram Crisis as part of our history - when King Christian X snubbed Hitler as only royalty can snub a corporal who's grown too big for his britches.
Telegraphy was the primary high speed long distance communication through the mid-1900s. Up till the early 70s, long distance phone calls were expensive and reserved for special situations. How do you think a soldier who had an unexpected leave told his mom to come meet him at the station on Wednesday when his train got in at 11:30 am?
Everyone, and I mean everyone, sent telegrams.
Haven't you seen the photographs of the telegraph operators at the train stations, even in little tiny burgs? Haven't you read any books (whether fiction or non-fiction) set in the years between 1860 and 1960, where reference is made to
Western Union
Telegrams
Cables
etc.
?
No reason to "wow". Young generation don't know that, nor ever saw a telegram form or how it works. This operation ceased in the mid 80's in most developed countries. Not sure who still use it nowadays.
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