Bob Reynolds
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2008
- Messages
- 133
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Thanks @bud16415 that's helpful to know!
@Bob Reynolds that's really helpful too, especially the point about fixing problems on paper before driving a single nail or pouring a single drop of concrete. But I do think you over-state the case for future-proofing. I hope there will always be people who push back against "smart appliances", for example -- I sure as heck would never bring a toaster or fridge into my house that requires a bluetooth or wifi connection, and plan to instill that wisdom in my kids. Also, the future adapts to what's available from the past sometimes too: we didn't have to get a fiber optic line laid in just to get internet, it comes through the same coaxial connections that in days gone by provided my parent's generation with television. To me, simplicity and cost are always higher considerations than keeping up with the Joneses. I'd rather have a house that's a pleasure for me to live in and maintain than one I'm sure the gadget-freaks of the 2060s are going to scramble for.
In all reality, it's impossible to "future proof" a home. But you do have to plan to be able to adapt when necessary.
In the late 1990's and well into the 2000's, the conventional belief was that internet service would come from the phone company. No one thought the cable company would be the one to provide, much less dominate, high speed internet service.
Home builders back then installed Cat 5 wiring in homes running from the managed system portal to each room in the house. That would have been the perfect solution if the phone company had been able to deliver reliable high speed internet.
As you know today, most internet is provided by the cable company. Wireless internet is predominate throughout homes so you don't even need wires anymore.
Many people don't even have those kind of phones that you actually plug into an RJ11 jack because smartphones have taken over. We didn't even have smartphones prior to 2007.
At one time, there was a problem with the phone companies running out of numbers because of all of the fax machines and pagers. That's not a problem anymore as the phone company became a declining business and could not retain customers. The phone company used to publish a great big phone book with all of the listed phone numbers and yellow pages in the back that generated incredible advertising profits for the phone company. Back then everyone got the phone book. Today, most people don't even use a phone book. When was the last time you picked one up and actually looked up a phone number?
Today, the cable companies are having problems retaining customers as people cut the cord because technology makes it possible to receiving programming in many different ways.
Technology will continue to change and we will change with it. That comes with the good and the bad.