Friday 27 November 2015

Jobs that don't exist anymore

The social media manager, blogger or seo specialist, these were jobs that didn't exist 20 years ago. Nowadays, people need someone to take care, maintain and improve their online image, not only to create it. The businesses moved online, they have websites so you can happily sit in your comfy sofa and receive the order at your door. This means you're winning at time, but it also means something else. If now we don't have to get out of the house to buy clothes, in the future nobody will do it. Advancing technology made things easier for us, like having everlasting milk, Ipods or electric street lights, but how far will it go? We keep on giving machines human jobs to do for us. The question is whether we will stop at some point or another. We don't have to cross the border between necessary and commodity, otherwise we will end up sitting in a bed surrounded by robots and machines that will do workouts for us, cook and even love in our place. Sounds a bit sci fi, but show the world today to people in year 1000 and it will sound sci fi to them too.

                                                                  Lector 




A guy who would entertain factory workers until radio and the iPod came in the scene. I already have someone entertaining me at home called "James" and at work called "boss".

                                                            Log Driver

If "it floats your boat "must have been a later expression, definitely not being used between these people whose job was to float and guide logs down river to treatment plants. Gondola in Venice? Try the river, babe.  


                                                                    Lamplighter



 The lamplighter was lighting and turning off the lamps, but also refueling them.  We said goodbye to them when the electric street lights came in the scene. Reminds me of mum turning off the lights in the house at night.  Childhood nostalgia

Knocker upper


Before alarm clocks, people were hired to wake you up using sticks or pebbles. They mustn't have been your friends, otherwise you ended up hating them, just as it happened to your fav songs that you set up as alarm clocks. Big mistake!


Milkman



Before refrigerators, the handsome milkman came to bring you fresh milk everyday. Why did they have to be so charming? The lady seems very thrilled to see him, weren't they all...Rumour has it.
 

My favourite one: the Computer




The name is given after the human job, not the other way round. For...doing calculations, of course. Was "television" given after a human job too?


 Ice cutter


They seem like skating and having a nice time, but...Before modern refrigerators, we would need fresh ice, so someone had to do it in awful conditions. In 2015 we'd rather break the ice with a kiss. 


                                                        Gandy dancer

Railroad workers who were known for their loud singing while maintaining and laying the tracks. Can you picture them singing Adele? 


Nomencletor


Following your master and reminding him of people's names and who they were. Human agenda. Those who don't remember people's names at parties should get one now. I propose we all sign a petition to get this job back.


Town crier


Before broadcast news, these guys were yelling everything that needed to be heard, anything important. Street corner presence required!  My neighbour still shouts when he has something to say, unfortunately not important.


Leech collector



Before machines, leeches were needed in hospitals for bloodletting. Picking up flowers sounds more appealing than picking up leeches, girls! 


Switchboard operators



Before placing calls directly, these girls were manually switching the calls. Why only  girls? Very charming too, were they the milkmen's girlfriends? I guess not, they were too busy with other people's  housewives for committing to pretty girls. 

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