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To: Libloather

It’s weird to see this. My first career was in the CATV industry. Out of college I was a door to door salesman in a new-build for a large operator. I worked my way up through the ranks to running one of the regions for them.

So, in my lifetime, I’ve witnessed the introduction of Cable; saw it grow into a huge industry; saw it get regulated to (literal) death; and now they are chopping it up and selling off the necrotic parts to try to stay alive. In short order, it will be surpassed by wireless/satellite transmissions from space.

All this in 40 years.

At one point the broadband infrastructure in this country was the largest privately funded construction project in the history of mankind. It is a shell of what it was prior to the Fed raping it in 1996.

I am glad I got out when I did.


4 posted on 01/06/2026 5:07:00 AM PST by Vermont Lt
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To: Vermont Lt

My bachelor’s degree is in communications. I interned at a cable company for six weeks my senior year in 1973.

I was also working at Kroger’s nights and weekends as produce clerk which I did my last two years of college.

I learned more working produce at Kroger’s.


7 posted on 01/06/2026 5:50:43 AM PST by Biblebelter
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To: Vermont Lt

Didn’t cable TV start out as a commercial-free development in the TV industry?

Somewhere along in my life, I must not have been paying attention.


11 posted on 01/06/2026 6:12:51 AM PST by Laslo Fripp (Does anybody proofread anymore)
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To: Vermont Lt
All this in 40 years.

From the mid 60's to the early 2000 I sold computer systems and witnessed an industry that evolved from hardware sales to software/systems sales.

The computer size decreased while the power increased in ways that could not be imagined.

Many of the large scale computers of the 60s and 70s were so large that you could literally walk inside of them.

Today's young people carry as much compute power in their phone as we sold for millions back then.

I understand the concept, but cannot fully comprehend, the awesome power of AI and the changes that it is and will bring to the electronic world.

I too am glad that my age is what it is and have witnessed what has happened without the burning desire to explore AI.

12 posted on 01/06/2026 6:34:44 AM PST by USS Alaska (NUKE THE MOOSELIMB TERRORIST SAVAGES)
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