The 1980s were an interesting time in humanity’s recent history. The Cold War was going strong, and personal computers were starting to make an impact on the lives of millions of people around the world.
Here’s an interesting thought: how often do you think people used the term “password” before computers entered the public consciousness?
I have a feeling it wasn’t often. In fact, it must have been a time of excitement, and frustration, for all the early Sysadmins of the era. Just look at these delightfully dystopian sysadmin warning posters from the 1980s.
I was going to say “I bet people still used “password” as a password in the 1980s!” until it occurred to me that people probably still do that all the time. I guess not everyone has read my article on choosing a secure and memorable password. Some things never change.
There’s probably a British “your mum!” joke in here, but I just don’t have it in me right now. Instead, I want you to imagine your mother’s vagina.
It’s true, information is an asset. I wonder if Vanguard Marketing Services knew then that Chinese hackers would be such a problem for American business all these years later?
Ever used a terminal? We had them at the library in my grandparents small town, so when my parents would send me there — seemingly as punishment — I would just sit in the library all day using the Internet and pretending I wasn’t there.
Now, I tossed around dystopian a few times earlier. This particular poster is the reason for that. I figured it would be a nice way to finish up, so… I hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of relics from a bygone era, and if you have any of your own, feel free to share them.
