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WYSIWYG and Lotus 123

WYSIWYG and Lotus 123

Which outdated technology do you miss the most, and why?

Yes I write fiction for a hobby but I possess the ability to geek with the best of them.

WYSIWYG was a feature in some software programs. The acronym stands for, What you see is what you get. For a while I was an accountant and finance person. This feature was mostly in a spreadsheet program called Lotus 123. I have nothing against the current day Xcel and I’m pretty damn good at it but Lotus 123 was ahead of his time.

An Antidote of Sorts

I was working in the finance department of computer science corporation. I was a go between between computer science and accounting. There was a girl named Kim who worked with me. She may have been one of the more privileged people I have met. She wore short dresses into the accounting department hoping to impress. In my opinion her liabilities exceeded her assets.

I used to sit at my desk and listen to music at a very low level before the days of headphones and computers. I was listening to a piece by Mozart called Variations on a Theme. She walked over to my desk and towered over me and asked me how many times I would play Twinkle Twinkle Little star. That is the underlying rhythm of the Mozart peace. I turned, and the sun hit her face at a not an acute angle, and I noticed she seemed to be growing a beard.

I asked her if she was a fan of Mozart. Her reply was.”Who The F”c* was that.”:

I decided to write my résumé that day. I actually wrote my résumé on a spreadsheet using WYSIWYG. it was a fantastic way to put together a résumé because it was exactly that, What you see is what you get.

I sent off my résumé that day, and about six weeks later I went to work for the biggest database company in the United States.

On a side note when I went to work for Oracle, they had this complicated system for tracking vacations. It was a whiteboard with blue magic markers.. I guess it was an older version of WYSIWYG.

2 responses to “WYSIWYG and Lotus 123”

  1. vermavkv Avatar

    What an entertaining and nostalgic read! 😊 I really enjoyed how you blended technology, workplace memories, and humor into one engaging story. Your recollections of Lotus 1-2-3 and the early days of office computing brought back a fascinating chapter of technological history, reminding us how far we’ve come.

    What struck me most was the turning point in the story—how one unexpected conversation became the catalyst for updating your résumé and ultimately led you to a new opportunity at Oracle. It’s a wonderful reminder that sometimes the smallest moments can change the course of our careers.

  2. Stephanie Avatar
    Stephanie

    She did you a great favor. 🙂

I would love to hear you opinion as well

I’m Mark

His friends observe Mark seems wired a little differently. Perhaps it’s more likely that noticing little things often missed by others is a relic of a quieter, simpler time. He has a way with words, which he refuses to let be hindered by sub-par typing skills. People have great stories to tell if you sit and listen.

A belief dear to Mark is that there is certain beauty in the world. You simply have to look for it.

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