this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2025
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Nostalgia

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nostalgia noun nos·tal·gia nä-ˈstal-jə nə-, also nȯ-, nō-; nə-ˈstäl- 1: a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition also : something that evokes nostalgia

Rules for Nostalgia Lemmy Community

1. Respectful Nostalgia Share nostalgic content and memories respectfully. Avoid offensive or insensitive references that may be hurtful to others.

2. Relevant Nostalgia Posts should focus on nostalgic content, including memories, media, and cultural references from the past. Stay on topic to preserve the nostalgic theme of the community.

3. Source Verification If you share nostalgic media or content, provide accurate sources or background information when possible.

4. No Spamming Avoid excessive posting of similar nostalgic topics to keep content diverse and engaging for all members.

5. Positive Discussions Encourage positive discussions and interactions related to nostalgic topics. Respect different viewpoints and memories shared by community members.

6. Quality Content Strive to post high-quality content that sparks nostalgia and meaningful conversations among members.

7. Moderation Guidelines

By adhering to these rules and guidelines, we can create a welcoming and enjoyable space to relive nostalgic moments together. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to the moderators. Thank you for sharing your nostalgia responsibly!

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[–] finitebanjo@piefed.world 168 points 3 days ago (5 children)

That caption adds negative value.

[–] Peter1986C@piefed.europe.pub 35 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Indeed, it would have been a lot funnier without the caption.

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 49 points 3 days ago (4 children)
[–] SatyrSack@quokk.au 40 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Fixed that empty space at the bottom

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[–] sem@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 days ago

Huh. That stupid caption really did make it funnier somehow.

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[–] 0ops@piefed.zip 31 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As if cassette tapes were some obscure niche and not a major media format for years

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 12 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Those of us who used them ain't dead yet!

[–] arrow74@lemmy.zip 8 points 3 days ago

I'm young enough that CDs had taken over by the time I was born, but my parents still used their massive cassette collection for about a decade.

So this should be familiar to people born after cassette's prime time

[–] Flamekebab@piefed.social 5 points 3 days ago

I literally use them for my baby. I've got stacks of old rubbish on tape (got them for free) that's getting taped over to provide easy, tactile storage of spoken word and music. Nothing obscure is being destroyed - it's naff compilation tapes and similar shite. If they wear out then I can just dump the digital audio onto another tape.

They're easy to choose from, don't play infinitely, fairly hard-wearing, and the quality isn't bad because the tape deck I record with is a fancy direct-drive unit.

It's kinda funny recreating some old Swedish comedy stuff for her. As in, when I was little I had tapes that were either dubbed from other tapes or from records that a family member borrowed from a library in Stockholm. For my daughter I'm grabbing the audio from YouTube rather than the library abroad, but the end result is the same. Multiple levels of nostalgia and a load of tapes aren't going to landfill.

[–] veni_vedi_veni@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] Applesause@mander.xyz 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

your name gave me a chuckle

[–] veni_vedi_veni@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

I aim to please

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[–] NachBarcelona@piefed.social 59 points 3 days ago (1 children)

What in the boomer shit is this caption?

[–] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 15 points 3 days ago

It's just gatekeeping for Muppets.

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 17 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Lol, how old do you think this is? Only people under 30 likely won't get it.

...there are dozens of us!

[–] Timbits@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Most of us are probably over 30.

[–] ptu@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 days ago

There will be so many tiktok equivalents of this. Like 67 but haven’t made it to general public

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[–] SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I'm late 20s and I get it. It's not that old knowledge

[–] pedz@lemmy.ca 21 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Back in the early 90ies I would sometimes find smashed cassettes on the ground with the tape floating in the wind, while coming back from school. I'd grab the tape and splice it into another cassette so that I could hear what was on it.

I've never found anything more than boring music but the act of "repairing" the tape made me feel like a spy.

[–] fakeman_pretendname@feddit.uk 15 points 3 days ago

Yeah it sounded like boring music if you played it forwards. You had to play it backwards to get the awesome messages from Satan.

Same, but for me, it wasn't in the early 90s.
Also, I discovered some totally amazing music this way that still haunts me to this day.

[–] BigBenis@lemmy.world 24 points 3 days ago

Lol chill, we millennials aren't that old.

[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 28 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

Bic pens were better because their caps were shaped perfectly for the job.

BiC Cristal Original Ball Pen

[–] 6nk06@sh.itjust.works 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I dont know which cap you had but it was the worst idea because my caps were round and unsuitable for that. I used the pen itself.

[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 11 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

The part that protruded down from the cap along the side of the pen to form the "pocket clip" fit between the gear teeth and made turning easier & more reliable - you slid the cassette down the body of the pen until that part engaged the teeth. Later I came to prefer the style of pen below due to the flatter protrusion, but both worked pretty well.

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 days ago (5 children)

IIRC, using two yielded the best results, as one wound while the second stabilized the other spool. 🤓

[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I was never careful enough with them to even have thought of that. I'd get the cassette on the pen as described, then whirl it around & around in the air like a noise maker to wind the tape.

Wooden noise maker

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

ohmygods. You absolute monster. 🤢😵‍💫😭😬

[–] Kornblumenratte@feddit.org 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)
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[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I'm so old I remember the music industry trying to ban the sale of blank cassettes because of copyright infringement. Oh how we laughed at them.

[–] IndridCold@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago

C30, C60, C90 GO!

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 19 points 3 days ago (8 children)

My first acy of piracy, tho I did not know it at the time, was recording songs from the radio to blank cassettes.

[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 12 points 3 days ago (3 children)

That wasn’t piracy. That was fair use.

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You forget your audience

[–] LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 11 points 3 days ago (2 children)

That cartoon has a glaring error: cassette tapes did not perform the pencil surgery on each other. Humans performed the pencil surgery on the cassette tapes.

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[–] ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

I could do it with my finger, no pens/pencils needed.

The pens/pencils were more often used for manual rewinding to save battery life than getting the tape back into the cassette.

[–] Phoenix3875@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

But doctor, those are my eyes.

[–] PartyAt15thAndSummit@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

"Doctor, will I ever be able to play the piano again?"

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

No, you're missing a finger on each hand.

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

For extreme emergencies..."Grab the Scotch Tape!".

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

I had a tape splicer at one time. So basically trauma surgery.

[–] Flamekebab@piefed.social 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Cassette tapes were such an obscure format.

[–] Davel23@fedia.io 5 points 3 days ago (6 children)

That's meant to be a joke, right?

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