14 Badly Out Of Date Tech Still Used By Governments

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14 Badly Out Of Date Tech Still Used By Governments

When the fifty year mark rolls around, you have to wonder if maybe it’s time to make some updates.

Published 5 months ago in Facepalm

It’s easy to get stuck with a piece of obsolete technology. It feels like the second you buy a gadget, there's a brand new one with double the functionality available the very next day. So to some degree, it’s understandable that many governments stick to what works. But when the fifty-year mark rolls around, you have to wonder if maybe it’s time to make some updates.

This list takes a look at some of the oldest technology still in use by various governments around the world. Even the US, who can be considered pretty cutting-edge, has a huge amount of outdated technology running things behind the scenes. The most surprising part of learning about all of this is that anything in this country still functions at all.

1
Pagers
It’s probably been a long time since you’ve seen somebody use a pager. Cell phones and smartphones pretty much buried them in functionality. But some government agencies, especially in public safety and emergency services, still find pagers useful because they use dedicated paging networks that are separate from cell service and thus less susceptible to outages.

2
Audio cassette tapes
Some law enforcement agencies, especially in the UK, still use audio cassette tapes to record police interviews. This is because they’re relatively inexpensive, able to be sealed to prevent tampering, and, well, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ In the age of digital audio the use case of cassette tapes has definitely narrowed, but it still has its niche.

3
Strategic Automated Command and Control System
Probably the scariest thing on this list, this Defense Department system coordinates US nuclear forces. It’s 53 years old, which is not how old something that has the ability to cause a world apocalypse should be.

4
Veterans Benefits Delivery Network
The computer program that manages benefit claims filed by veterans is built in a 1950s programming language. Well, not to worry. It’s not like we’re going to have any new veterans any time soon.

5
Floppy disks
Floppy disks are now squarely a thing of the past, existing only in the “Save” icon on many computers, to the confusion of the younger generation. They’re still in use in some fields, though. Some Boeing planes use floppy disks, as well as some medical devices, and the aforementioned nuclear arsenal software.

6
Hazardous Materials Information System
The US Transportation Department’s computer system used to track incidents involving hazardous materials is over 50 years old. Don’t worry, though. It’s reported to contain some improvements and updates dating to the 1990s.

7
Fax machines
Even in an age of digital convenience, analog fax machines are still used in many local and state governments. Sometimes just to maintain compatibility, and other times it’s under the false notion that fax machines are more secure than digital communications. The truth is, if they’re more secure, it’s because hackers don’t even give them any thought!

8
Windows XP
Some NATO warships allegedly still use Windows XP, an operating system released in 2001. Since XP’s release, there have been 6 new version of Windows, and not once has whoever’s in charge pressed ‘OK’ on that update popup.

9
Lincoln Calibration Sphere 1
The Lincoln Calibration Sphere 1, or LCS-1, is a satellite that was first launched into orbit in the mid-1960s. It’s still in use today as a radar calibration device. Pretty impressive that we can still find a use for a satellite that was created before the moon landing.

10
Typewriters and carbon paper
Typewriters and carbon paper, invented in 1868 and 1806 respectively, are still in use in many government offices today. They’re mostly used to fill out old-style standardized forms. Seems like it would save everybody a whole lotta headache to just use computers instead.

11
IRS Refund System
The Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department receive taxpayer data and dispense refunds using a computer application that’s over 56 years old. That feels like it explains a lot.

12
Wired headphones
Ever since Apple took the headphone jack away from us, wireless headphones have become the norm. Many federal agencies, as well as the military, still make use of wired headsets. They’re reliable, durable, secure, and don’t need to be charged before use.

13
Dot matrix printers
Many airports still used old-fashioned dot matrix printers. The world has moved on to not only inkjet and laser printing, but we can even print in 3 dimensions. Airports stick to these obsolete printers though, because they’re compatible with the reservation system, less likely to jam, and have cheaper ink.

14
Flip phones
Many politicians and government officials use flip phones instead of smart phones, whether it’s because of security or just plain stubbornness. Have they not heard that if they get an iPhone they can play as much Angry Birds as they want?