Nostalgia, to me, is that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you think about how things used to be. For example, remember when CD-ROMs were really cool? You really have to be a true geek to get nostalgic about old computer equipment. Whenever I hear the beep of an Apple II, or something that sounds like it, it captures my attention immediately.

One interesting idea would be, at the next USENIX or other event where lots of geeks hang out, to broadcastan Apple II beep over the intercom. I bet more people than not will turn their heads.

For me, nostalgia isn't about wanting to go back to simpler times; it's more about remembering our past. Where we've been, and conversely, where we're going.