# What professions are dead or dying? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 13, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038 "2010-12-13T21:51:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/1 "2010-12-13T21:51:03Z")
I was having this discussion with a friend the other day. She mentioned that there are still some travel agents in business, and some do quite well – but with being able to book tickets and hotels online, it seems like that’s a profession that’s headed for extinction. Disposable diapers have made short work of diaper services. What other professions have dies or are dying due to the advancement of technology? ---
**Author:** ![aesop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@aesop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aesop)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/2 "2010-12-13T21:57:25Z")
Slide rule manufacturer. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/3 "2010-12-13T21:59:18Z")
Various ones connected to newspapers. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/4 "2010-12-13T22:06:00Z")
> [@aesop](#): > > Slide rule manufacturer. [ThinkGeek](http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/retro/be12/) still makes their own. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/5 "2010-12-13T22:09:23Z")
Diaper services are back, because cloth diapers are back. Only for a certain class of people, though - it’s more of a luxury service these days, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![aesop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@aesop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aesop)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/6 "2010-12-13T22:22:00Z")
> [@aesop](#): > > Slide rule manufacturer. > > > [@runner pat](#): > > > > [ThinkGeek](http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/retro/be12/) still makes their own. Yeah, and somewhere out there someone is still making buggy whips and vacuum tubes. Doesn’t mean it’s a growth industry… ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/7 "2010-12-13T22:25:11Z")
Paste-up artist. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/8 "2010-12-13T22:37:05Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I was having this discussion with a friend the other day. She mentioned that there are still some travel agents in business, and some do quite well – but with being able to book tickets and hotels online, it seems like that’s a profession that’s headed for extinction. I think there are two kinds of travel agents still in business: 1. Agents that do more than just book airline tickets and hotel rooms. A lot of people still rely on travel agents when they book a cruise, or a more complicated vacation. 2. Corporate travel agents that arrange travel for a large company. They can make sure that the travel policies for that company are adhered to. Also, most such companies want there to be a single point of contact for travel services in case of a problem – the agent is the one to call in case travel plans need to be changed. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/9 "2010-12-13T22:39:05Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > I think there are two kinds of travel agents still in business: > > 1. Agents that do more than just book airline tickets and hotel rooms. A lot of people still rely on travel agents when they book a cruise, or a more complicated vacation. Why would you need an agent for a cruise? I’d think that wouldn’t be any more complicated than buying an airline ticket - am I missing something. I can see how you’d want an agent for more complicated trips, though - particularly if you were traveling to a poorer country, it would be good to have help from someone with experience in planning such trips. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/10 "2010-12-13T22:41:12Z")
Kinko’s type places. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/11 "2010-12-13T23:06:00Z")
(English) clog makers. Up to the middle of the 20th century there used to be hundreds of small companies turning out this durable type footwear for use in heavy industry. Now there are just a handful, with most of their output used for[clog dancing](http://www.pennine-life.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Clogs-21.png) and not for industrial use. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/12 "2010-12-14T01:21:14Z")
Video and record-store clerks. Not that it was much of a profession, but I still – where on earth are those kind of people going to work in the future? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/13 "2010-12-14T01:26:09Z")
Medical Transcription, probably legal too. Typists of all kinds, now that it’s no longer a specialized skill. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/14 "2010-12-14T01:29:53Z")
I definitely would not want to be in any business that involves tobacco. Publishing, not just newspapers but books and magazines, would seem to be a sunset industry. Dialup internet services are rapidly shrinking. That had a growth life of maybe 10 years. Network TV is not a growth industry. The post-office is shrinking rapidly. Incandescent light bulbs are on the way out. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/15 "2010-12-14T01:31:05Z")
Do they still have key punch operators and comptometer operators? ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/16 "2010-12-14T01:35:11Z")
[Cracked’s 6 Iconic Jobs That Are Going Away Forever](http://www.cracked.com/article_18759_6-iconic-jobs-that-are-going-away-forever.html) tldr: 6: Fighter pilots 5:Lifeguards 4:Firefighters 3:Optometrist 2: Housekeepers/maids/butler 1: Garbage man ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/17 "2010-12-14T01:42:41Z")
There are a number of flight crew jobs that have disappeared from aviation due to advances in technology. The navigator and radio operator don’t exist any more, and the flight engineer is a dying breed seen only in a small number of ageing airliners. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/18 "2010-12-14T01:44:44Z")
Does any place still have milk men? ---
**Author:** ![Lightlystarched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Lightlystarched](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightlystarched)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/19 "2010-12-14T01:44:49Z")
Reference librarians. Hell, all librarians. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038/20 "2010-12-14T01:47:05Z")
Here’s another one, airline check in staff. The last time I flew out of Sydney I checked both myself and my bags without having to talk to a person. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-professions-are-dead-or-dying/564038.md?page=2)