On 5 February 2018 at 21:15, Caleuche <xxxxxx@sudnadja.com> wrote:

That's another thing - real people carry around stuff for personal recreation, be it laptops for gaming or whatever, books for reading and so on. At TL8 at least you can transition from books to something kindle-like, and at TL14 (?) or so you can transition from that to just directly having the memory of having read the book implanted, saving you the time of having to read it, and perhaps including the publisher-subsidized memory of having enjoyed it. 

And at TL16 can I have the smell of books even with an ebook or implant, back please?!
 

The nature of what they carry will change based on technology and culture, but people are going to carry personal use items with them generally, even at the expense of extra ammunition or communications gear. 

Yeah, you should see what I carry on the bus every day in my briefcase or pockets for 90 mins+ of commuting each day.  Lunch, book, tablet, phone, noise-cancelling headphones (i.e. not in-ear things), pain-killer, pen and some paperwork (e.g. crosswords photocopied from newspapers, work reading or some Traveller writing) and not infrequently a 500ml water or cherry coke bottle.  Plus at the moment with winter and trying out bullet journalling I'm carrying a nice notebook, woolly hat and gloves...   If I have to run for the bus you can call me encumbered I guess.  :-)  

The prospect of lugging around a weapon and ammo additionally is, ummm, interesting.  Fortunately as a mild mannered librarian (by day!), it's not necessary.  Although in some of my lectures with students who won't shut up...

tc