Technical jargon: What does "classic" actually mean?

Exactly when this word had its revival is uncertain. But the context in which it was relaunched and why should be clarified. Let's start with that: Why is it that as soon as something takes place a second time, everyone suddenly says classic or - fancier - classic? Want some examples? "Classic" when the microphone is still on mute while someone in the field of view of the video call starts gesticulating wildly. "Classic" when, instead of the expected presentation, the topography of your own desktop, including all open windows, is revealed when the screen is shared. "Classic" when things happen or are happening in the background of the home office that we would rather not see. You now even hear statements like this from baby boomers or other pre-millennials.

Everything that is not new

These are all processes that until recently were only known in global companies and among remote workers. Today they are classic. What is interesting is the time span in which they became so: 4 months. But actually, it would be classic to call something classic if it concerned, for example, antiquity, classical philology (Greek/Latin), classical music, dance, painting or, more recently, classical role allocation or classical advertising. But video calls? Sorry, that's typical at best.

So who the hell introduced this? An attempt at an explanation: the phenomenon of the rapid ageing of new activities has to do with a changed understanding of history, which has its roots in the exponential technical development of the digitalized world. For digital natives such as Generation Z and Y, the rear-view mirror or - in digital terms - the timemachine seems to be broken or set so that it only goes back to yesterday. They can therefore be forgiven for using it, because in this time frame, everything that has just been appears to be classic. Older people in the industry, however, should perhaps refrain from using this word choice if they still remember the day before yesterday. Otherwise, the usage seems abbreviated.