Cell Phones

When I was working I always carried 2 cellphones sometimes three and not by choice either. Now that I am retired you think I want one of those contraptions?

Actually my wife bought me a basic phone. if I remember, I take it when I leave the house but most of the time I don't turn it on. har har.

Hah, you old grumps. My phone is even with me in bed every night. I wake up every morning with the ear bud cord wrapped around my neck after listening to audiobooks until I fall asleep. A day without it would basically kill my business. And seeing as I am the owner of the firm, that makes me having to be available 24/7. And while on it, people leave me alone. Which is a very good thing;)

I think most people "need" smart phones like they need a third eye. For people involved in certain professions it is a necessity. I have to admit I have a cell phone too mostly because I have a 94 year old Mother in Law and we want to be available when not at home in case of emergencies. Other than that I rarely use it. In the car mine operates as a hands free set. That brings me to my biggest complaint about cell phone users.

In my province, for 2013, more people have died on our highways in accidents caused by distracted driving than impaired driving or excess speed. In the vast majority of cases it involved the use of cell phones non hands free. Personally, I don't care if you kill or maim yourself but leave me out of the equation.

Bob

I actually cruise this site using DOS from the 80s. I like the vintage thing you know.

My boss cut my data on my cell because I was going over my limit constantly, because I was on here to often. :) Oh well, just have to run to Timmy Hos or Micy Ds for free Wifi. Usually I have to wait until in home :(.

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Originally Posted by JazzWillie

I use a cell phone extensively for work, but the moment the work day ends, which is a blurred line in construction, the phone hits the top of the dresser. When I'm with someone I am with that person. When I need to go somewhere I do a little preparation, get some directions and go there. Too many people half-heartedly do things while they are on the phone, or they aren't really listening to what the person on the other end is doing, or not totally paying attention.

My wife and I went to a concert not long ago and from the balcony level looking over the dance floor it looked like a bunch of big lightning bugs blipping all over the dance floor. Either they were alone and wanted to show everyone they were doing something, they weren't interested enough in who they were with, or I don't know what. I'm not a big conspiracy theorist but I could really see the smart phone being just the cats meow to advertising firms when it came around. You used to have to sit at the desk in the hallway to talk on the phone.

Then some advertiser was paid by a cord manufacturer to sell people on the idea that if they had a longer cord they could do things while they were on the phone. I call this Level 1 Disconnect. Then the home phone went to multiple locations. Now you could have one in any part of the house. Then the home phone lost its cord all together. Suddenly you're "more free". Level 2 disconnect. Then came mobile phones expensive so not everyone could get one. Now you can do some work on the road. Then the mobile phone got more affordable and small businesses could get them for their employees.

More people have mobile phones means more people are talking on the phone so realistically more work is done more efficiently. Then the mobile phone gets inexpensive. Suddenly everyone can get one. Level 3 disconnect. All of the sudden there is this culture shock that we can talk to anyone who has a mobile phone at anytime so now we feel the compulsion to do so. At the grocery store. At the parts store. Walking down the street. Then they come with games, because people obviously aren't spending enough time on their phones.

Level 4 Disconnect. Then you can store music on it. Then a few phones can do some very basic things on the internet, but this phone isn't really inexpensive enough for everyone. The masses are still enamored with their not so new found method of communication, and the first smart phones didn't have enough shiny things to draw them in. Then suddenly the Palm Pilot came out (maybe not the first of its kind, but I don't know).

Suddenly you can have a small computer and it makes phone calls. Useful in the business world, but advertisers manage to convince people they "need" this shiny thing. But its still bulky and not so easy to just put in your pocket. Then regular mobile phones went through this phase of getting exaggeratedly small. This seemed to distract from the smart phone. Then the IPhone came out. Level 5 disconnect. It looked like your IPod.

Websites embrace this new audience and now we don't need computers to chat with our friends online. (anti)Social Media goes mobile. Heck the whole internet goes mobile. Now people are stuck to their phones where ever they are. If you were told in the 1970's by a salesman that you had to buy a $400 electronic devise, carry it constantly after work and then pay $100 a month to use it you'd have told that guy to take a hike. No one would pay that kind of money for a phone, and why would you need to be on the phone so much anyway?...........

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A couple of strokes on the enter key is a wonderful thing. :beer2:

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

Pixel,,,, you need to go to Wal Mart & get a cheap little prepaid GPS cell phone with a $25.00 limit,,, just for emergencies. You could be headed to the grocery store,,,run into a ditch,,,damage the doors & can't get out,,,succumb to starvation in a week or two,,then get eat'n by bugs,,, all because you didn't have a cell phone. :shrug:

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I am sure it has happened. We have cells and no land lines.

Cell phones are just low power UHF radios with a large repeater system. Most of the communication still travels over land line.

The things you see while driving that really make you think the gene pool needs a good flushing could include this scenario. I have seen this a number of times.

A mother in the family full sized mother ship SUV making a left hand turn in rush hour traffic with infant strapped into a car seat in the back seat. All the while she is yakking on her cell phone hand held. The crowning glory is the baby on board sign in the back window. Yea, the gene pool needs cleaning.

Bob

I see the above so very often! A turn into traffic with a cell phone blocking the vision. I live in a college town and they walk out from between cars or agaanst the light....Oh yea... My fault if I hit one./

I be 74 this year. That said if it works for me I may do it. I have a WallyWorld flip fone from years back. I found a hitch the allows me to pay$100 a year for all I need. It is handy when i am running around and I am able to text (while parked) to a friend or business to get them to call on the landline in the evening. Some of the folks I contact are working and calling voice would disturb the work area. A text says that I am in their area and to call if they want me to stop by. It is nice to be able to get a friend to call when I go to another city and to make arraignments with the spoken word.
Vice versa goes too! some friends \come to my area and can make arraignments with me the same way if I am not at home.

For retired it can be handy but I keep the landline at home also.

Did you know that some hardwire phone companies do have a spam filter?? Yes, It is worth the extra $5 that I pay per month. Only one or two a week get through!

Each person has a choice and I cannot fault that choice.
YMMV~
~Richard

Hey , if it weren't for my smartphone how could I order all my brushes , and razors? I know I,m old but we went to a lot of technology in the oilfield a few years back , so this phone has become a part of me ,, I don't know what it will be like later now that I retired but , I still like to talk to my friends and colleagues so to me it's a phone , yet it still takes care of day to day responsibilitys, I use it to manage my money and bills , haven't used a stamp in years , also it keeps all my notes in one spot , haven't forgotten a birthday from any grandchild or more importantly my wife's! So could do without , but I really don't want to, and it's just a tool to make our life better , just like a car even though it's not needed either!! Tc