The fall of the phone

[Bustercat]

Yep. With new times come new excuses not to pick up the phone. Low battery, poor reception, in a tunnel, in a meeting, on the bus, etc. Just turn the thing off if you don't want people to reach you.

 

[John in Covina]

"Just leave a message, maybe I'll call." - Joe Walsh

 

[Chainsaw]

Ahh.... I used to do things the pure old school way. Like from the country, no calls, just do the drop in thing. If your in the neighborhood you stop in for five minutes. If you gotta pay your bills, whether it's for the insurance company, or whatever you go in person. I still remember the first cell phones. I had to carry it around for my brother when I was a kid. It weiged as much as a small dog, cause it had a base unit.

I belive it was a Diamondtel, which was Mitsubishi. It cost around 1700$ Can, and we only had two Cell providers here in Canada. The monthly cost was around 2Gs(more then a mortgage), because business was booming, my brother had a girlfriend, and lots of side dishes. Now I got my Black Berry, sadly no longer made in Canada.

Cheers

 

[Jennifer Lynn]

Saw a few vintage phones today at an antiques market, but I backed off. I have a landline at home for work which may or may not go away, as well as a cell. Have had a cell for many a year, and didn't truly need one for day to day use until I moved to Florida. It's a cheap way for me to keep in touch with family, friends can get a hold of me in a jiff, and it's been helpful in emergencies (i.e. hurricanes, witness to car accidents, etc) and when on travel. I don't consider myself tethered to it, as I can turn it off and do my own thing.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I worry for my generation

:eusa_doh:

 

[Forgotten Man]

I had a cell for a brief period while working for a construction company in the estimating department… I enjoyed communicating to people while on the road via headset, but I will did not allow my self to be reliant on it for everything like some have become.

It’s always good to keep a phone book with important numbers and contacts incase the little modern miracle is lost or broken.

It is well known that I’m advocate for an old fashioned land line… especially when at home for phone conversations. To hear the ol’ brass bells ring or to use an antique phone is rather fun. And they just look so neat sitting on a small table… will help your interior transform into a more period feel.

There will be another Cell phone in my future I’m sure but, it’s not going to be my crutch in anyway. Mostly for emergencies and such.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

My aging cell phone is starting to qualify as an antique.

I thought about a more modern gadget, but have yet to actually go as far getting a new phone.

But then I'm still waiting for my personal helicopter with a chrome grille.

 

[John in Covina]

Never speak to anyone in person if you can use your cell phone.
Why talk if Ucan txt?

In the end I just can't figure out why I can't meet anybody.
Hold that thought, I have to take this call...

 

[AtomicEraTom]

It's kind of funny. I have one friend that calls me and my parents on occasion, other than that everyone texts me. Today, I got a call from a friend of mine, and I frantically answered the telephone because I figured if he was calling me, there must have been an emergency. Just goes to show how little the phone call is used among young folks.

 

[Pompidou]

I can't live without my iPhone. I need to google/Wikipedia every question that comes to mind before it drives me crazy. The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, and I need the ability to adjust them on the fly. I use the weather to plan ahead, the alarm to make deadlines. I must use every feature except stocks - but that's coming soon. Love the notepad. I don't see the need for a landline. I never really used the phone/texting features the first couple of years I had a cellphone (I didn't get one till the iPhone came out) because I had noone to call, but now I feel like Grand Central Station. I'm actually ignoring the phone half the time, and I like that.

 

[JimWagner]

I've had a cell phone about as long as they've been available. Started out with one mounted in my car. Today I have an Android.

But I've never used more than 15-20 of my minutes in a given month. I absolutely hate talking on the phone, be it a cell phone or my land line. I dislike texting even more.

But it's nice to have it when I need it. If the car breaks down or gets a flat. If I've lost my wife in the mall. To reach my (now grown) kids or they me. To call home if I've forgotten whether I was supposed to pick up bread or milk. To take calls from say the auto shop without having to be stuck at home.

I have to admit that I really do like having access to the web wherever I am. And if I'm stuck in the dentist's waiting room, playing Sodoku on my Android is a lot less boring than reading a 6 week old issue of People.

As a convenience it can't be beat.

 

[Brent Hutto]

It’s always good to keep a phone book with important numbers and contacts incase the little modern miracle is lost or broken.

Or get a really modern miracle that stays sync'd to your MS Exchange server and automatically backed up. I could lose my cell phone and home computer but still be able to look up everything in my address book and calendar from any computer with a browser and E-mail connection.

That's high-tech peace of mind. I figure any disaster that takes out my phone, my computer and my Exchange provider in Canada (and their backup sites) is going to be bad enough I need "Lawyers, Guns and Money" more than I need to look up a phone number...

 

[Mid-fogey]

I was never...

...big on my cell until I got my smart phone. I use it for everything. I slip it in my suit pocket and it gets rid of all sorts of other items.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

By now I am sure most of you have heard at least a small snippet of the Iphone 4 "holding" problems. Well here is one way someone came up with the solve the problem

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Smart phones are the way to go. I have an LG Bliss, and I'm always looking up things on the internet. I do, however hate that it is completely touch screen, as I have chubby fingers.

 

[Helysoune]

I read an article a while back regarding a study that was done on the younger generations, but I couldn't find it to link here. The study concluded that they're less able to interpret emotions and empathize with or adapt to them because they don't have as much face-to-face social interaction. They determined that when the majority of one's communication is written, you don't get opportunity to learn to decipher tone, inflection, facial cues and body language. I thought that was very interesting.

 

[Diamondback]

I read an article a while back regarding a study that was done on the younger generations, but I couldn't find it to link here. The study concluded that they're less able to interpret emotions and empathize with or adapt to them because they don't have as much face-to-face social interaction. They determined that when the majority of one's communication is written, you don't get opportunity to learn to decipher tone, inflection, facial cues and body language. I thought that was very interesting.

Which has some interesting ties with autism-spectrum conditions--perhaps this is why individuals with them tend to communicate better in writing/text than we do in face-to-face interaction.

 

[Mr Vim]

There are many nights when I go out without my phone, and when someone asks for my number or vice versa and I tell them I do not have my phone on me, they look at me as if I said I'm not wearing clothes.

The depedence that people have on their phones these days is ridiculous and the internet phone with its applications like facebook and twitter are making the problem worse.

 

[LizzieMaine]

This afternoon at the theatre I've already had two tourist couples drift in asking if we have a pay phone (I wish we did, but my suggestion got overruled.) Obviously we hard-boiled anti-cell types on the Lounge aren't the only ones who don't buy into the cellphone hype.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

There are many nights when I go out without my phone...

I know how you feel. Very rarely do I get a call or need to place a call on my cell. It seems like lately I have been without my cell more than when I have it on me.