What modern invention/innovation do you wish had *never* been developed?

[HoosierDaddy]

lol ........I don't have a cell phone anymore for about 3 yrs now and I'm still not sure if I want one,,,

My wife..kids..and Grandkids have them. They keep trying to force one on me with all kinds of reasons why they are a 'must have'. I have absolutely no desire to have one. They all must have the latest and greatest. Thanks..but no thanks.
HD

 

[Edward]

haha That's a good one!

The issue now is the sheer proliferation of cell phones. They are literally everywhere. Everyone has one. I had been using a recording of a standard real live mechanical bell ring tone. I found that so many people use that sound that when a cell phone went off I didn't know if it was mine or not, and had to physically check. So I went back to using songs that I know are mine when my phone rings.

Yes, that's been my eperience too.I usedifferent tunes for differentpeople, so with my most frequent contactsI know who is calling as soon as it rings. I love the convenienceofa mobile, and would hate to be tied to a landline again. I do slightly resent still needing one for the internet.

 

[Stearmen]

The reason I finally got a cell phone was, I ride vintage motorcycles. About a week after my last beak down, I noticed, the pay phone was gone from the store I made a call from. Pay phones are disappearing fast, and I do not wish to leave an expensive motorcycle, by the side of the rode. Also, I don't get lost any more. Funny on the old style bell ring tone, when a group of us over 50s were standing around, we would all pull our phones out to figure whose is ringing. I went with the theme song from The Big Country, no young kid has my ring tone!

 

[Gregg Axley]

I can see that in your case.
In fact, I've been happy to have a phone with me, when my streetrod acted funny.
We lost pay phones a long time ago here, so you were out of luck if something happened.
20yrs ago? You were out of luck if you didn't have quarters, otherwise finding a payphone was the same as it had been for 50yrs.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've had, by far, more trouble with cell-phone using theatre patrons this past year than any other problem -- drunks, babblers, seat-kickers, smugglers of contraband food, none of them are ruder or more obnoxious when confronted about their behavior than the cell-phone obsessives. There have been incidents where I was afraid the offender might actually become violent.

Yesterday we had our annual free Boxing Day show on behalf of a local charity and a middle-aged man who should have known better decided to check his phone in the middle of the film, annoying the people next to him -- and when they asked him to shut it off or take it out to the lobby, Mr. Important Business To Transact shined the thing right in their faces like a flashlight. Needless to say, he got his. It's one thing to act like a jackass when you've paid for a ticket -- but it takes a special kind of super-full-jackass to act that way when you didn't pay a cent to get in.

It's not even the behavior that's indefensible -- which it is -- it's the attitude of incredulous entitlement that comes out when the offender is confronted. People really seem to think they have a God-given right to use a phone anyplace, anytime, any circumstances, and don't you dare try to interfere. And it's not just Those Millenials that do this -- most of the offenders lately have been middle-aged baby-boomer types. And the latter are, by far, the most obnoxious when confronted.

If I could work my will, every fool who goes about with "I've got to take this call" on his lips should be boiled in a pot of solder and buried with a printed circuit board thru his heart. He should!

 

[fashion frank]

Where Did it go ?

Modern American music. No offense, but we have REALLY lost our musical touch these past few years.
Oh, that and the suits at clothing stores made out of God knows what.

I could not agree more !
Now a days every one is a singer , what ever happened to people playing an instrument as well ,all these stupid voyeuristic shows showing one crappy singer after another I can't stand even watching it , but my 12 year old has to watch every show to see who got picked to be on so and so's team ,it turns my stomach .

Thank God for the 1920's radio network ,its funny ,when all the folks were over for Christmass and I had the Network on all ages said more or less
" wow that music is cool" .

All the Best, Fashion Frank

 

[Zombie_61]

...Mr. Important Business To Transact...

That's the excuse that gets under my skin. If it's so important, shouldn't you be elsewhere taking care of that business instead of sitting in a movie theater ruining the experience for everyone else? :mmph:

 

[Virginia Creeper]

I have no issue with cell phones. In fact, I'm quite grateful that a lightweight, pocket sized piece of electronic wizardry is able to function as a virtual office. It is life changing.

 

[Gregg Axley]

It may be, but when I leave the office, I leave it.
I don't want to be found, and I don't want people bothering me.
Even though we have gps on our vehicles, there are a few I forgot to do.

 

[Zombie_61]

I have no issue with cell phones. In fact, I'm quite grateful that a lightweight, pocket sized piece of electronic wizardry is able to function as a virtual office. It is life changing.

Except for my dislike of telephones in general, I have no issue with cell phones either. Some of the people who use them, on the other hand... :kick:

 

[LizzieMaine]

Except for my dislike of telephones in general, I have no issue with cell phones either. Some of the people who use them, on the other hand... :kick:

"Cellphones don't act like jackasses. People with cellphones act like jackasses."

What I can't stand is the modern *expectation* that everyone embraces this always-connected way of life. I use the computer when I feel like using it, but that doesn't mean I *want* to be "constantly connected." When I'm not using the computer, my life is my own, and if people want to get in touch with me they can leave a message at work or try and catch me at home. Or write me a letter or a postcard.

 

[Stearmen]

Here is one for you. Only 9% of Americans, now have no cell phone at all. So, that means, every one around you has one, so the few jerks who are annoying, are really the minority. Most people I know, are pretty courteous with their phones!

 

[Gregg Axley]

Unless you are on one of your phones, and the other one rings.
Then you have to place the other one by your side, to handle the call on the other one.
While annoying, I do it tastefully.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

, so the few jerks who are annoying, are really the minority. Most people I know, are pretty courteous with their phones!

Must be nice for you. Around here many are so loud with their cell phone discussions...that EVERYONE must endure the essence of the annoying one sided conversation. Then there is the cell phone 'daze'. Walking oblivious into creeping Mall traffic (as cars brake for the zombie) while crossing into the parking lot....or abruptly changing lanes in traffic while in deep phone discussion of where they are going..where they have just been or might go later. Mainly unaware and unmindful of manners and most courtesy in their surroundings with only the basic robotlike simplicity of habit and movement as the secondary effort. Then we now have something that might even be worse. They call it 'texting'.
HD

 

[LizzieMaine]

I wonder what percentage of *Loungers* forego the Devil's Earpiece?

Living without a cell phone, I think, makes one that much more aware of the abuses. Those who've given themselves over to the Phorg probably don't consider talking in the middle of a grocery aisle or in a ticket line or behind the wheel of a car to be inappropriate -- but to those of us who are of the few, the proud, the Nine Percent, those types of things range from irritating to inappropriate to dangerous. But once you've been assimilated, those types of things redefine themselves as "normal behavior."

Likewise the idea of what's acceptable public conversation gets redefined once you've got one of those things stuck to your head. The person who might have once never considered discussing the intimate details of their personal life or the personal lives of others in broad daylight on Main Street is now gabbing away obliviously about what the proctologist found inside Uncle Frank or about who that good for nothing louse of a husband of hers got caught sleeping with after the company Christmas party. Every possible unedifying detail of their lives is thrown open to the public, anywhere, anytime -- and they just don't care. I've heard things on the street from cellphone gabbers that wouldn't have been said in a confessional forty years ago.

 

[dh66]

Obviously I have a cell phone, a smart phone even. It's how I'm able to join in these lively discussions. One thing that I see (hear?) all the time is someone on the phone getting into an elevator while saying "I'm getting into an elevator, I'll probably lose you" to whoever it is they are talking to. Obviously they have learned this from past experience, why not just get off the phone before entering the elevator? Basically they are saying to the other person "my time is more important than anything you might have to say, I'm certainly not going to wait on another elevator, even though they run all day."
The one that really gets me,though, is the little earpiece. When I hear someone talking and I look around and see them on the phone, it really doesn't register on me and I go about my day. But when I look around and someone is gesturing with both hands and having a conversation with thin air...... that's a little disconcerting. Crazy. Something you see crackheads doing after a rough night, just before they start beating up a parking meter.
Then there's the little earpiece itself, with it's eerie little blue light. What a fashion statement that is.

Sent from my SGH-T959V using Tapatalk 2

 

[scottyrocks]

I used a bluetooth for a long time because I like to have both hands free. When the last one stopped working I gave up on them. I'm not on the phone that much, anyway. Calling my wife in the middle of the day to say 'hi' is the usual extent of it.

I don't have a smartphone, or an ipad, or a tablet. I won't be tied to the interwebs all day.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I wonder what percentage of *Loungers* forego the Devil's Earpiece?

Living without a cell phone, I think, makes one that much more aware of the abuses. Those who've given themselves over to the Phorg probably don't consider talking in the middle of a grocery aisle or in a ticket line or behind the wheel of a car to be inappropriate -- but to those of us who are of the few, the proud, the Nine Percent, those types of things range from irritating to inappropriate to dangerous. But once you've been assimilated, those types of things redefine themselves as "normal behavior."

Likewise the idea of what's acceptable public conversation gets redefined once you've got one of those things stuck to your head. The person who might have once never considered discussing the intimate details of their personal life or the personal lives of others in broad daylight on Main Street is now gabbing away obliviously about what the proctologist found inside Uncle Frank or about who that good for nothing louse of a husband of hers got caught sleeping with after the company Christmas party. Every possible unedifying detail of their lives is thrown open to the public, anywhere, anytime -- and they just don't care. I've heard things on the street from cellphone gabbers that wouldn't have been said in a confessional forty years ago.

All these years I resisted getting a cell phone and then I finally broke down and got a smart phone earlier this year. But since I never liked interminable yakking when I had the landline, my phone calls are generally very brief and there aren't very many people who call me anyway. And as I go to many yard sales and estate sales the most useful thing about the internet access on my phone is that I could quickly look up the value of something.

What I really hate is when some moron has the volume cranked up all the way that you can hear the entire conversation and he's having a fight with someone. :eusa_doh:

 

[HudsonHawk]

Likewise the idea of what's acceptable public conversation gets redefined once you've got one of those things stuck to your head. The person who might have once never considered discussing the intimate details of their personal life or the personal lives of others in broad daylight on Main Street is now gabbing away obliviously about what the proctologist found inside Uncle Frank or about who that good for nothing louse of a husband of hers got caught sleeping with after the company Christmas party. Every possible unedifying detail of their lives is thrown open to the public, anywhere, anytime -- and they just don't care. I've heard things on the street from cellphone gabbers that wouldn't have been said in a confessional forty years ago.

I've noticed this to be a trend, even without the use of a cell phone. People tend to share way too much personal information. My wife and I have good friends who share with us details of their finances, relationships with their families, and even details of their "private time". Things I would NEVER share with anyone. Likewise, I'm in the process of buying some property adjacent to what I already own. Just this week I was discussing it with the current owner and his wife, and they started in explaining their personal financial troubles, the fight with her brother...and I was thinking "whoa...I don't need to know all of that or why you're selling...I'm just here to discuss the price". I don't know what makes people do this, other than perhaps they're seeking confirmation or are hoping to find some sort of whacked kindred spirit.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Unfortunately there are way too many people out there who see social media as a kind of cheap therapy. When I used to frequent the chatrooms I would invariably get someone who would PM me and start unloading their personal problems on me right off the bat. What a way to get to know somebody. :doh: