Friday, July 24, 2020

Phones and other modern frustrations



I am growing to hate phones.  The worst of the bunch is my cell.  Let's face it a smartphone is a wonderful communications device, but a miserable excuse for a phone.  They are hard to hold, hard to hear, unless you are using a headset or handsfree system, they are miserable excuse for a phone.  My ear sweats against the glass, after a 20 minute call I need a shower, and phone needs a wipe down.  

I am not permanently joined to my cell (mobile) phone.  I generally turn it off at night.  I find working at home that 2 or 3 days a week, I don't turn it on.  

Businesses have defaulted to calling cell phones first, rather than calling landlines or office phones.  This has resulted in me missing three messages in the last month, causing me to rant at least twice about people not contacting me, when they "thought" they had.  If they had called the house phone, I would have heard it, if they had left a message the incessant beeping would have kept me awake until I listened to their message.  If they had left a message in my vacant office, I would have received an email with a recording of the message within 2-minutes.  

I much prefer email.  A couple of years ago, a training service company emailed me, offering to demo their services.  I was somewhat interested, they are doing some cutting edge stuff.  I responded with some specific questions, and clearly saying "Email Is THE BEST WAY TO REACH ME!"  Their reply didn't answer my direct questions, and wanted to know if they could set a time for a phone call.  To this day, I refuse to look at their services.  

Text message can be fun, and fast, and informative, but I run into the same issue that some days I don't turn my cell on, and when I am working, I don't look at it.  It is not a part of my work routine.  

How did cell (mobile) phones become so central to communications that other phones are being abandoned and how did it happen so fast?   

16 comments:

  1. We have Heddy Lamar to thank for the technology behind the cell phone!!!!

    I'm not very good with most technology. As the Dowager Countess said- "Are these objects meant to be means of convivence or torture?"

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    1. Great quote, she was so wise.

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  2. I constantly wonder, "How did we live before mobile phones?" And then I think how wonderful it would be to live without them again.

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    1. Just don't give anyone the number.

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  3. I HATE THE DAMN THINGS and want to shoot the inventor.
    I have a prepaid "flip phone" for road emergencies/texts.
    call my landline & leave a message, or e-mail me.
    mitchell is spot on.

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  4. To answer your final question -- the kids like 'em.

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    1. My nephews seem to permanently attached to their phones

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  5. I have so many gadgety things (courtesy of Balder Half) that I can't tell one iThingy from another. Is it still a cell phone if it's a tablet? What if there's an apple with a bite in it on the back? Doesn't matter, mine is always off unless I choose to use it. No one calls that sucker. I love my landline, oh yes I do. To my old landline I will be true. If it should conk out, I will be blue. Oh landline I love yoooooou!
    What was the question again?

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    1. Why is there a bite out of the Apple?

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  6. The cell phone is a convenience ... one that rarely gets used by me and, for me, a helluva lot cheaper then an over-taxed, fee ridden landline phone! Ugh! I use Consumer Cellular for my cell phone and my tablet is strictly WiFi for no extra monthly charges other then what I pay for my Internet connection and the $5 charge for the WiFi router ... which Spectrum will raise without any kind of notice! That part I hate!
    My phone and tablet both get shut off around 8:30-9 p.m. every night! If anyone DOES call me, it is during the day. I still use email upon occasion and I have that on the phone, tablet and my laptop computer [which I am currently on typing this!].
    Yes ... the conveniences abound and I am happy to have a phone in my pocket or purse when it is needed!

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  7. All good questions. It did happen fast and thoroughly.
    I can't imagine turning my cell phone off. That one is on all the time. However, if I could turn off the house phone I would. Fortunately, work communications are all done through email and Microsoft Teams calls.

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    1. I am still trying to figure out Teams, I like Zoom

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  8. Anonymous7/24/2020

    My phone is my main communication device now, however, I don't always answer calls or reply to anything immediately. When out walking recently, I used the earpiece and mic built into the earpiece to make a couple of calls. It worked well and my hands stayed free, no smeary phone screen. Like you, I am a person of the written word. I like emails, and I like to have a written record.

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  9. Nasty phones; I continually try to keep away from mine.

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