# Am I the only one?



## Sunny (Sep 16, 2011)

I've been told that I am the only person in the world who does not have a cell phone. I'm told I need to get with the times and purchase a Black Berry. 

I just don't think I'm that important that I need to be contacted in produce aisle to be asked what movie I want to watch tonight. People hardly ever talk face to face anymore. My neice sits in her room and texts her mother who is in the kitchen cooking, and asks her "what's for supper". This is crazy. It makes people so lazy. I was watching a movie with my friend in her TV room and she actually texted her boyfriend in the kitchen to bring her a bowl of popcorn. 

Apart from that I find it rude when I'm in the middle of a conversation with someone and all I see is the top of their head while they're bent over texting someone about something that is really unimportant. They text just to text. 

Am I really the only one?!?!? ha ha.


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## aj47 (Sep 16, 2011)

My mother doesn't have one either.  And her answering machine is broken.


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## Sunny (Sep 16, 2011)

Sweet. I'm not the only one. :joyous:


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## Bluesman (Sep 16, 2011)

I,v got one   but i seldom use it and when i do it won't do what i want it to do !!....... it,s a man thing or at least it is with this one


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## Sunny (Sep 16, 2011)

Bluesman, I can see where you're coming from.

I tried to use my friends cell before, and she laughed hysterically when I had to ask how to dial the stupid thing. lol.


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## JosephB (Sep 16, 2011)

Well, you may not be the only one. I don't know. I just bought my mom one, because my dad's in poor health and she needs to able to use it in emergencies or to contact us. I thought she might be the last one. My wife still has just a basic cell phone -- although now she's doing more texting, so she might get one with a keyboard. 

I have a Droid, which is a smart phone -- I have to have it for work. It annoys me that some clients think I should be available at all times. But the fact is, if I'm not, they'll find some one who is. But I don't text and check my email when I'm talking to people. That's just bad manners. People have them and there isn't much you can do about it. They can be very convenient and fun. I was on the internet the other day while I was waiting in line somewhere -- and it helped pass time. I use the GPS. I take notes with it, for work and writing. Sometimes I do like to check my email and get back to clients or co-workers if I think it will save me some grief later on. It's all a trade-off. The benefits mostly outweigh the negatives.


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## beanlord56 (Sep 16, 2011)

I don't have one, and I don't plan on getting one until I have a steady income and can afford to pay my own bills. A PS3 will come before it of course, but I'll still get one in the mid-far future. Whenever I do, I intend on getting a Windows phone.


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## Bloggsworth (Sep 16, 2011)

Never get anything because someone else thinks you should - If you're happy without one, don't get one.


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## Nacian (Sep 16, 2011)

I have one but do not use it.


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## Daveharris118 (Sep 16, 2011)

I held off for man years until my wife was pregnant. When that happened it seemed to be practical in case of an emergency.


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## Sunny (Sep 16, 2011)

Yes. An emergency situation is a good reason to have one. My brother in law has a long commute to work and has to have one in case the car breaks down or something. My drive to work is 6 minutes; I figure I could walk home if I got into car trouble. :lol:


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## elite (Sep 16, 2011)

I do have one, an iPhone, in fact, but I only use the "iPod touch" functionality because I listen to music 24/7.

I think it's necessary to have a phone at hand if something happens, but I rarely use it as a form of communication. My father often text me to check how I'm doing, but that's about all I do with it. This does have its repercussions, though: "damn, I didn't ask for her number" is how most of my fateful, once-in-a-lifetime encounters end.


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## Blood (Sep 16, 2011)

I just down loaded a microwave app.  Now I can use my phone to heat up my food when I'm on the go.


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## Courtjester (Sep 17, 2011)

Sunny said:


> Am I really the only one?!?!? ha ha.



No, you are not! I wouldn't dream having one of those phones.​


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## Sam (Sep 17, 2011)

I believe Stephen King doesn't own a mobile phone, thus the premise behind his novel _Cell. _

I own one but rarely use it. It's more for emergencies than wasting money talking to someone I could meet in town and have the same conversation with. I have cousins who spend up to fifty pounds a month on phone credit. That's madness.


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## moderan (Sep 17, 2011)

I have one but it's for emergencies. I don't, however, have a playstation, xbox, or anything like that.


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## patskywriter (Sep 17, 2011)

I do have a cell phone and, for the most part, have pretty much abandoned my house phone. However, I'm still old-school. My friends think that it's so cute that I still carry a small notebook in my back pocket and a pen clipped to my shirt. Some habits never die.


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## garza (Sep 17, 2011)

Don't have one, don't want one, and know of no one else in Belize over the age of ten who does not have one. There are people who go hungry to pay the 'phone bill.

edit - patskywriter - My notebook and pencil, as shown in my avatar, always ride in my shirt pocket. I carry two mechanical pencils and a tube of lead. Always have, always will. Pens can fail unexpectedly, but a pencil is faithful as long as it's fed regularly.


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## RoundEye (Sep 19, 2011)

People buy cell phones in case of an emergency, I’ve never known anyone to use one in an emergency. Have you ever used one in an emergency? 

I’ve never texted nor do I plan to. The only good thing about texting from room to room, is it stops lazy people from yelling room to room. Which I can’t stand either.


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## moderan (Sep 19, 2011)

Yes. I have used my phone thrice in the case of emergencies.


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## Gamer_2k4 (Sep 20, 2011)

Sunny said:


> Yes. An emergency situation is a good reason to have one. My brother in law has a long commute to work and has to have one in case the car breaks down or something. My drive to work is 6 minutes; I figure I could walk home if I got into car trouble. :lol:



I have one instead of a landline; it's also there in case there's an emergency.  Also, being able to send a text simultaneously to a half dozen people is a lot more convenient than calling each one separately.

However, I wouldn't buy a smartphone, since I have no need for one.  I have what's called a Tracfone; it's a 20 dollar phone that you load up with minutes (I get 1000 for about 100 bucks) and just replenish when necessary.  I don't know if it's available where you live, but perhaps there's something similar?


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## egpenny (Sep 20, 2011)

I have had one for a long time, I travel alone, a lot, and have used my cell for emergencies over 5 times, once in the Mojave desert when I stuck my RV in the sand, several times for jump starts, until I bought a batt charger and a couple times for flat tires. Maybe more than 5 times. I like to text if I need to contact anybody, then I don't have to talk to them and can quit the texting when I want...I hate using the phone.  I have an Iphone, curtesy of my son-in-law...he likes me:sentimental:


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## Sunflower (Sep 20, 2011)

I've let my cell account expire due to financial reasons.  It's cheaper to share a landline with my roommate.  I'm not big on electronics generally.  They take up too much time, make me too vulnerable to ambush by people I'm trying to avoid, and I'm too busy as it is.  However, being a writer and a student, my computer is my dearest possession.


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## Colden (Sep 22, 2011)

Blues...I don't believe it's a "man" thing at all...
I too have one that I keep in the car with a cig lighter charger in the event I get stranded.
But, like you...it has a mind of its own when it comes to doing what I would like it to do.


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## Josephine Falnor (Sep 23, 2011)

I didn't have one for a long time. I only got one for emergencies, so I never used it. I finally did get an actual cell phone for texting and stuff a month ago, but that's only because my girlfriend is long-distance. But, yeah, I didn't have one for a long time. ^^


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## Amber Leaf (Sep 24, 2011)

I use mine loads because we don't have a landline in the house but I sometimes think that it might have been better back in the days were me and friends used to have to arrange a time and place to meet up or call on each other's houses when wanting to see each other.

Mobile phones are very useful though and I'm glad they exist.


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## Writ-with-Hand (Sep 24, 2011)

Aside from the elderly, the young and fit should be adapting to a technologically competitive and changing world. 

It particular annoys me when those of atheist and agnostic faiths, cry foul religiously, when Darwinian reality runs over them leaving them in the heap of losers and the obsolete. Pick up your cleats and plant your feet in the mud.

There are young people in the slums of China and Latin America with cell phones. The reason I currently don't own one is because I have diminished my competitive edge through the man-made disease of substance addiction. I know little to nothing about how cell phones work or their plans. But I'm slowly learning. Either I get in the game or I die.

I'll purchase one very soon. Very soon. Thanks to the V.A. I'll be receiving a small income - no thanks to Social Security. And with that said, I can and will do with out expensive plans and the internet. I won't be able to afford it. However, those options are resourceful and excellent for those that can afford them. Both my aunt and lawyer use electronic calendars on their cells to rapidly log or retrieve important dates and information.  

When in Rome....


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## Zootalaws (Oct 20, 2011)

Sunny said:


> I've been told that I am the only person in the world who does not have a cell phone. I'm told I need to get with the times and purchase a Black Berry.



i don't have one. No need. The country we live in has just on 400,000 people, we are the only white people for miles around, if I am not where she expects me to be, my wife can just ask someone passing on the street, they will probably know where I am  Other than that, I don't feel the need to be available 24/7.

If I were working it would be a different story, but the most pressing thing I have to do is to decide at which beach to go practice with my kite...

As to texting, yes - it is really rude.


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## garza (Oct 20, 2011)

Zootalaws - My country is smaller than your country. How's that for one-upmanship? If I were still active in the news gathering busines I would need a cell phone, no question. I'm not, so I don't.

Writ-with-Hand - How does my lack of religious faith relate to my lack of a cell phone? Is possession of a cell phone a new requirement to be considered one of the faithful?


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## Bilston Blue (Oct 20, 2011)

I have two mobiles, both for work. Apart from work I rarely use them. I may be about to take possession of a Blackberry (freebie) but wouldn't know how to go about using one. 

To me telephones are a distraction, a disturbance. Trying to write and the home phone will ring. No one important, just an oik trying to sell me some new windows. I'll try again and get a work-related text message which needs replying to. Then, when watching the football the geezer who tried to sell me some windows will try again. If it's a really big match the mobiles go off, home phone is unplugged, and curtains get closed. And the doorbell has a nasty electric current running through it, too; that's useful if anybody traverses the poo filled ditch protecting the front of my house. It's not really a moat as I live in small townhouse. 

I think when I am a famous novelist I will be one of those never-seen-in-public recluses.

Now, please leave me alone.


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## Zootalaws (Oct 20, 2011)

garza said:


> Zootalaws - My country is smaller than your country. How's that for one-upmanship?



No, Belize is significantly larger than Brunei - 22,966 km2 v 5,765 km2 and with a population within 20% of each other... I daresay you have more tourists, we have more 'guest workers'


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## feralpen (Oct 20, 2011)

Like some others, I like having a cell phone when I travel. Recently I was able to call my mechanic and get my truck going with his help. If not for that I would have had a very large tow bill. Also, I ALWAYS get a model which includes a camera. The cameras are not always great, but the very best camera you can own is the one you are most likely to have with you when the want or need arises. (Even a poor picture is good for your insurance company if you need to file a claim for damages on your vehicle). Most now have a GPS chip and can be very helpful in finding you if you are lost. Texting makes communication possible when in a place you do not wish to talk. 

There are advantages to cell use and in this country at least, remember, you don't need minutes to call 911. Any working cell phone with any charge in the battery will call out to 911. Hope none of you ever need that though.


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## Die Oldhaetunde (Oct 20, 2011)

I do not own a cell phone.


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## Writ-with-Hand (Oct 21, 2011)

feralpen said:


> Like some others, I like having a cell phone  when I travel. Recently I was able to call my mechanic and get my truck  going with his help. If not for that I would have had a very large tow  bill. Also, I ALWAYS get a model which includes a camera. The cameras  are not always great, but the very best camera you can own is the one  you are most likely to have with you when the want or need arises. (Even  a poor picture is good for your insurance company if you need to file a  claim for damages on your vehicle). Most now have a GPS chip and can be  very helpful in finding you if you are lost. Texting makes  communication possible when in a place you do not wish to talk.
> 
> There are advantages to cell use and in this country at least, remember,  you don't need minutes to call 911. Any working cell phone with any  charge in the battery will call out to 911. Hope none of you ever need  that though.





garza said:


> Writ-with-Hand - How does my lack of religious faith relate to my lack of a cell phone? Is possession of a cell phone a new requirement to be considered one of the faithful?



:lol: Only if you're a Jesuit, Mormon with six wives, or Muslim on an airplane. No, I joke.

Feralpen's post above is one I would endorse. And to be honest with you I don't really like the rapid change in technology today. It makes me very uncomfortable. But this is life. At least life in the "first worlds" as it is now.

Or put it this way... many decades ago in the United States owning a personal vehicle was not a requirement for construction work. In fact, very old people will recall to you how "in their day" a construction company's van would come and pick up the workers. Today, very few construction companies will hire an applicant that doesn't own a vehicle. Fair? Mean? Or just a Darwinian reality?    

When competing for a single job/position against 5, 10, 30, 100, 5,000 other applicants you better be close to perfect. When another applicant owns tools of speed and you don't, it might cost you. 

Right now, with my cellphone, I've been able to accomplish more in two days than I would in two months without a phone. Especially, when you factor in instability of housing. This phone will also be crucial in me finding a lawyer for my lawsuit. Already, my current criminal lawyer (public defender) is able to stay in contact with me via voice mail on my phone.

Adapting to a changing world, along with technological changes, and competition within one's own species is an amoral issue in Darwinian terms. Altruism is not the only phenomenon to account for in Darwinian evolution. Competition is real. Not only is it real, the theory of evolution claims it is good, because it creates selective pressures. We can apply that philosophically - from a non-theist view - to the world we live in, reality, and our lives. 




But you are old now, garza. I'm sure you already realize you have more years behind you then ahead of you. There will be no more young, tight body Thai girls for you. So, I don't think this (competition) should be your burden. For the young, whatever their "belief system."


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## JosephB (Oct 21, 2011)

I don't mind if people don't have cell phones. I am a little annoyed when people who don't have one act like it's something special. Like, I'm not a slave to technology! Really, I think it's dumb not to have one, unless there is some reason you just can't afford it. And having a cell phone can cost a lot less a land line -- and you get more features and usually free long distance. For most people, it's a no-brainer. Not something to be all proud of.


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## DAAR84 (Oct 22, 2011)

I have a cell phone but it's rarely used.


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## helium (Oct 22, 2011)

Don't think I'll ever get one, no use for me. I heard using those phones too much causes cancer


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## garza (Oct 22, 2011)

Joe - I'm happy that you are not offended because I do not have a cell phone. I'm 71, semi-retired, with no urgent busines to attend to. If I were still active in the field as a reporter, a cell phone would be a necessity, right along with my pencil, notepad, and camera. 

Today a notebook computer goes with me when I travel. I use it to type up my notes in hotel rooms at night. But I'm no longer a frontline reporter. My travels are to gather background information for articles on such topics as rural development and education reform. I no longer write for the six o'clock news. There is no need to be in touch 24-7.

My attitude toward technological development is one of full approval. But that does not mean I support the theory that many have that says 'if it's there, you must have one'. My own theory is that when I see a need for a device, I will own one. Belize Telecom is moving toward eliminating landline service altogether. They've not said so, but I can read their thoughts when I see the massive upgrade in wireless infrastructure going on around the country. When that day comes, I'll have a cell phone. If I see a need for one, or an advantage in having one, before then, I'll have a cell phone. Until then I'll continue to do without, just as I do without other appliances which are available but for which I have no need, such as a tv. I'm sorry if that offends others.

What offends me is the attitude that because I do not own a particular device, I am a 21st Century Luddite. So regarding cell phones I'll say again that I do not have one, do not need one, do not plan to get one in the near future.


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## JosephB (Oct 22, 2011)

If you made a study of it and decided you don't need one, fine. What annoys me are people who dismiss the idea without comparing costs and considering the additional features and benefits of a cell phone. I don't know about where you live, but it usually costs less to use a cell phone than a landline. It especially makes sense for individuals. We ditched our landline a couple of years ago when it we realized we rarely used it -- and we haven't missed it a bit. For most people, the safety factor alone makes it worthwhile. Plus, it gives you the flexibility to talk to people no matter where you are -- if you choose to. What's the downside of that?


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## garza (Oct 22, 2011)

I need a landline to get Internet, without which I would be dead in the water. Satelite Internet service is illegal unless you are in an area without BTL service. The Internet line is A/DSL, so telephone service comes with it. I use prepaid, so the telephone service has no fixed cost. 

The downside is that I have no desire to talk to people wherever I am. When I travel, the time spent on a bus or in a plane is good study time or thinking time. In the archives or the library I want to be left strictly alone except for an attendant who helps me find what I'm looking for. The fact is, I'm not a telephone person anywhere. I rarely use the one at the house. I detest getting dragged into a long conversation on the phone. That's why I love email so much. When I'm in the mood for conversation I go visit someone, or go to a restaurant or bar where my friends hang out. I've been accused of being rude on the telephone. I'm not rude, just terse. 

Now I think about it, bottom line is I don't like telephones of any sort except when used strictly for the exchange of essential information when no other means is available. Again, hurrah for email. My son and I exchange emails two or three times a week, average message length one or two short sentences. That's all that's needed. David has a cell phone, but he needs it running his construction company. It's a business tool.

And that's what any device ought to be. A tool. My computers are tools I use for specific purposes. My microwave oven is a tool I use to prepare food. When the day comes that I see a need for a cell phone, I'll get one.


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## The Backward OX (Oct 22, 2011)

JosephB said:


> Plus, it gives you the flexibility to talk to people no matter where you are -- if you choose to. What's the downside of that?



It also gives *them* the flexibility to talk to *you*, no matter where you are. That's the downside. I'm not about to start jumping through hoops for anybody.


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## Jaé D. (Oct 22, 2011)

The Backward OX said:


> It also gives *them* the flexibility to talk to *you*, no matter where you are. That's the downside. I'm not about to start jumping through hoops for anybody.



Exactly!!!  That's exactly how I feel about cellphone use.  
I have a landline and a cellphone.  I'm required to have a cellphone in my career.  I do see the advantages of it for convenience (my own not anyone else's except my mother, sister, and brother), for emergencies, and I must say happily to be able to take pictures of things (e.g. something I see in a store).

Aside from that, I am resisting with all my might the pull of my colleagues (all younger than me) to start TEXTING.  I don't want to text.  It takes  too much time when I can just leave a voice message.   They will send me texts, and occas. out of kindness I'll text back.  Half the time I peck at the wrong key and have to clear it, it's ridiculous.
People ask me, "do you text?"   I blatantly answer, no.   

Sad to say, a day may come when samples of handwritten documents will be in the Smithsonian American History museum along with the typewriter.  People will say, "people used what was called an INKPEN or a PENCIL or a MARKER to do what was called WRITING back then.  Back then, all signatures were done by HAND.  Look at these samples and how some of them were totally illegible."


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## Rob (Oct 22, 2011)

I don't think it makes people lazy, any more than the car or the tv remote control does. They're a convenience. If you don't need one, no worries. I went for years without one, until I was stuck in gridlocked traffic following an accident and my 30 minute commute took 4 hours, by which time my wife was frantic and my young kids had gone to bed in some distress. I'm not a heavy user, but it does come in handy. Knowing that I can phone downstairs and let my wife know there's no toilet roll brings a peace of mind that was denied to my ancestors.


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## Reavyn (Oct 22, 2011)

I have a cell phone, but I rarely use it. 

But, honestly, I think you should at least buy one of those cheap throw away phones. You don't even have to put money on it. Just keep it for emergencies. As long as it is charged you can dial 911.


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## JosephB (Oct 22, 2011)

The Backward OX said:


> It also gives *them* the flexibility to talk to *you*, no matter where you are. That's the downside. I'm not about to start jumping through hoops for anybody.



That's what caller ID and voice mail are for. What -- do you think because you have a cell phone you're somehow forced to answer it??


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## JosephB (Oct 22, 2011)

garza said:


> And that's what any device ought to be. A tool.



Mine is a tool also. I don't get on it just to yammer. For me, it makes life easier. Most people who resist using a cell phone usually discover that once they get one.


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## garza (Oct 22, 2011)

Reavyn - A cheap cell phone in Belize costs over a hundred dollars, unless you buy one from one of the fellows on the street selling them out of an old van. And that business is about to be put out of business by a new law that requires ownership registration of every cell phone. The law was passed as a way of combating drug trafficking, but is also expected to have a demoralising effect on the sale of stolen cell phones. Now the Police will know who owns which cell phones and can track those that are used for illicit purposes.


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## Anders Ämting (Oct 22, 2011)

Cellphone? I don't even have internet access! [_citation needed_]


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## The Backward OX (Oct 22, 2011)

garza said:


> Reavyn - A cheap cell phone in Belize costs over a hundred dollars, unless you buy one from one of the fellows on the street selling them out of an old van. And that business is about to be put out of business by a new law that requires ownership registration of every cell phone. The law was passed as a way of combating drug trafficking, but is also expected to have a demoralising effect on the sale of stolen cell phones. Now the Police will know who owns which cell phones and can track those that are used for illicit purposes.


And what exactly is going to persuade the crims to register their stolen phones? C'mon, garza, I expect better than that from you.


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## garza (Oct 22, 2011)

You may not realise that each phone has a unique electronic signature, its own 'call sign'. Remember that a cell phone is a tiny two-way radio. It must call the system with its 'call sign' and ask for service. Normally all requests for service are allowed, but the system can selectively allow or deny service to any cell phone. Everyone has been given six months to register their phones. Aftrer that an unregistered phone will be useless, service denied. Registered phones will betray their general location by which cell they sign into. Thus Police can track a phone to the area where it's being used. They can do that now, but without registration they don't have a name to go with the phone. If a registered phone is stolen, the owner is supposed to immediately report it missing. 

A few drug dealers have been caught because they were not aware that public pay phones in Belize are fixed-cell phone. In the old days a good way to make a call and be assured it would not be intercepted by Police was to use a randomly picked pay phone. Some time would be spent trying to trace the call. That won't work today because the system knows exactly which phone is being used to make a call, with no need to trace through all the wired connections of a landline system. Thus Police have an exact location for the phone.

Conversations are far easier to intercept when they are by cell phones because the phone and the cell are talking to one another over the air. The newer systems are encrypted, but that only stops people who have simple scanners from hearing a conversation. The Police can intercept any call because they have the encription key.


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## Writ-with-Hand (Oct 22, 2011)

JosephB said:


> That's what caller ID and voice mail are for. What -- do you think because you have a cell phone you're somehow forced to answer it??



I was going to tell Ox that you can keep your cellphone turned off (the caller will be directed to voice mail) but I figured someone else would mention it.


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## The Backward OX (Oct 22, 2011)

I can see a resurgence in the use of CB radio in Belize.

_Breaker One-Nine, this here's the Duck. You got a copy on me, come on?_


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## garza (Oct 22, 2011)

You ain't gonna believe this, old son, but I sat here and watched 'Convoy' this afternoon. Word up. That Rubber Duck's sump'm, ain't he?

There would be an advantage over cell phone use. A cb radio would require triangulation to locate, and the radios do not identify themselves the way cell phones do. Something to think about.


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## Zootalaws (Oct 23, 2011)

JosephB said:


> I don't know about where you live, but it usually costs less to use a cell phone than a landline.



A landline here costs $13/month. A $10 cellphone credit lasts two weeks and gives you 20c/min. A cell account, as opposed to PAYG costs a minimum of $50/month, with minimal free minutes and texts. They cost on top. The cost of a cellular phone is also high. A basic Nokia runs to $60, anything remotely 'smart' is $300+

As a purely cost-based exercise there is no comparison.



garza said:


> Conversations are far easier to intercept when they are by cell phones because the phone and the cell are talking to one another over the air. The newer systems are encrypted, but that only stops people who have simple scanners from hearing a conversation. The Police can intercept any call because they have the encription key.



Not entirely true, but the semantics are less important than the fact that the police can more easily intercept a call when it is made ad-hoc.


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## garza (Oct 23, 2011)

My post was based on research, including interviews with Police intelligence officers and personally experimenting, with the help of a ham radio operator/computer geek, to see how easily cell phone conversations can be monitored. Remember that the whole celular concept was first developed by amateur radio operators as a way of using more of the uhf spectrum. 

With landline phones a physical connection, either direct or by induction, must be used to monitor a conversation. No such physical connection is needed to monitor cell phones. The cell phones broadcast their signals in all directions. The monitoring equipment is compact and easily adapted for portable/mobile use. No big obvious vans need apply. A Volkswagen sedan or an old Ranger pickup will do just fine. Combine a few mobile units with a central communications centre and you can track down and monitor any cell phone conversation in the country. Once all cell phones are registered, the name and address of a cell phone's owner can be displayed. 

24/7 random sampling of cell traffic in areas of interest will eventually produce results. The system can also be told to alert security personnel and display the location when a specific phone signs on . 

My grandfather told me, more than once, never to write down anything I would not want to see in the newspaper. Today I would tell you never to say anything on a cell phone that you don't want broadcast on the radio or 'taken down and used as evidence in a court of law' as the old warning has it. 

No, I do not have a cell phone. Maybe one day. If that day comes, rest assured that my conversations will be brief and boring.


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## garza (Oct 23, 2011)

My only technical qualification is a long out-of-date FCC first phone w/shipboard radar, (They quit issuing those years ago.) so your level of expertise far exceeds mine. But while I'm not an engineer or technician, I am a professional asker-of-questions, a paid Nosey Parker, if you will. What I have said is what I have had explained and demonstrated to me. 

Regardless of the technical details of what was inside the boxes I played with, I saw that cell phone conversations can be monitored. All I saw depended entirely on the fact that the communication between the cell and the phone must be wireless, and thus susceptible to monitoring provided the right equipment is available. 

If a security agency wants to monitor a telephone conversation, a court order is required in most jurisdictions. Monitoring at fixed-line stage requires the co-operation of non-security personnel. A technician employed by the company will need to make the connection. Monitoring off the air does not require any non-security personnel. While a court order may be needed for such monitoring to be legal, it can be done without witnesses and information can be gathered to aid in an investigation. 

All this I was told by the people who set up the demonstrations. 

While I do not have a cell phone, I exercise the same caution on my landline phone that I would exercise on a cell phone, were I ever to get one. An old bureau chief in a distant land told me half a century ago that I should always assume my phone is tapped, my mail is read, and my conversations recorded, echoing what my grandfather had said. Too many people who use cell phones have the idea that what they say cannot be overheard by anyone other than the person they are talking with. They do not know that people with the right expertise and the right equipment can listen to anything they want.


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## The Backward OX (Oct 23, 2011)

garza said:


> My grandfather told me, more than once, never to write down anything I would not want to see in the newspaper.


Sixty or so years ago my dad told me the same thing. It makes one wonder what these oldies had been up to, earlier, to have obtained this wisdom.


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## Rustgold (Oct 24, 2011)

I have a cell phone.  It's been propping up my bedroom fan inside my window each sumner for several years now.

A $60 cell phone to prop up a $20 box fan... priceless.


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## felix (Oct 29, 2011)

I have a blackberry, but I hate it. 
Personally, I'd prefer not to have one, but calls don't annoy me as much as text messages. Landlines have a certain attraction, but even they annoy me on principle.


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## MaggieMoo (Oct 29, 2011)

Bilston Blue said:


> I have two mobiles, both for work. Apart from work I rarely use them. I may be about to take possession of a Blackberry (freebie) but wouldn't know how to go about using one.
> 
> To me telephones are a distraction, a disturbance. Trying to write and the home phone will ring. No one important, just an oik trying to sell me some new windows. I'll try again and get a work-related text message which needs replying to. Then, when watching the football the geezer who tried to sell me some windows will try again. If it's a really big match the mobiles go off, home phone is unplugged, and curtains get closed. And the doorbell has a nasty electric current running through it, too; that's useful if anybody traverses the poo filled ditch protecting the front of my house. It's not really a moat as I live in small townhouse.
> 
> ...



Oh my gosh...  I felt like I was reading me.  Ha ha.  Except for the football.  I cannot stand my phones, I only care when it rings and the familiar numbers are my kids.  Nothing else matters.  Writing and kids.  I cannot handle those salespeople...  They drive me insane.  I now have an answering machine and screen all my calls.  I never pick up the home phone.  Buying a mobile phone was my biggest mistake ever.  Now people who know me off line can locate me anywhere, so I started turning that thing off as well, thus allowing those calls to go to message bank and be screened.  Like you Bliston, I am slowly becoming a hermit and am quite happy to do so...  So when we are both famous authors (Sense the excitement in that statement) a recluse will be ok by us.  
Oh and when the kids are a tad older I will be tossing away my mobile.  Ha ha.  They know they can catch me online.


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## Brendan M (Oct 31, 2011)

Sunny said:


> People hardly ever talk face to face anymore.
> 
> Am I really the only one?!?!? ha ha.



I don't have one and I'm 18.  I quite dislike them, despite their convenience.  

I completely agree with you.  Modern technology, specifically with regards to communication, has stripped a lot of people of pieces of their humanity.  I adore intimacy and honesty and eye contact in person combined, and I don't think the former two can be properly shown in texts or through FB or its siblings.

I use FB quite a lot since I don't have a phone when it comes to organising things, although if something important's to be spoken about, I'm huge on it being in person.  It's just that much more special... and, well, real.


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## Sunny (Oct 31, 2011)

Brendan M said:


> I don't have one and I'm 18. I quite dislike them, despite their convenience.
> 
> I completely agree with you. Modern technology, specifically with regards to communication, has stripped a lot of people of pieces of their humanity. I adore intimacy and honesty and eye contact in person combined, and I don't think the former two can be properly shown in texts or through FB or its siblings.
> 
> I use FB quite a lot since I don't have a phone when it comes to organising things, although if something important's to be spoken about, I'm huge on it being in person. It's just that much more special... and, well, real.



Exactly... to ALL OF IT! ;0)


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## JosephB (Oct 31, 2011)

Brendan M said:


> Modern technology, specifically with regards to communication, has stripped a lot of people of pieces of their humanity.  I adore intimacy and honesty and eye contact in person combined, and I don't think the former two can be properly shown in texts or through FB or its siblings.



That would be assuming that talking on the  phone or texting somehow REPLACES human contact. I would contend that's rarely the case. Most people use the phone in addition to face-to-face contact and very often use a cell phone to facilitate it. What you're saying is a common misconception among people who don't have cell phones. The same goes for FB.

Almost everyone has a cell phone or does some kind of social networking. And yet, people still make friends and hang out and date and get married and have babies. How does all that happen if everyone is holed up in his or her room texting or talking on a cell phone or glued to Facebook?? In fact, you're more likely to be left at home sitting by yourself if you don't have the means to communicate with the rest of the planet.


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## garza (Oct 31, 2011)

Is that some sort of rule, that because I don't have a cell phone I'm not supposed to be out and about, visiting friends, going to parties, attending meetings and workshops and seminars and speaking at many of them, traveling around the country talking to farmers, extension agents, agro-business people, or going to Belmopan or Cayo or Punta Gorda for no other reason than to catch up with what people are doing? So without a cell phone I'm supposed to stop all that and sit home? Bull. There's a world out there I'm still a part of. 

The day I see a personal need for one, I'll get one, and if I get one I'll want one of the better models. That means six or seven hundred dollars here, with high usage charges. For a couple of hundred dollars more I can upgrade one of my older computers with a new motherboard. Guess which one would take priority.


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## JosephB (Oct 31, 2011)

It's a different culture here Garza. If you're a young person here -- there's a very good chance you'll miss out on things if you don't have cell phone. It's that simple. And it's cost effective to own one here. You're comparing apples to oranges. I realize that not everyone on the forum lives in a place where they're affordable -- but I'm betting your situation is atypical. To put it bluntly -- I'm not really talking to you.


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## Sunny (Oct 31, 2011)

I do have a home phone with an answering machine if someone wants to get in touch with me. I have email, and of course facebook. My job doesn't require me to have a cell phone and I just think I'd have one sitting in my purse just to have it if I bought one. I don't need to text friends about the Maple Leafs game I'm going to next weekend... they can leave a message on my home phone. I don't really miss out on anything... people know how to get in touch with me. ;0)


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## JosephB (Oct 31, 2011)

Sure -- and I wouldn't be surprised if your friends go out of their way to accommodate you because you don't have cell phone. Ask one of them. I'm also guessing that you'd see it was much easier to manage your social life if you had one -- and allow you to do a lot more things on the fly. You're not always tied down to things that are arranged in advance. But really, there's simply no way to know how much more convenient it is to have a cell phone unless you've used one. Do think there's any possibility that you might get a cell phone and then ask yourself how you got along without it? No??


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## Gamer_2k4 (Oct 31, 2011)

JosephB said:


> Do think there's any possibility that you might get a cell phone and then ask yourself how you got along without it? No??



Well, that might be the thing.  All of my friends have smartphones, and none of them can imagine living without them.  I don't want to be there.  I'm happy with my cheap fliptop phone, and I don't want move to the state where I can't go back to that.


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## Sunny (Oct 31, 2011)

I'll be sure to ask if they go out of their way for me. I've been told I need to get a cell from them just so they can tell me what's happening on their drive home... some jerk just cut them off, or about some new shoes they just got. Or, I don't know, I guess I miss out on the picture texts. You know the ones where they see someone in public doing something... lets say questionable... or wearing something that's worth digging their phone out for, and I don't get that picture right away. That's okay. They just email it to me later. I'm usually with someone who has a cell anyway, so if someone else needs to reach me, they can call that person. It works, and I save $70/mth. Splendid. I just don't see how it's going to change my life to have one. Besides an emergency situation of course.


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## JosephB (Oct 31, 2011)

OK. Point taken. I guess it all depends on your friends. Mine don’t send pictures or talk about traffic or shoes or otherwise waste my time. And if they tried, I wouldn’t buy into it. The phone doesn’t control me – I’m not forced to answer it or return calls. I use it to make plans and catch up with people who I care about and vice verse. A cell phone is only a hassle or a time-waster if you allow it. It’s up to you.


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## philistine (Jan 8, 2012)

I own a phone, though I was never one of those 'phone people', as it were. There was a period where I didn't own one for about two years, though employment obligations shanghaied me into buying one. I rarely use it, and ten pounds worth of credit lasts me anywhere from two to four months. If it wasn't for interview calls, etc, I'd discontinue use of it altogether. 

Telephones; wretched things. Ring, ring! Stop what you're doing, and answer me!


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## Rhys (Jan 9, 2012)

I just bought a phone - $30 - you can phone and text. 

It has a game, but it's pretty crappy. It's a Nokia and it's blue -and it has a torch built-in - is that cool or what???

The PAYG money ran out before I used hardly any of it. So I keep a $5 top-up stuck in the back in case I need it.


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## thinkingaboutit (Jan 9, 2012)

I have one instead of having a landline, but I use it for phone calls and that's it. I asked the provider to disable texting and any online access. I don't like texting and made that clear to friends who would text me - but they would continue to text instead of call. So I just made it impossible. I can't image missing it; I have no desire to learn to type with my thumbs.


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## justbishop (Jan 9, 2012)

I held out for a long time against them, and then when I did finally replace my landline with a mobile, I held out against a fancier phone for a couple of years too. I now have an Android based smartphone (have had a smartphone of some kind for about 4 years now), and I definitely feel like it makes my life a little better. I am socially awkward as far as vocal convos go, so I much prefer texting to phone calls as a form of communication. It's the same reason I prefer forums over chat rooms...I have time to think about what I want to say without the time pressures that come when someone is actively waiting for a response. I use the turn by turn gps to find my way around every so often. I also enjoy the ability to jump on Facebook to message with friends or share a quick photo of my daughter seconds after I've taken it, and the web browser comes in handy for looking up the 40% off coupon when I'm buying yarn at Hobby Lobby or wanting to compare prices/do on the fly research before an impulse purchase


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## IanMGSmith (Jan 9, 2012)

Kid: "Dad, you can switch the phone off if you don't want to take calls." 

Me: "Then I'll have to deal with the messages, won't I."

Kid: "You can unsubscribe to messages."

Me: "Ok, I keep it switched off, I unsubscribe to messages and let's say I also unsubscribe to phoning *out *so I'm not expected to call anyone, especially when I'm doing something nice that'll make me late ...tell me again why I need one!" LOL

He never nagged again about the phone so I've still got a wonderful happy simple life.

He did get me to stop smoking, bless his heart.


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## Like a Fox (Jan 9, 2012)

Haha. You're all weird. I'm addicted to my iPhone and have absolutely no qualms about it being an excellent addition to my life. It's a hand held computer. How is that bad? Half the time when I'm at home I won't even bother getting my computer out. I go on MSN on my phone, muck around on Facebook, text people. My little sister and I will text each other stupid pictures while we're sitting right next to each other. I have this cool app called Instagram. You can follow people, or add friends, and then you can all see each other's photos. I made a whole series on Christmas day. Some people are ammatuers. Some are professional photographers. It means everywhere I go now, I think about good photos I could take, just so I can share them on Instagram. Something creative I wasn't doing before.

My Mum was cooler than me and had an iPhone way before I did. She really loved this app where you can scan barcodes (using the camera) of things around the house that you need more of and it gets added to a shopping list. You can even process that shopping list right off your phone and organise home delivery, which was great for her when she got really sick. 

I have google at my fingertips at all times. You know those annoying conversations where people are arguing over some stupid fact/date/trivia? I can just look it up and solve everything. Wikipedia everywhere you go. I have an IMDB app on my phone, so if I'm watching a DVD at home and I decide I love the lead actor, I can go straight to their IMDB and look up what else they've been in. I'm pretty sure I could even download the movie on my phone. I also log onto here on my phone if I haven't been on a computer in a while. It's good for reading stories in the workshop when there's nothing to do. I was away with a friend and she was showering and I was bored. So I read two workshop stories and wrote up crits for them, right there on my phone.

There's a game that was so huge called Words with Friends. It was just scrabble, but you could play against people. And you didn't have to be anywhere near each other. I have friends in America I was playing against.
Before my mum died she started playing with my stepmum. Mum had never wanted to be her friend, and if it weren't for Scrabble, I doubt they would have ended on the friendly note that they did. It was an olive branch in the form of a scrabble game.

Most of my friends also have iPhones, or at the very least smart phones. Texts are basically unlimited. Sometimes texts are easier because what you're saying is  difficult. When I broke up with someone last year we had epic text fights. I preferred it because it's writing. And I get to think about what I'm going to say and make sure it reads as I want it to before hitting send. Plus my emotions don't get in the way as much. I've always liked text-based communication. It's a fun way to start flirting with someone you barely know. It's a fun way to send silly whatevers to your friends throughout the day. Sometimes I don't want to talk to my friend. I just want to send them a quote from a movie, or a line from a song, that makes me think of them. It just adds a dimension to what is already there. It doesn't replace anything. And it's a nice way to be able to keep up with way more people than I'd be able to if I was spending all my time hanging out with them. I've got a job and a life and responsibilities, and I like my time to myself. I can't forever be catching up face to face with all the people I know and care about. 

Maybe it's my age and that I work full time. Maybe it's that I've had a cell phone (which we call mobile phones) since I was 13. 
That's early compared to most people I know, but by 16, 18, everyone I know had one. And I only have several friends who haven't now got a smart phone. 
I suppose I'm just a product of modern society.


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## JosephB (Jan 10, 2012)

I've never heard anyone say, I wish I hadn't gotten my cell phone/smart phone. Resisting the technology is like saying --I'm not getting one of those computer things.


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## philistine (Jan 10, 2012)

JosephB said:


> I've never heard anyone say, I wish I hadn't gotten my cell phone/smart phone. Resisting the technology is like saying --I'm not getting one of those computer things.



If you're a professional, then it's very much what you'd call a _vulgar necessity_.

For the majority of users, they simply aren't necessary. Like the person before you explained with their diatribe, none of what they actually used their phone for was necessary, or even communicative in an important/vital way. It's like an expensive toy which incurs a monthly user fee, additional fees on top of that, and makes you look like an anti-social tosser (_pardon the French_) when out in public.

I don't have a Facebook, Myspace or facsimile, and I've very nearly suspended use of my phone. I never did get the impression that I'm 'missing out' on social activities or anything of that nature. Funny that.


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## Like a Fox (Jan 10, 2012)

I suppose you sleep in dirt and wear hessian sacks too.
Who said anything about necessary? it's just fun. 
Reading books isn't necessary either, but I'd bet plenty of people here do it.
 And guess what- I can read books on my iPhone!
Crapping on technology is such a boring cliche.


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## JosephB (Jan 10, 2012)

philistine said:


> If you're a professional, then it's very much what you'd call a _vulgar necessity_.
> 
> For the majority of users, they simply aren't necessary. Like the person before you explained with their diatribe, none of what they actually used their phone for was necessary, or even communicative in an important/vital way. It's like an expensive toy which incurs a monthly user fee, additional fees on top of that, and makes you look like an anti-social tosser (_pardon the French_) when out in public.
> 
> I don't have a Facebook, Myspace or facsimile, and I've very nearly suspended use of my phone. I never did get the impression that I'm 'missing out' on social activities or anything of that nature. Funny that.



_Vulgar necessity?_ Ha ha. Oh, gracious me. I’m sure that some people thought the telephone was  vulgar and that the motor car and moving pictures were unnecessary also.

I’m glad you’ve taken it upon yourself to decide what’s necessary for everyone else. Nothing arrogant about that. Is every conversation you have with friends and relatives “important” and/or “vital?” And of course --  if someone can’t afford a smart phone, he shouldn’t get one.

Otherwise, people with an affected, neo-luddite attitude are the ones who come off as tossers to me. Funny that.

PS – I exchange messages all the time with the person who made the diatribe – and it’s always an enjoyable and often informative conversation – even if the exchange might not be “necessary" – in your opinion.


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## philistine (Jan 10, 2012)

Like a Fox said:


> I suppose you sleep in dirt and wear hessian sacks too.
> Who said anything about necessary? it's just fun.
> Reading books isn't necessary either, but I'd bet plenty of people here do it.
> And guess what- I can read books on my iPhone!
> Crapping on technology is such a boring cliche.



I don't crap on technology as a whole, just certain aspects of it. Many people share similar views, just as there are many who don't. 



JosephB said:


> _Vulgar necessity?_ Ha ha. Oh, gracious me. I’m sure that some people thought the telephone was  vulgar and that the motor car and moving pictures were unnecessary also.
> 
> I’m glad you’ve taken it upon yourself to decide what’s necessary for everyone else. Nothing arrogant about that. Is every conversation you have with friends and relatives “important” and/or “vital?” And of course --  if someone can’t afford a smart phone, he shouldn’t get one.
> 
> ...



I'm not proposing a dictatorship based on my anathema for phones, or use of social networking sites. I can't imagine where you got that idea from. 

There will be always be criticisms of new technologies out there, and even ones that have existed for some time. I can't sing the praises of enough of things like the web, portable computers or indoor plumbing. I do, however, have a dislike of how smart phones and their ilk have affected social cohesion, particularly amongst the younger generation.


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## qwertyman (Jan 10, 2012)

I've never had a MacDonalds
I've never been on Facebook
I haven't read 'The Da Vinci Code'
I haven't seen 'ET'
I killed someone.

One of the above is not true.


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## Like a Fox (Jan 10, 2012)

My money's on you loved The Da Vinci Code.


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## JosephB (Jan 10, 2012)

philistine said:


> I'm not proposing a dictatorship based on my anathema for phones, or use of social networking sites. I can't imagine where you got that idea from.



I didn’t say or imply you were proposing a dictatorship. That’s probably why you can’t imagine where I got the idea – because it was yours. What I said was that it was arrogant of you to assume what’s necessary or what isn’t for other people – which is what you are doing.



philistine said:


> There will be always be criticisms of new technologies out there, and even ones that have existed for some time. I can't sing the praises of enough of things like the web, portable computers or indoor plumbing. I do, however, have a dislike of how smart phones and their ilk have affected social cohesion, particularly amongst the younger generation.



That’s nonsense. It’s just not YOUR idea of “social cohesion”  -- an idea based on your limited experience -- just watching other people using the smart phone as a convenient way to stay informed and in touch with friends, family and co-workers.

As I said before, most people use the phone _in addition_ to face-to-face contact and very often use a cell phone to facilitate social interaction. What you're saying is a common misconception among people who don't have cell phones or smart phones. The same goes for FB. It’s foreign to you, therefore – bad.


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## philistine (Jan 10, 2012)

JosephB said:


> I didn’t say or imply you were proposing a dictatorship. That’s probably why you can’t imagine where I got the idea – because it was yours. What I said was that it was arrogant of you to assume what’s necessary or what isn’t for other people – which is what you are doing.
> 
> That’s nonsense. It’s just not YOUR idea of “social cohesion”  -- an idea based on your limited experience -- just watching other people using the smart phone as a convenient way to stay informed and in touch with friends, family and co-workers.
> 
> As I said before, most people use the phone _in addition_ to face-to-face contact and very often use a cell phone to facilitate social interaction. What you're saying is a common misconception among people who don't have cell phones or smart phones. The same goes for FB. It’s foreign to you, therefore – bad.



Dictatorship;

A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is _ruled by an individual_, the dictator.

Since you said quite frankly that I feel the need to tell people what to do, what they should use, and how they should use, my comment wasn't altogether out of left field. At all. 

This isn't my idea, by the way. You see people many people glued to their phones as if it were a lifeline, every single day, avoiding eye-contact due to whatever reason. It happens in the street all the time, as it does when speaking face-to-face with someone, and in many other situations. I imagine you're very much middle-aged, or perhaps older, and so I don't expect you to acknowledge what I'm talking about. It's an observation noted by many, and is certainly not a delusion of my own. 

Your last sentence is true, though naturally, people overlook the good, and focus on the bad. It only takes one negative personal experience to begin the souring process, and this applies to virtually anything and everything you could possibly imagine, of which I'm sure everyone is guilty of.


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## Like a Fox (Jan 10, 2012)

philistine said:


> I imagine you're very much middle-aged, or perhaps older, and so I don't expect you to acknowledge what I'm talking about.



Hahaha. Sorry, Joe.


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## JosephB (Jan 10, 2012)

philistine said:


> Dictatorship;
> 
> A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is _ruled by an individual_, the dictator.
> 
> ...



Uhh – I’m in my 30’s – so not quite middle aged. Ha ha. I work mostly with people in their 20’s, have lots of friends with teenagers and I'm also out and about quite a bit – so I’m around smart phone and cell phone users of all ages.  Making assumptions isn’t a good thing to do.

Yes – I see people “glued” to their smart phones – but you’re the one seeing it as some sort of “lifeline.” A negative. Most don’t see it that way --  any more than the computer or landline phone. It’s just a different way of communicating and interacting – just more visible to you, do to portability.

I know it’s not your idea – but it’s one commonly held by people who don’t own smart phones. People are still meeting, making friends, getting married, having babies and otherwise happily going about their lives. Smartphone or cellphone use isn’t hindering any of it – and in many cases, it’s just making it easier for people to get together.


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## philistine (Jan 10, 2012)

JosephB said:


> Uhh – I’m in my 30’s – so not quite middle aged. Ha ha. I work mostly with people in their 20’s, have lots of friends with teenagers and I'm also out and about quite a bit – so I’m around smart phone and cell phone users of all ages.  Making assumptions isn’t a good thing to do.
> 
> Yes – I see people “glued” to their smart phones – but you’re the one seeing it as some sort of “lifeline.” A negative. Most don’t see it that way --  any more than the computer or landline phone. It’s just a different way of communicating and interacting – just more visible to you, do to portability.
> 
> I know it’s not your idea – but it’s one commonly held by people who don’t own smart phones. People are still meeting, making friends, getting married, having babies and otherwise happily going about their lives. Smartphone or cellphone use isn’t hindering any of it – and in many cases, it’s just making it easier for people to get together.



I used to own a smart phone, for what it's worth, but not any longer, and not for quite some time. I realise the world goes on, and that this grievance of mine is very much a pet hate and most definitely a view held by a minority of people (much like those who enjoy the delightful comedic stylings of Woody Allen).


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## JosephB (Jan 10, 2012)

Yeah -- but somehow Woody Allen manages to make it funny.


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## philistine (Jan 10, 2012)

JosephB said:


> Yeah -- but somehow Woody Allen manages to make it funny.



I may have deserved that. :stung:

I'll try and keep the gloves up next time.


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## Rhys (Jan 11, 2012)

JosephB said:


> I've never heard anyone say, I wish I hadn't gotten my cell phone/smart phone. Resisting the technology is like saying --I'm not getting one of those computer things.



I wish I had never got a smart phone. It cost me a bunch of money and ended up being an attractive target for thieves.

I'm happy with my $30 Nokia.

I'm also happy with my car GPS, my bike GPS, my flying GPS, my FIRE tablet, my MacBook (2), my iMac (2), my Mac Mini, my PC (4), my big-ass server, my 7 or 8 20"+ screens, my high-tech Italian motorcycles, my carbon-fibre bike, my paraglider, my Skype phone, my smart remote, my multi-point wifi, my digital RIP, my Kindles (3), my kitchen full of high-tech gadgets... I do drive a Jeep - but then I actually want to get to where I want to go and my Audi is crap on dirt.

But I do regret getting a smart-phone - crap on battery, too big, easily broken, can't function great as a telephone - sound is crap. But as a portable PC, I'm sure it's great. I have a portable PC and it's REALLY great...

Deciding that someone who doesn't - for many valid reasons - want a smartphone is resisting technology is making a logical jump that isn't valid. I love technology - it's the core of my business - I also like a phone that works as a phone for more than 3 days without needing to be recharged.


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