On 3/1/2013 12:52 PM, Daniel Barrett wrote:
Mark Woodward<[email protected]> wrote:
I think I was the last human being above the age of 16 to get a smart
phone.
You're not the last. I still don't own one and perhaps never will. My days
are already jam-packed with technology; the last thing I desire is to carry
more technology around with me.
I have a "smart" phone of sorts: it was a gift from a ham operator who
I helped to
connect his radio to his computer. He had just bought one with a bigger
screen, and
offered me his old one: I got to renew the $30/month "everything" rate,
and since
that is in the ballpark of what I was spending for voice service, I'm
content to use it.
#define LIFESTYLE_GENTLE_RANT 1
Other than GPS (which I have in my car), I have yet to encounter a single
smartphone app that would make my life *happier*. This is not a troll so
please don't respond with your dozen favorite apps. :-) My priorities are
just different.
You're preaching to the choir!
I'm not sure if being wary of portable devices is a generational gap, a
cultural divide, or a
class difference. No matter: the fact is that I'm happiest when I
*don't* have the phone on,
since I really do think of it as an electronic leash.
If I'm standing in a long, boring line waiting for something, I don't want
to whip out a phone and surf the web or play a game. I'd rather think
interesting thoughts, compose music in my head, read a book, or harangue
the person responsible for the long delay. (I'd chat with the person next
to me, but he's playing with his smartphone.)
I take a paperback when I'm going to have to queue up for something. I
am, however,
prone to occasional fits of impatience, so if the clerks are gossiping,
I'll just shout
"I sure hope this doesn't take too long!". It always speeds up the line
immensely.
Work is insanely busy. So when I'm not at work, I like living slowly,
cultivating patience. Enjoying a meal without the beep of a text
message. I understand that others need to stay in contact with work
24x7. I've chosen not to live that way, and to accept whatever compromises
come with that choice. (Even so, I'm having a successful career in the tech
industry. It's a balancing act.)
I feel your pain. When my brother-in-law was just out of college, he
came home with a
pager on his belt, back when they were still rare, and I said "You must
be an important
person now!". He smiled, and said "No, Bill: the important people *do*
the beeping!"
The only tough part is not having mobile access to my calendar. This means
every so often, I make an appointment for a time that's already booked, so
I have to phone later to change it. It's a small price to pay to stay
unhooked.
I think of it as "unchained". ;-)
Bill
--
Bill Horne
339-364-8487
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