[Discuss] [OT] Smart Phones

[gcmarx at gmail.com (Gordon Marx)]

On Fri, Mar 1, 2013 at 11:47 AM, Rich Pieri <richard.pieri at gmail.com> wrote:
> You could use a road atlas to do the same thing. Changed tool, not
> changed activity.

Or a sextant!

>>> or to get transit schedules to reach an unfamiliar location.
>
> Same thing. It's certainly easier to get current schedules that way
> than trekking to the local station and hope they have printed
> schedules. But again, the nature of the activity hasn't changed, just
> the tools used to perform them.

Okay, I guess you need a sextant and a subway/bus map. But that's OK,
I carry around a bunch of crap anyway.

> You could contact the meeting organizer instead, or vice-versa.

Yes, they could send me smoke signals! Except if I'm in the T, so
they'd need to know that. I guess they have a watch, and the same map
I have, and can guess which T I'm on? I also hope they're not changing
the meeting location, because then I might not know where in the sky
to look for the smoke signals.

> You could have arranged to meet at a designated place and time instead.

Luckily I never run late. But if I do, I always make sure to carry
around a signal drum, so even if my friend can't see me, they can hear
my apologetic drumming of lateness.

> Swapping a tool for a more appropriate one isn't life-
> changing.

Yup, watches are better than sundials, but they've never saved
anyone's life. http://humantimeproject.com/buy-one-give-another/

Gordon