[Discuss] [OT] Smart Phones

[dbarrett at blazemonger.com (Daniel Barrett)]

On March 1, 2013, markw at mohawksoft.com wrote:
>You can read a book on a smart phone.

I'm glad it works for you, but reading a book on a screen is not to my
taste. I've tried it on Kindle and iPad and they both give me a
headache. YMMV.

>... any job with responsibilities has the occasional need to intrude on
>personal life.

Definitely true, we all pull all-nighters when needed. It comes with the
territory. There's a big difference between "partitioning one's work and
personal life" and "shirking responsibility."

On March 1, 2013, Kent Borg wrote:
>I don't let [my smartphone] have to power to stress me, I assert my power
>over it, it serves me.
>The idea that I would want to not have it because I don't want it to 
>drive me is like not wanting electricity because I don't want to labor 
>after dark.

<chuckle!>

I don't avoid smartphones for fear they'd have power over me; but as
mentioned, I haven't encountered a reason to own one (other than GPS, which
by definition needs to be portable). I am surrounded by a slew of powerful
computers that serve me just fine. I just have no reason to carry one with
me... neither smartphone nor laptop nor tablet. (Exception: when at a
hotel, it's convenient to have a laptop with internet connection.)

>...once you turn off the beeps it sits quietly until you decide to pick it
>up.

Even though you're right, smartphones do change people's behavior. A large
portion of the smartphone population will "decide to pick up" that muted
phone a zillion times an hour, the instant they have a thought about
something: "Hey, I'll check it right now on my phone." Perhaps you view
this as power and convenience. I see it as interrupting the flow of
whatever we were doing together at the time: a conversation, a meeting,
etc. When you have a Magical Book Of Everything at your fingertips all day,
you use it constantly. <Must... resist... masturbation analogy....>

>it sounds more like you are enjoying being a fuddy-duddy and
>wearing the mantle of Wise Old Timer.

Now now, I was very careful not to call anybody any names in my note. :-)
Smartphones are wonderful for the fine people who need them. I am deep into
technology 15+ hours a day. I just don't get the value of carrying it with
me, muted or otherwise. (It was the same for portable music players when
they were invented: tried 'em and didn't like 'em.) To each his/her own.

--
Dan Barrett
dbarrett at blazemonger.com