Author Topic: I despise the modern phones and internet  (Read 21471 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline tooki

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 13157
  • Country: ch
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #50 on: December 14, 2022, 08:18:21 pm »
It’s strange that I’ve posted this same thing on a couple of my social media outlets, all of which have received likes and positive feedback and INTELLIGENT discussion (and not a single sniff of “you’re ranting”)

I feel EEVblog has an infestation of toxic, angry, insular loners with no outlet except to attack people with whom they don’t agree.
...

If you've posted the same thing on your 'social media outlets' and received a more positive result, it's probably a good indication that you should restrict these sort of topics to those, rather than eevblog, which is primarily an education / design / development / repair / production focussed place.
I think you put into words a reason I hadn’t realized why I find his rants so irritating: I largely quit using social media, in part to avoid such rants. I don’t come to eevblog to socialize, I come to learn.
 
The following users thanked this post: tom66, thm_w, DBecker, james_s

Online John B

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 865
  • Country: au
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #51 on: December 14, 2022, 08:54:45 pm »
The OP can be summed up as "symptom treatment".

I don't even deny that technology has enabled a host of personal vices. But don't conflate the tools with the product.
 
The following users thanked this post: thm_w, tooki, james_s

Offline Red Squirrel

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2757
  • Country: ca
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #52 on: December 15, 2022, 12:24:43 am »
I agree.  I also hate how everything seems to revolve around needing a smartphone now too.  I see a lot of basic things like security cameras and even internet routers that require an app just to configure it.  Of course you also need to setup an account and all that BS.  Pisses me off so much, it doesn't have to be that way at all.  It would be possible to have smart phones without all the strings attached but then they couldn't sell our info!  It's all about spying on us at the end of the day.  That, and planned obsolescence. They can render your product obsolete by simply ceasing to update the app.   You'll own nothing and you'll be happy.
 
The following users thanked this post: Zeyneb, Karel, gubezon

Online thm_w

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7527
  • Country: ca
  • Non-expert
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #53 on: December 15, 2022, 12:43:49 am »
It’s all a huge crock, and many of you spend THIRTY POUNDS OR
MORE PER MONTH on this idiotic addiction.
Oh no, someone is spending $30/month for their cell phone. Instead of.... spending $30/month for their landline as they used to. The horror.

Which is, unfortunately, and increasingly, a wrong statement. More and more services now are requiring a smartphone, and this is just the beginning. Living without one will soon mean living completely outside of society. If you call that having a choice, I don't think it's a fair one.

I don't see how this is any different than saying "more and more services are requiring a PC, not having a PC is not a fair choice".
If you really want to get crazy you can use an android emulator on the PC.

I agree.  I also hate how everything seems to revolve around needing a smartphone now too.  I see a lot of basic things like security cameras and even internet routers that require an app just to configure it.  Of course you also need to setup an account and all that BS.  Pisses me off so much, it doesn't have to be that way at all.  It would be possible to have smart phones without all the strings attached but then they couldn't sell our info!  It's all about spying on us at the end of the day.  That, and planned obsolescence. They can render your product obsolete by simply ceasing to update the app.   You'll own nothing and you'll be happy.

Old school wired cameras still exist, and they can be set up on the device themselves (hikvision, dahua, etc.).
Routers, maybe some cheap ones? Any major brand should have a standard web interface.
Profile -> Modify profile -> Look and Layout ->  Don't show users' signatures
 
The following users thanked this post: tooki

Offline etiTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • !
  • Posts: 1801
  • Country: gb
  • MOD: a.k.a Unlokia, glossywhite, iamwhoiam etc
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #54 on: December 15, 2022, 12:48:07 am »
It’s all a huge crock, and many of you spend THIRTY POUNDS OR
MORE PER MONTH on this idiotic addiction.
Oh no, someone is spending $30/month for their cell phone. Instead of.... spending $30/month for their landline as they used to. The horror.

Which is, unfortunately, and increasingly, a wrong statement. More and more services now are requiring a smartphone, and this is just the beginning. Living without one will soon mean living completely outside of society. If you call that having a choice, I don't think it's a fair one.

I don't see how this is any different than saying "more and more services are requiring a PC, not having a PC is not a fair choice".
If you really want to get crazy you can use an android emulator on the PC.

I agree.  I also hate how everything seems to revolve around needing a smartphone now too.  I see a lot of basic things like security cameras and even internet routers that require an app just to configure it.  Of course you also need to setup an account and all that BS.  Pisses me off so much, it doesn't have to be that way at all.  It would be possible to have smart phones without all the strings attached but then they couldn't sell our info!  It's all about spying on us at the end of the day.  That, and planned obsolescence. They can render your product obsolete by simply ceasing to update the app.   You'll own nothing and you'll be happy.

Old school wired cameras still exist, and they can be set up on the device themselves (hikvision, dahua, etc.).
Routers, maybe some cheap ones? Any major brand should have a standard web interface.

As regards the price, I suppose being from USA or maybe Canada (I don’t want to get that wrong he he!) you’re used to being blatantly ripped off by carriers, and it’s not a shock to you. I often chuckle when I hear
US radio ads on TWiT.tv crowing about “A huuuuuuge 10GB of data for only $30 per month”

THIRTY DOLLARS?!!!!! Lmfao

So yeah I’m unsurprised that you don’t see these ripoffs as so bad any more.
 

Online thm_w

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7527
  • Country: ca
  • Non-expert
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #55 on: December 15, 2022, 01:16:23 am »
$30/month is something like 2-3% of the minimum wage in the UK. Its not exactly a massive expense.
I get that any required costs when you aren't working is incredibly frustrating. AND that if you are like me, being out of work for months is very depressing. But, wouldn't that energy be better spent on working on skills and job searching over shitposting?

I pay £5.33/month for the meager amount of data and minutes that I use (basically just google maps and strava). I'm sure UK has some discount providers as well.
Profile -> Modify profile -> Look and Layout ->  Don't show users' signatures
 
The following users thanked this post: tooki

Offline SL4P

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2318
  • Country: au
  • There's more value if you figure it out yourself!
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #56 on: December 15, 2022, 02:24:20 am »
IMHO, the problem isn’t with the devices or technology, it’s the rampant greed and capitalism of the companies behind the hw and sw.

Progress is inevitable, but a lot of it has no interest in making things work better, but exist just to extract a fee or subscription until ‘the next big thing’ comes along.
Don't ask a question if you aren't willing to listen to the answer.
 
The following users thanked this post: pardo-bsso, bigfoot22

Offline Kasper

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 793
  • Country: ca
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #57 on: December 15, 2022, 03:30:35 am »
Eti, is this thread the result of you trying to interact with someone who chose to pay attention to their phone instead of you?

Were you trying to tell them about something you don't like?

If you want more postive interactions, try talking about things you like.  Try to improve their mood instead of trying to bring then down.
 
The following users thanked this post: pardo-bsso, tooki

Offline jmelson

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2851
  • Country: us
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #58 on: December 15, 2022, 03:36:11 pm »
I agree.  I also hate how everything seems to revolve around needing a smartphone now too.
Yes, I recently went to a concert, paid through Ticketmaster.  The ONLY way to get in is with a smartphone, has to be either Ios or Android.  Last time I was able to print tickets from my computer, but no longer allowed.  I don't have either of these types of phones, so I had to use my wife's phone, download their app and use it to display the barcode at the door.  Massive annoyance to have to type in username and password at the door, too.
Jon
 
The following users thanked this post: james_s

Offline tszaboo

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 8218
  • Country: nl
  • Current job: ATEX product design
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #59 on: December 15, 2022, 04:26:51 pm »
I’ve said this many times over the years and I mean it.
 
The following users thanked this post: tom66, thm_w, newbrain, james_s, pcprogrammer

Offline pcprogrammer

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 4670
  • Country: nl
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #60 on: December 15, 2022, 04:51:41 pm »
Quote
Old man yells at cloud

It made me laugh, but as eti, I believe, is in his early forties, it makes me feel very old being in my late fifties  :-DD

But I agree with bigfoot22, that you can't really blame the technology. It is indeed just a tool, and people that abuse it, and go along with it.

Quote
Thats what people these days are missing, time to think and reflect and ask yourself "Is it really a good idea what I'm doing?"

Very true. People should do that more.

Quote
I don't have a social media account.

I hate to brake it for you, but what is this site? It is on the internet, there is some social interaction and you have an account here  >:D


Offline TimFox

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 9003
  • Country: us
  • Retired, now restoring antique test equipment
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #61 on: December 15, 2022, 04:57:37 pm »
I agree.  I also hate how everything seems to revolve around needing a smartphone now too.
Yes, I recently went to a concert, paid through Ticketmaster.  The ONLY way to get in is with a smartphone, has to be either Ios or Android.  Last time I was able to print tickets from my computer, but no longer allowed.  I don't have either of these types of phones, so I had to use my wife's phone, download their app and use it to display the barcode at the door.  Massive annoyance to have to type in username and password at the door, too.
Jon

I hope that this is included in evidence in the antitrust investigation into the results of the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger   https://www.reuters.com/world/us/live-nation-ticketmaster-may-need-breakup-some-senators-say-2022-11-22/
Printing a barcoded ticket at home is a perfectly reasonable modern process, but requiring a smartphone for entry is not.
 
The following users thanked this post: tom66

Offline free_electron

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 8550
  • Country: us
    • SiliconValleyGarage
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #62 on: December 15, 2022, 05:10:58 pm »
it's a mentality problem. "look at what i am doing now, how interesting i am ... weeee look at meee...."

That's why ll thise pintwitfacewhatsstokmessenger thingies are popular.
Professional Electron Wrangler.
Any comments, or points of view expressed, are my own and not endorsed , induced or compensated by my employer(s).
 

Offline TimFox

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 9003
  • Country: us
  • Retired, now restoring antique test equipment
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #63 on: December 15, 2022, 05:29:09 pm »
When cell phones first appeared, whenever I rode public transportation I would always hear other people's calls that inevitably started "Hi, I'm on the train."
Now, I seem to be the only person onboard not looking at a phone, but almost nobody is talking on theirs.
When "Apple picking" (stealing phones) was common, clueless young people would sit immediately next to a door and be shocked when a malefactor would snatch the phone from their hands and exit just before the door closed.
(I carry one in an interior pocket in case I need to call ahead or am running late.)
 

Offline etiTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • !
  • Posts: 1801
  • Country: gb
  • MOD: a.k.a Unlokia, glossywhite, iamwhoiam etc
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #64 on: December 15, 2022, 06:40:33 pm »
As for my contribution:

As someone who lives among the type of people the OP is talking about I can tell you its actually quite scary knowing that I cannot convince anyone anymore with any sound rational argument based in science that anything that they think is wrong. And I feel heartbroken knowing that the technology that I once championed is now being used as a method of brainwashing while also making it far more difficult to interact with people. Then again before that it was the television and before that it was the newspaper. So its nothing new. Technology has become a method of distancing people from each other for quite a while. For good reasons too quite a few people are nasty nasty individuals and technology becomes a safer way of interacting with others. But its also a double edged sword.

So don't diss on the guy he has a point. I wouldn't use the term Luddite though that implies that the OP doesn't do anything beside fumble with dirt. I wouldn't use the term Luddite to describe someone who actually owns a mobile phone even if it is old.

There is some truth in the fact that society has dwindled in intelligence as a result of the smartphones introduction however I feel that it may actually be only a half truth, maybe rather that the primeval urges of everybody has become surfaced as a result of the smartphone and now people are more proud to talk about their desires for money or power in whatever various forms that they adhere to much more readily now than they did in the past. Because they view it as expressing their individuality among other reasons.

At least in the 90s-early-00s you could have time to convince someone that whatever they are considering is a bad idea before these ideas become cemented like they are today but it still happened. These days it occurs far quicker and the brainwashing is much stronger. But its not impossible to convince them otherwise after the fact. You need patience and you need facts, lots of facts. Science based facts. Discuss basic chemistry and physics with them if you have to. While you are doing this you can weaken their argument. Like for example that Microwave ovens damage the DNA of food and cause all sorts of health related issues. You can convince them otherwise with facts.

As for my own personal use I've chosen to tame the technology rather than fully reject it but I would be in the same boat as the OP if it was me with a thread similar to this, I would be complaining till the cows come home because I need social interaction and social interaction is very rare these days. So don't diss on the guy for wanting a connection with other human beings.

I don't have a social media account. Simply don't make an account with these companies and it will die off if enough people leave. You can sideload quite a few apps on a phone without ever having to use google services or even login to them. For the others you can use a burner account with your android device and download the apps that you need then close the account once you are done.

[url]https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/24/ive-been-waiting-15-years-for-facebook-to-die-im-more-hopeful-than-ever[/url]

Just keep calm. That's the most important thing.

If you are truly upset about modern inventions then interact with the people in question and challenge their ideas promise them that you'll ring them once in a while and do so and talk with them over the phone as a friendly gesture. Say that "oh I had a social media account and I found this really bad piece of violent media on it and it made my stomach churn so I just don't use it anymore". Become an advocate for change by using your voice as a means of conveying your ideas. If you don't like how modern society has become change it. Ring random people up cold call them and introduce yourself politely. Say that you just felt like talking to someone like people used to do and see if they are ok and needed anything and talk with other people on the phone or in public.

Eventually these people will become convinced that you are a nice person and want to change their opinions on just about everything.

The bell telephone was invented and it created a massive division in society just as well as the smartphone did. Use that technology to your advantage. You have a much more personal connection with someone if you talk with them using voice than you do if you type out text on a screen for someone to read. Its much much easier for someone to scream at you via text than it is for them to scream at you over a live phone conversation. But it does still happen.

I remember back when I was a kid and my closest friend wanted to talk to me over the internet only. He didn't want to interact with me anymore or talk to me via the phone anymore. He became distant. It hurt pretty badly. He started down a path of becoming goth and started doing drugs. That was back in the early 00s. So this distancing of friends by technology is nothing new. But the technology of the time chose his fate for him it preyed on the fears that he was having at the time and used it to promote a certain lifestyle. In this case it was drugs and promiscuous sex. But the technology was just a conveyor for this lifestyle. It wasn't the originator. Humans were.

The facts are that if you don't like this modern society I can both understand and agree with you. But I also agree that the best course of action is to leave this society and join a community with like minded individuals. The Amish are always welcoming newcomers. So are the Hippies. Go and see how they live and interact with them if modern society becomes a burden. You don't have to join them fully you just need to live near to where they live. Just about everyone who lives near to them benefits.

Its not a 100% cure. Even the Amish have their problems. Some people are just honestly vile and some have lived a horrible life and have to face their demons. Others are nice.

The technology is just like everything else, a tool. In this case it has amplified and broadened the scope of what these horrible people are doing. The people still exist even if you took the technology away from everyone.

The only difference between modern society and an old one is that with the modern society much more people are involved in bad ideas but that is because there are simply more people. Gossip is outlawed in most amish sects purely because of the fact that word of mouth it too can become a conveyor of bad ideas. But at least it doesn't spread like wildfire amongst billions of people like it does today its much slower and leaves people time to think.

Thats what people these days are missing, time to think and reflect and ask yourself "Is it really a good idea what I'm doing?"

Hatred and lust move at a far greater speed than kindness and intelligence.




Gosh, what a superb post. I agree wholeheartedly with absolutely every point you took time to make. Considered and wise. I’d often considered having six months with the Amish, having huge respect for most of their lifestyle (not the shunning part) and finding them to be everything you’ve said.

Also re “ Ring random people up cold call them and introduce yourself politely. Say that you just felt like talking to someone like people used to do ” - THIS IS ME! I’ll call up the eBayer I purchased from and thank them very much, ask them how they are and I always get a good response. I don’t use eBay much, but the last time I called a seller, he said “Gosh how nice, it’s so nice to know my customer is a human and to actually talk to you”

I’ll also go out and talk to my milk lady at 5-6am when she turns up. A very similar story with her - she says “it’s refreshing because I never see most of my customers” - mind you - most “normal” (?!) people are asleep then.
 

Offline james_s

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 21611
  • Country: us
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #65 on: December 15, 2022, 06:46:47 pm »
$30/month is something like 2-3% of the minimum wage in the UK. Its not exactly a massive expense.
I get that any required costs when you aren't working is incredibly frustrating. AND that if you are like me, being out of work for months is very depressing. But, wouldn't that energy be better spent on working on skills and job searching over shitposting?

I pay £5.33/month for the meager amount of data and minutes that I use (basically just google maps and strava). I'm sure UK has some discount providers as well.

Adjusted for inflation, I paid more than that for my landline back in the day, and it cost extra to get called ID and I had to wait around at home if I was expecting a call. My mobile phone service is only $50/mo for unlimited voice/text and some amount of data that I have never come close to exceeding, it seems like a bargain.
 
The following users thanked this post: thm_w, tooki

Offline james_s

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 21611
  • Country: us
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #66 on: December 15, 2022, 06:49:11 pm »
I agree.  I also hate how everything seems to revolve around needing a smartphone now too.
Yes, I recently went to a concert, paid through Ticketmaster.  The ONLY way to get in is with a smartphone, has to be either Ios or Android.  Last time I was able to print tickets from my computer, but no longer allowed.  I don't have either of these types of phones, so I had to use my wife's phone, download their app and use it to display the barcode at the door.  Massive annoyance to have to type in username and password at the door, too.
Jon

That really is obnoxious, it's nice to have as an option, but whenever I've gone to events I've always printed out the paper ticket, I don't want to rely on my phone in case the battery dies or my phone breaks.
 
The following users thanked this post: TimFox, tooki

Offline ebastler

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7375
  • Country: de
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #67 on: December 15, 2022, 07:25:02 pm »
It’s strange that I’ve posted this same thing on a couple of my social media outlets [...]

Posting a rant against the woes of always-on devices and always-distracted users on multiple "social media outlets"? That's strange indeed.
 
The following users thanked this post: tooki

Online Monkeh

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 8135
  • Country: gb
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #68 on: December 15, 2022, 07:30:12 pm »
It’s strange that I’ve posted this same thing on a couple of my social media outlets, all of which have received likes and positive feedback and INTELLIGENT discussion (and not a single sniff of “you’re ranting”)

Because the only people interacting with you in those places are those who share your views. It's called an echo chamber, and it's a perfect way to destroy any mental health you have remaining.

Quote
I feel EEVblog has an infestation of toxic, angry, insular loners with no outlet except to attack people with whom they don’t agree.

.. looked in a mirror lately?
 
The following users thanked this post: tooki

Offline ebastler

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7375
  • Country: de
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #69 on: December 15, 2022, 07:43:54 pm »
It's funny, I have the exact opposite opinion.  A great deal of people on this forum, who shall remain unnamed, have strong views reminiscent of the Luddites.  If we were listening to these people we'd still be using horses to pull carts.  It's really odd to me that engineers would be so critical of the very field they are often involved in, you don't hear too many medical doctors arguing for leeches and trepanning still.

Douglas Adams had figured that one out in 1999:

Quote
  • Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.
  • Anything that’s invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.
  • Anything invented after you’re thirty-five is against the natural order of things.
 
The following users thanked this post: tooki, newbrain, gubezon

Offline Kasper

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 793
  • Country: ca
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #70 on: December 15, 2022, 07:59:35 pm »
I hope that this is included in evidence in the antitrust investigation into the results of the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger   https://www.reuters.com/world/us/live-nation-ticketmaster-may-need-breakup-some-senators-say-2022-11-22/
Printing a barcoded ticket at home is a perfectly reasonable modern process, but requiring a smartphone for entry is not.

Even Tim Hortons has an app now and even Tim Hortons has used it to breach their users' privacy.

Quote
Federal and provincial privacy watchdogs say the Tim Hortons mobile ordering app violated the law by collecting vast amounts of location information from customers.

Many of us have a lot of personal info on our phones and it is maddening when companies will not do business with you without getting access.

When I buy concert tickets, I go to the box office.  Sit there for 1 hour and then get to purchase the best tickets in the venue, which they reserve for box office, without racing against bots.  I save about $10 a ticket in website fees.

Then I have physical tickets, not an app, not a printout, a real ticket.

Before smart phones, sitting for 1 hour would be painfully boring.  Now, it is very easy to sit for 1 hour and entertain myself, thanks to the wonders of smart phones.
 

Offline pcprogrammer

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 4670
  • Country: nl
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #71 on: December 15, 2022, 08:18:32 pm »
Before smart phones, sitting for 1 hour would be painfully boring.

Why, you could read a book to pass the time.

Offline Kasper

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 793
  • Country: ca
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #72 on: December 15, 2022, 08:27:02 pm »
Before smart phones, sitting for 1 hour would be painfully boring.

Why, you could read a book to pass the time.

I've never liked books.
 

Offline TimFox

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 9003
  • Country: us
  • Retired, now restoring antique test equipment
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #73 on: December 15, 2022, 08:51:03 pm »
Before smart phones, sitting for 1 hour would be painfully boring.

Why, you could read a book to pass the time.

I've never liked books.

Were I snarky, I would quote the (spurious) statement of Mark Twain:  "He who will not read has no advantage over he who cannot read."
I always carry a paperback whenever I expect to need time passing.  Recently, I'm working through the new translations of Simenon's Maigret novels.
My acquaintance with modern and classical Japanese literature stems from a reasonable bookstore at Narita airport, and a dread of 13 hours with nothing but the airline magazine and bad movies.
 

Online 2N3055

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7466
  • Country: hr
Re: I despise the modern phones and internet
« Reply #74 on: December 15, 2022, 09:08:29 pm »
Before smart phones, sitting for 1 hour would be painfully boring.

Why, you could read a book to pass the time.

I've never liked books.

That is so sad...
"Just hard work is not enough - it must be applied sensibly."
Dr. Richard W. Hamming
 


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf