3 ms·

> Consider this hypothetical: I don't have the cash, ever, but I need the phone to get a better job so I could pay off the debt I enter when investing in a phon

by darawk 8y ago

> Consider this hypothetical: I don't have the cash, ever, but I need the phone to get a better job so I could pay off the debt I enter when investing in a phone. Under what circumstances do you need the latest smartphone to get a job? > Consider this hypothetical: Due to working 12/14/16 hour days normally, I can only see my friends when I go out drinking with them on certain days of the week. My job is extremely stressful and my friends are my only emotional support. You can't function without going out drinking several times per week? I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for that.

Jtsummers 8y ago
A lot of businesses and banks communicate electronically with people, not just phone calls but texts and emails. A smartphone is possibly (short of using a public library) the cheapest way to get access to those sorts of things as the world becomes increasingly digitized and connected (versus having a computer that is less portable, and can't access the internet on its own without pairing with a phone or finding a public wifi hotspot or paying for a separate internet connection, assuming you have a stable home to establish that in).
- darawk 8y ago
  Totally. That's why I said 'latest' smartphone. You can get lower end smartphones for a pretty reasonable price.
  - dragontamer 8y ago
    So I'm not a homeless person nor have I ever experienced it. But there are various homeless sites I've seen across the internet. The general recommendations I've seen are: 1. Get a good smartphone, its required to get a job these days. 2. Get a gym membership so you can get a place to shower and look good for your potential jobs. But smartphones are consistently on the recommendation lists for the homeless. Its not a secret, its their life. People in poverty already know the importance of smartphones. In my experience: its more useful to ask questions from people actually living in homeless / poverty conditions. They tend to know more about homelessness / poverty than people who have never experienced it. In general: people who are on poverty websites / homelessness websites are incredibly resourceful and understand how to play the long game very well. -------- In any case, short-game vs long-game is a basic issue that's understood at all levels of wealth. Some people are just bad at playing the long game. But in any case, a good phone, with up-to-date internet access to keep connected to today's workforce is ABSOLUTELY necessary, even at the lowest levels of poverty (ie: homelessness) in today's culture.
    - darawk 8y ago
      I don't think I disagreed with any of that.
SolaceQuantum 8y ago
Under what circumstances do you need the latest smartphone to get a job? Note that the article did not mention a smartphone. The article mentioned any phone, include pay-by-minute or similar. You can't function without going out drinking several times per week? I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for that. Unfortunately, the stress and pressure of poverty or borderline poverty is a wonderful bed for which addiction can take place. Especially given that the culture of america promotes drinking regularly as a past time.
- darawk 8y ago
  > Note that the article did not mention a smartphone. The article mentioned any phone, include pay-by-minute or similar. If all you need is a commodity phone, that is quite cheap and isn't really going to impact your playing of the "long game". > Unfortunately, the stress and pressure of poverty or borderline poverty is a wonderful bed for which addiction can take place. Especially given that the culture of america promotes drinking regularly as a past time. So just don't engage in it? The point of this article is that through power of will you can achieve great things. You've got to actually exercise some will to do them, though.
  - rdlecler1 8y ago
    What if they have no power of will? These things can be beat out of a person over their life experiences and genetic predispositions. If it's never been beat out of you it's easy to it on your high horse. As Werther argued in Goethe's, Sufferings of Young Werther, you wouldn't ask someone to get over cancer through power of will.
    - profalseidol 8y ago
      Yeah. If you are born in the slums. Your chances are ultra slim. You might as well be a chicken born in Human farms. This is why we the lucky intellectuals who have time to discuss this over hacker news have a responsibility over those who are dealt with a really bad hand. https://chomsky.info/19670223/ https://chomsky.info/19670223/ - The Responsibility of Intellectuals - Noam Chomsky - The New York Review of Books, February 23, 1967

by darawk 8y ago

Jtsummers 8y ago

A lot of businesses and banks communicate electronically with people, not just phone calls but texts and emails. A smartphone is possibly (short of using a public library) the cheapest way to get access to those sorts of things as the world becomes increasingly digitized and connected (versus having a computer that is less portable, and can't access the internet on its own without pairing with a phone or finding a public wifi hotspot or paying for a separate internet connection, assuming you have a stable home to establish that in).

darawk 8y ago
Totally. That's why I said 'latest' smartphone. You can get lower end smartphones for a pretty reasonable price.
- dragontamer 8y ago
  So I'm not a homeless person nor have I ever experienced it. But there are various homeless sites I've seen across the internet. The general recommendations I've seen are: 1. Get a good smartphone, its required to get a job these days. 2. Get a gym membership so you can get a place to shower and look good for your potential jobs. But smartphones are consistently on the recommendation lists for the homeless. Its not a secret, its their life. People in poverty already know the importance of smartphones. In my experience: its more useful to ask questions from people actually living in homeless / poverty conditions. They tend to know more about homelessness / poverty than people who have never experienced it. In general: people who are on poverty websites / homelessness websites are incredibly resourceful and understand how to play the long game very well. -------- In any case, short-game vs long-game is a basic issue that's understood at all levels of wealth. Some people are just bad at playing the long game. But in any case, a good phone, with up-to-date internet access to keep connected to today's workforce is ABSOLUTELY necessary, even at the lowest levels of poverty (ie: homelessness) in today's culture.
  - darawk 8y ago
    I don't think I disagreed with any of that.

SolaceQuantum 8y ago

Under what circumstances do you need the latest smartphone to get a job? Note that the article did not mention a smartphone. The article mentioned any phone, include pay-by-minute or similar. You can't function without going out drinking several times per week? I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for that. Unfortunately, the stress and pressure of poverty or borderline poverty is a wonderful bed for which addiction can take place. Especially given that the culture of america promotes drinking regularly as a past time.

darawk 8y ago
> Note that the article did not mention a smartphone. The article mentioned any phone, include pay-by-minute or similar. If all you need is a commodity phone, that is quite cheap and isn't really going to impact your playing of the "long game". > Unfortunately, the stress and pressure of poverty or borderline poverty is a wonderful bed for which addiction can take place. Especially given that the culture of america promotes drinking regularly as a past time. So just don't engage in it? The point of this article is that through power of will you can achieve great things. You've got to actually exercise some will to do them, though.
- rdlecler1 8y ago
  What if they have no power of will? These things can be beat out of a person over their life experiences and genetic predispositions. If it's never been beat out of you it's easy to it on your high horse. As Werther argued in Goethe's, Sufferings of Young Werther, you wouldn't ask someone to get over cancer through power of will.
  - profalseidol 8y ago
    Yeah. If you are born in the slums. Your chances are ultra slim. You might as well be a chicken born in Human farms. This is why we the lucky intellectuals who have time to discuss this over hacker news have a responsibility over those who are dealt with a really bad hand. https://chomsky.info/19670223/ https://chomsky.info/19670223/ - The Responsibility of Intellectuals - Noam Chomsky - The New York Review of Books, February 23, 1967