5 ms·

Reasons to Kill Your Telephone

27 points by vkdelta 16y ago

hrktb 16y ago
Very good points. Now, telling your friend in Beijing that he doesn't have to wait on a bench for the rest of his life because you're stuck in an elevator feels like a good enough reason to have a phone.
- stretchwithme 16y ago
  Then there was the guy stuck in a NYC elevator for 72 hours without his cellphone.
Psyonic 16y ago
A bit over-dramatic coming from Sebastian. Some decent points, but too hyperbolic to take seriously. Also, some of them only apply to his unique situation (4/5). Many of the other points can be dealt with through other means. Tell idiot cousin not to call you. Block his number if necessary. Demand more from people. It is possible to put your foot down and demand a set time even if you have a phone, and that will demonstrate balls just as well. In fact, I'd say it does a better job of demonstrating that. Extremism is often the easy way out compared to setting real boundaries and sticking to them.
- zackattack 16y ago
  > Block his number if necessary Not as easy as it sounds, I tried to block a number recently and found it very difficult (AT&T). How would you do it?
  - Psyonic 16y ago
    Many phones have this option. Save his number as a contact and add it to a block group. The specifics depend on the actual phone, of course. Another idea if this is important to you would be switching to Sprint. They are now embracing Google Voice network-wide. Google Voice gives you much better controls of when, where, and who you receive calls from. http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-20046221-10356022.html http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-20046221-10356022.html
  - Encosia 16y ago
    Use Google Voice. Then, it's as easy as blocking email spam.
- diN0bot 16y ago
  mos def. extreme acceptance or rejection of something (eg, phones, facebook) doesn't seem as smart as using more refined judgement on how best to personally use something.
  - charliepark 16y ago
    Agreed. And if you do reject something wholly, don't see it as a weakness in other people, but as a condition within you that you need to account for and work around. For example (apart from my time at SXSW) I unfollowed everyone I had been following on Twitter. But that's not because I see them as the problem. The problem lies in my own distraction. While Twitter's one of the most friction-free places on the internet for distraction on demand, that's neither inherently good or bad.
- jimfl 16y ago
  Not having a phone is extremism? That's rich! It is, however, a common attitude. The fact that I don't have a phone is generally met with incredulity. Sometimes I like to trick co-workers by connecting to my VoIP phone with a SIP client on my laptop and calling from my desk extension. "You're still at work!?" I mostly notice not having a phone when I meet people after work for cocktails, because I arrive on time, and sit alone in the venue, getting a head start.
  - Mz 16y ago
    If you are in the US, living without a car is also "extremist": http://www.novemberwest.com/blog/?p=288 http://www.novemberwest.com/blog/?p=288
    - greenyoda 16y ago
      Depends on which part of the US. In New York City, there are lots of people who don't own cars, and it's not considered strange at all. They take subways or buses to work, and rent a car on the occasional weekends when they want to get out of the city. Even if you can afford it, it's hard to justify owning a car and paying for the parking space if you're only going to use the car a few days a year. (Some NYC residents don't even have driver's licenses.)
      - Mz 16y ago
        Outside of a handful of large cities (like NYC, SF and maybe a few others), not owning a car is generally viewed as something only poor people do. It's not viewed as a personal choice in most parts of the US. And most parts of the US have pretty bad public transit. (In a former life, I wanted to be an urban planner or some such. American urban planners, who talk a lot about transit oriented design and pedestrian friendly design, often have long commutes and I've seen them ridicule carless-by-choice folks in their midst.)
  - Psyonic 16y ago
    In the modern business world? Seems a bit extreme to me. You'll have to explain that you don't have a phone constantly. Doctor's office: "Where can we reach you with your test results?" Sorry, you can't. Mechanic: "What number should we call when your car is ready to go?" Yeah, about that... Just because it was once considered a luxury doesn't prevent it from becoming a normal part of society. You're certainly free to reject social norms, but compared to using a bit of self-discipline, it's a bit extreme. Another way to look at this: How does Sebastian get away with using Skype? Because everyone else has phones. If everyone did this, getting in contact with anyone would become much more complicated. Also, Skype on an always-connected device is a phone, so that's not really a replacement anyway.
wladimir 16y ago
I fully agree to his points. Phones are an annoying distraction most of the time. Though they can be useful for emergencies, that's quickly overused. I much prefer other methods of communication.
prodigal_erik 16y ago
> Sorry dude, I don’t have a phone. Are we on for 7 or not? And yet people make plans with him? I would expect "Never mind, we'll try some other night when I don't have anything else going on" and then a call to almost anyone less intentionally difficult to deal with.
bergie 16y ago
I had my phone stolen in the early stages of a three week conference tour in Europe. Since I was anyway on the road, I decided to wait until getting back to Finland before getting a new handset. That was a very relaxed couple of weeks. And surprisingly, people were willing to agree on time and place to meet, and kept to those because I didn't have a phone. Much less hassle and calendar tennis this way. Unfortunately the realities of running a business forced me to get a phone after the trip.
Mz 16y ago
I'm not much of a phone person these days (which is funny because pre-internet, my phone was practically surgically attached to my ear). I got rid of the land line because it was costing big bucks to almost never use it. I researched the cheapest phone option I could find. I got a prepay cell phone that I keep for calling my mom (who is not on the internet) and for dealing with other calls I occasionally need to make. At first, I carried it with me. These days, it mostly sits on the counter at home and is so ignored that I periodically pick it up only to find the battery is so low that I need to charge it before I can use it. And, really, I frequently just plan to make calls from the free phones available in the phone room at work. Of course, I also don't have much of a social life at the moment so I don't deal with most of the scenarios referenced here (like meeting people at a predetermined time).
stretchwithme 16y ago
There's nothing like trying to skype to 911 when you can't find wifi.
- Psyonic 16y ago
  Modern convenience is for suckers. I think I'm going to take this all the way and get rid of email as well. The Amish had it right after all. If you can't work with that, you're a flake!
  - stretchwithme 16y ago
    thank you for your final post
    - Psyonic 16y ago
      I only said I was giving up email. I love how I'm being attacked for my sarcasm while Sebastian gets to say you'll end up dead in a ditch if you have a phone with nary a peep. C'est la vie.

27 points by vkdelta 16y ago

hrktb 16y ago

Very good points. Now, telling your friend in Beijing that he doesn't have to wait on a bench for the rest of his life because you're stuck in an elevator feels like a good enough reason to have a phone.

stretchwithme 16y ago
Then there was the guy stuck in a NYC elevator for 72 hours without his cellphone.

Psyonic 16y ago

A bit over-dramatic coming from Sebastian. Some decent points, but too hyperbolic to take seriously. Also, some of them only apply to his unique situation (4/5). Many of the other points can be dealt with through other means. Tell idiot cousin not to call you. Block his number if necessary. Demand more from people. It is possible to put your foot down and demand a set time even if you have a phone, and that will demonstrate balls just as well. In fact, I'd say it does a better job of demonstrating that. Extremism is often the easy way out compared to setting real boundaries and sticking to them.

zackattack 16y ago
> Block his number if necessary Not as easy as it sounds, I tried to block a number recently and found it very difficult (AT&T). How would you do it?
- Psyonic 16y ago
  Many phones have this option. Save his number as a contact and add it to a block group. The specifics depend on the actual phone, of course. Another idea if this is important to you would be switching to Sprint. They are now embracing Google Voice network-wide. Google Voice gives you much better controls of when, where, and who you receive calls from. http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-20046221-10356022.html http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-20046221-10356022.html
- Encosia 16y ago
  Use Google Voice. Then, it's as easy as blocking email spam.
diN0bot 16y ago
mos def. extreme acceptance or rejection of something (eg, phones, facebook) doesn't seem as smart as using more refined judgement on how best to personally use something.
- charliepark 16y ago
  Agreed. And if you do reject something wholly, don't see it as a weakness in other people, but as a condition within you that you need to account for and work around. For example (apart from my time at SXSW) I unfollowed everyone I had been following on Twitter. But that's not because I see them as the problem. The problem lies in my own distraction. While Twitter's one of the most friction-free places on the internet for distraction on demand, that's neither inherently good or bad.
jimfl 16y ago
Not having a phone is extremism? That's rich! It is, however, a common attitude. The fact that I don't have a phone is generally met with incredulity. Sometimes I like to trick co-workers by connecting to my VoIP phone with a SIP client on my laptop and calling from my desk extension. "You're still at work!?" I mostly notice not having a phone when I meet people after work for cocktails, because I arrive on time, and sit alone in the venue, getting a head start.
- Mz 16y ago
  If you are in the US, living without a car is also "extremist": http://www.novemberwest.com/blog/?p=288 http://www.novemberwest.com/blog/?p=288
  - greenyoda 16y ago
    Depends on which part of the US. In New York City, there are lots of people who don't own cars, and it's not considered strange at all. They take subways or buses to work, and rent a car on the occasional weekends when they want to get out of the city. Even if you can afford it, it's hard to justify owning a car and paying for the parking space if you're only going to use the car a few days a year. (Some NYC residents don't even have driver's licenses.)
    - Mz 16y ago
      Outside of a handful of large cities (like NYC, SF and maybe a few others), not owning a car is generally viewed as something only poor people do. It's not viewed as a personal choice in most parts of the US. And most parts of the US have pretty bad public transit. (In a former life, I wanted to be an urban planner or some such. American urban planners, who talk a lot about transit oriented design and pedestrian friendly design, often have long commutes and I've seen them ridicule carless-by-choice folks in their midst.)
- Psyonic 16y ago
  In the modern business world? Seems a bit extreme to me. You'll have to explain that you don't have a phone constantly. Doctor's office: "Where can we reach you with your test results?" Sorry, you can't. Mechanic: "What number should we call when your car is ready to go?" Yeah, about that... Just because it was once considered a luxury doesn't prevent it from becoming a normal part of society. You're certainly free to reject social norms, but compared to using a bit of self-discipline, it's a bit extreme. Another way to look at this: How does Sebastian get away with using Skype? Because everyone else has phones. If everyone did this, getting in contact with anyone would become much more complicated. Also, Skype on an always-connected device is a phone, so that's not really a replacement anyway.

wladimir 16y ago

I fully agree to his points. Phones are an annoying distraction most of the time. Though they can be useful for emergencies, that's quickly overused. I much prefer other methods of communication.

prodigal_erik 16y ago

> Sorry dude, I don’t have a phone. Are we on for 7 or not? And yet people make plans with him? I would expect "Never mind, we'll try some other night when I don't have anything else going on" and then a call to almost anyone less intentionally difficult to deal with.

bergie 16y ago

I had my phone stolen in the early stages of a three week conference tour in Europe. Since I was anyway on the road, I decided to wait until getting back to Finland before getting a new handset. That was a very relaxed couple of weeks. And surprisingly, people were willing to agree on time and place to meet, and kept to those because I didn't have a phone. Much less hassle and calendar tennis this way. Unfortunately the realities of running a business forced me to get a phone after the trip.

Mz 16y ago

I'm not much of a phone person these days (which is funny because pre-internet, my phone was practically surgically attached to my ear). I got rid of the land line because it was costing big bucks to almost never use it. I researched the cheapest phone option I could find. I got a prepay cell phone that I keep for calling my mom (who is not on the internet) and for dealing with other calls I occasionally need to make. At first, I carried it with me. These days, it mostly sits on the counter at home and is so ignored that I periodically pick it up only to find the battery is so low that I need to charge it before I can use it. And, really, I frequently just plan to make calls from the free phones available in the phone room at work. Of course, I also don't have much of a social life at the moment so I don't deal with most of the scenarios referenced here (like meeting people at a predetermined time).

stretchwithme 16y ago

There's nothing like trying to skype to 911 when you can't find wifi.

Psyonic 16y ago
Modern convenience is for suckers. I think I'm going to take this all the way and get rid of email as well. The Amish had it right after all. If you can't work with that, you're a flake!
- stretchwithme 16y ago
  thank you for your final post
  - Psyonic 16y ago
    I only said I was giving up email. I love how I'm being attacked for my sarcasm while Sebastian gets to say you'll end up dead in a ditch if you have a phone with nary a peep. C'est la vie.