6 ms·

I run a tech company and have not used any proprietary apps in several years, not had a cell carrier in well over a year, and a few months ago I ditched my phon

by lrvick 5y ago

I run a tech company and have not used any proprietary apps in several years, not had a cell carrier in well over a year, and a few months ago I ditched my phone entirely. These incremental weaning steps taught me you can live in the modern world comfortably without subscribing to app culture. Restaurants dig out paper menus for me, banks find alternative ways to verify me, etc. There always exists a sometimes undocumented path to engage with most entities with a webapp and without a cell phone carrier, though I do have a VoIP number which I can use from a laptop or DECT phones. Life without a smartphone and apps works pretty much just like it did in the 90s . The privacy and mental health wins are huge. My mind feels like mine again.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
TedDoesntTalk 5y ago
What do you use for phone calls if you don’t have a mobile phone?
- dangerboysteve 5y ago
  the previous person said they used a VOIP service so a SIP VOIP client on their Mac. But even so, many people choose not to make phone calls nowadays.
- xeromal 5y ago
  He said he uses Voip. Presumably, he opens up his laptop and makes a call from a cafe if he needs to.
  - lrvick 5y ago
    Or from any nearby hotel phone or from a DECT phone if I am at home.
smcin 5y ago
How do you travel anywhere, book a flight, hotel or rental car, navigate anywhere, or even get a list of local restaurants? (and when you say 'no proprietary apps', does that include Google Maps?)
- 14 5y ago
  I use safari, I suppose that is an app? All that stuff you mention can be looked up within safari.
- hn_throwaway_99 5y ago
  Wow, I'm honestly really interested to know your age. I'm Gen X, and easily thought "He runs a tech company, so I'm assuming he knows how to use a (desktop/laptop) computer". All of those things can very easily be accomplished on a laptop, and furthermore, since you're not just going to pick it out of your pocket and randomly start scrolling, those actions are usually much more intentional when done on a computer.
  - sofixa 5y ago
    But that doesn't work when traveling. Are you going to carry your laptop with you all day to check for nearby restaurants (unless your plans are perfect and you know for sure how long will each thing take and you can plan where exactly to eat)? How do you even find a café or whatever with wifi when you're in an unknown place? And you never ever change any plan based on new information? I just spent a month in Sri Lanka, and mobile internet was extremely useful multiple times per day ( compare restaurants in the current location, find the nearest bus stop because you're tired and don't want to walk anymore, check how much X should cost because maybe someone will try to scam you, etc etc).
    - everdrive 5y ago
      You just plan ahead. Take 15 minutes at the start of your day and plan your day and route. You don't have to stick to the plan, it just gives you a baseline. Experimenting is nice as well. Maybe your favorite restaurant would not have been recommended by an app?
jjav 5y ago
Mostly same here. I have a newer phone, but only use it mainly for text messages and the occasional phone call. The only additional apps I have on it are K-9 Mail and ConnectBot (for ssh), both via F-Droid. I don't have a google account on this phone, so the google app store doesn't work, so I only use F-Droid.
gfxgirl 5y ago
> Restaurants dig out paper menus for me Not any more ... I've been to restaurants with no paper menu and no way to pay except online. I was not willing to do it but my friend was so rather than forcing him to leave I let him order and pay and then vowed to never go there again
- lrvick 5y ago
  Leave a one star review. Nothing changes behavior like bad reviews with legitimate criticism.
nonrandomstring 5y ago
> I run a tech company and have not used any proprietary apps in several years, not had a cell carrier in well over a year, and a few months ago I ditched my phone entirely. Same here. I'm a "high functioning" :) tech person who ditched my smartphone years ago now. I get more done. More focus. Vastly better relationships with business partners, family and kids. I learn more, retain more, think about things more clearly. It was my involvement directly in smartphone tech around 2012-16 (during which Snowden happened) that flipped my switch. Recently I've been looking at the psychological evidence around what these systems of smartphones, "always-on living" and social networks do to our brains and, as a fairly conservative scientist, I find it terrifying. I really think you'd have to be mad to carry a smartphone at present.

by lrvick 5y ago

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

TedDoesntTalk 5y ago

What do you use for phone calls if you don’t have a mobile phone?

dangerboysteve 5y ago
the previous person said they used a VOIP service so a SIP VOIP client on their Mac. But even so, many people choose not to make phone calls nowadays.
xeromal 5y ago
He said he uses Voip. Presumably, he opens up his laptop and makes a call from a cafe if he needs to.
- lrvick 5y ago
  Or from any nearby hotel phone or from a DECT phone if I am at home.

smcin 5y ago

How do you travel anywhere, book a flight, hotel or rental car, navigate anywhere, or even get a list of local restaurants? (and when you say 'no proprietary apps', does that include Google Maps?)

14 5y ago
I use safari, I suppose that is an app? All that stuff you mention can be looked up within safari.
hn_throwaway_99 5y ago
Wow, I'm honestly really interested to know your age. I'm Gen X, and easily thought "He runs a tech company, so I'm assuming he knows how to use a (desktop/laptop) computer". All of those things can very easily be accomplished on a laptop, and furthermore, since you're not just going to pick it out of your pocket and randomly start scrolling, those actions are usually much more intentional when done on a computer.
- sofixa 5y ago
  But that doesn't work when traveling. Are you going to carry your laptop with you all day to check for nearby restaurants (unless your plans are perfect and you know for sure how long will each thing take and you can plan where exactly to eat)? How do you even find a café or whatever with wifi when you're in an unknown place? And you never ever change any plan based on new information? I just spent a month in Sri Lanka, and mobile internet was extremely useful multiple times per day ( compare restaurants in the current location, find the nearest bus stop because you're tired and don't want to walk anymore, check how much X should cost because maybe someone will try to scam you, etc etc).
  - everdrive 5y ago
    You just plan ahead. Take 15 minutes at the start of your day and plan your day and route. You don't have to stick to the plan, it just gives you a baseline. Experimenting is nice as well. Maybe your favorite restaurant would not have been recommended by an app?

jjav 5y ago

Mostly same here. I have a newer phone, but only use it mainly for text messages and the occasional phone call. The only additional apps I have on it are K-9 Mail and ConnectBot (for ssh), both via F-Droid. I don't have a google account on this phone, so the google app store doesn't work, so I only use F-Droid.

gfxgirl 5y ago

> Restaurants dig out paper menus for me Not any more ... I've been to restaurants with no paper menu and no way to pay except online. I was not willing to do it but my friend was so rather than forcing him to leave I let him order and pay and then vowed to never go there again

lrvick 5y ago
Leave a one star review. Nothing changes behavior like bad reviews with legitimate criticism.

nonrandomstring 5y ago

> I run a tech company and have not used any proprietary apps in several years, not had a cell carrier in well over a year, and a few months ago I ditched my phone entirely. Same here. I'm a "high functioning" :) tech person who ditched my smartphone years ago now. I get more done. More focus. Vastly better relationships with business partners, family and kids. I learn more, retain more, think about things more clearly. It was my involvement directly in smartphone tech around 2012-16 (during which Snowden happened) that flipped my switch. Recently I've been looking at the psychological evidence around what these systems of smartphones, "always-on living" and social networks do to our brains and, as a fairly conservative scientist, I find it terrifying. I really think you'd have to be mad to carry a smartphone at present.