4 ms·

I was on a date once and I was a few models behind with my iPhone, and my date said, "You work in devops, and you have an iPhone 5?" The disgust was evident in

I was on a date once and I was a few models behind with my iPhone, and my date said, "You work in devops, and you have an iPhone 5?" The disgust was evident in her tone. That was our first and last date, but I did quickly thereafter buy a new iPhone...

DrBenCarson 4y ago
Your date did you a favor. Your phone is by far your loudest status symbol, in part because it signals you (or your employer) value your productivity.
- nine_k 4y ago
  Good indeed! Whoever looks no farther than status symbols can be quickly skipped.
- Teknoman117 4y ago
  - implies that iPhones are more productive than Android phones. That's a crapshoot of an argument. If it runs the apps you need to be productive and doesn't get in their way, what's the difference?
- bombolo 4y ago
  I'm sure my date cares how many tickets per day I close… get a life :)
- lolinder 4y ago
  If this is true, it's the opposite of what you imply. The fancier and more expensive the phone, the less productive you're likely to be with it. My 4 year old Android device can do anything productive that someone else's iPhone 14 can do. What it can't do is play the latest games (not enough RAM), stream Netflix comfortably (small screen), or impress people with face unlock (lowly thumbprint recognition for me).
- sph 4y ago
  It's the most common yet worst status symbol, because it can be bought with a plan and monthly instalments, so it's easier to flaunt than a Lamborghini. I've seen people on benefits with better iPhones than mine. If your date judges you for having an Android instead of an iPhone, they're a terrible judge of character and wealth.
Teknoman117 4y ago
I really wouldn't want to be with someone long-term who thought like that. Date, maybe, could be fun, but definitely not settle down with.
onetimeusename 4y ago
ya all the devops people I know use android. what were you thinking?
- isatty 4y ago
  as an SRE I have a strong preference for iPhones - I don't want to think about my phone, what software it runs, rooting it, modifying it - I don't want to think about my phones reliability - I don't want to think about getting it repaired literally anywhere in the world (I have had countless perfect experiences with the Apple store) - I don't want to think about it being secure, if its stolen yadda yadda - Having support for a work profile is irrelevant because I like to use two phones to keep everything separate
  - jemmyw 4y ago
    Apple are pretty bad repair wise in the country I live. I've had to take macs in to get repairs many times and it's an exercise in frustration. There is no Apple store in NZ, they're slow, they won't ship things. I bought a Dell laptop, there was a problem with the trackpad. The Dell technician came to my house and fixed it on my dining room table.
kornhole 4y ago
Best not to show your phone on a first date. It is like talking about religion here in San Francisco. Apple verses Google is like Allah verses Yahweh. You may not get laid.
- Teknoman117 4y ago
  I mean, shouldn't really be looking at your phone on a date anyways unless it's pertinent to whatever conversation you're having...
- vlovich123 4y ago
  Do you want a partner that uses social signaling as a criterion for picking their partner? Especially one as meaningless as that?
  - bowsamic 4y ago
    I think you’ll find it’s impossible to find a human being who doesn’t use any kind of social signaling
    - lrvick 4y ago
      I signal that phone superiority is stupid by not owning one.
    - sph 4y ago
      We're saying that phone as a social signal is dumb, not social signalling as a whole is stupid.
      - bowsamic 4y ago
        That's not what the comment I'm replying to said "Do you want a partner that uses social signaling as a criterion for picking their partner?"
- weberer 4y ago
  >Allah verses Yahweh Aren't they the same guy?
lrvick 4y ago
The right phone to bring on a date or any personal human interaction is none at all or turn it off. Cell phones are like toilets. No one wants to watch you using one. If a date cares which toilet or phone you use... that is weird. Run. FWIIW I have a 20 year background in software engineering and devops. Today I run an infosec company, live in silicon valley, and I do not have a cell phone at all. I have a desktop computer for getting work done in office hours, and if I have time alone away from home for an extended period of time I bring a laptop and a book which are used at times of my choosing.
- sorenjan 4y ago
  Always having access to a detailed map with GPS has been one of the best quality of life enhancers modern tech has provided. I can go anywhere and never worry about getting lost. And the same device will play any music I want whenever I want, take photos, show me a grocery list automatically synced with my computer, and pay for the groceries and any of by bills like rent. You do you though.
  - lrvick 4y ago
    I once used all of those things constantly too. I get it, but there are viable alternatives that are worth it for me, and maybe others. Paper maps exist. As do standalone GPS devices. Personally I look up directions before I leave and write them down. Within a few months of not using a GPS I actually started learning to navigate on my own. There is even evidence GPS reliance is literally causing atrophy in the portions of our brains evolved for navigation: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/7/24/20697829/gps-nueroscience-hippocampus https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/7/24/20697829/gp... I actually still use and prefer taxis over uber/lyft because there is no app, and they tend to know where they are going without staring at a phone while driving. As a motorcycle rider, I think all distracting screens should be turned off while driving. They get people killed. As for photos, dedicated point and shoot cameras are still a thing as they have vastly superior lenses to most/all phones. As for keeping lists, I switched back to paper notes. I rarely even look at them because the act of writing things down commits it to memory remarkably better than I expected, and my memory is pretty poor. As for music, I use rockbox on a small dedicated music player with 2tb of storage. I filled it so I have plenty. There is nothing stopping you from still using a phone for all these things, but consider keeping your phone in airplane mode full time so you are a bit less distracted and more disconnected. The average person checks their phone 300 times a day. When you know the internet is off... that addictive habit dies down. I did that for a year and used offline music and maps on the go etc. After that I stopped paying for cell service I never used as I could find wifi anywhere if I felt I really needed it. After that I deleted apps one by one and finding alternatives. Somewhere along the line I started finding I would forget to bring it with me to go shopping or for a walk. About a year ago I just ditched it entirely. I simply realized I am happier and more present and focused without it. Even airports, traveling, etc. There is no anxiety for me when I am without internet or a phone like there once was. It is like modern day survival training that paid off. The mental health gains and my overall ability to focus has gone up so dramatically I do not see myself ever going back. Maybe a beeper for emergencies but that is about it. I suggest anyone start with airplane mode and wifi only for a while and see how far down that path is right for them. If you had asked me 2 years ago if I would ever leave home without a phone I would have thought you were nuts. Detoxing from anything takes time.

DrBenCarson 4y ago

Your date did you a favor. Your phone is by far your loudest status symbol, in part because it signals you (or your employer) value your productivity.

nine_k 4y ago
Good indeed! Whoever looks no farther than status symbols can be quickly skipped.
Teknoman117 4y ago
- implies that iPhones are more productive than Android phones. That's a crapshoot of an argument. If it runs the apps you need to be productive and doesn't get in their way, what's the difference?
bombolo 4y ago
I'm sure my date cares how many tickets per day I close… get a life :)
lolinder 4y ago
If this is true, it's the opposite of what you imply. The fancier and more expensive the phone, the less productive you're likely to be with it. My 4 year old Android device can do anything productive that someone else's iPhone 14 can do. What it can't do is play the latest games (not enough RAM), stream Netflix comfortably (small screen), or impress people with face unlock (lowly thumbprint recognition for me).
sph 4y ago
It's the most common yet worst status symbol, because it can be bought with a plan and monthly instalments, so it's easier to flaunt than a Lamborghini. I've seen people on benefits with better iPhones than mine. If your date judges you for having an Android instead of an iPhone, they're a terrible judge of character and wealth.

Teknoman117 4y ago

I really wouldn't want to be with someone long-term who thought like that. Date, maybe, could be fun, but definitely not settle down with.

onetimeusename 4y ago

ya all the devops people I know use android. what were you thinking?

isatty 4y ago
as an SRE I have a strong preference for iPhones - I don't want to think about my phone, what software it runs, rooting it, modifying it - I don't want to think about my phones reliability - I don't want to think about getting it repaired literally anywhere in the world (I have had countless perfect experiences with the Apple store) - I don't want to think about it being secure, if its stolen yadda yadda - Having support for a work profile is irrelevant because I like to use two phones to keep everything separate
- jemmyw 4y ago
  Apple are pretty bad repair wise in the country I live. I've had to take macs in to get repairs many times and it's an exercise in frustration. There is no Apple store in NZ, they're slow, they won't ship things. I bought a Dell laptop, there was a problem with the trackpad. The Dell technician came to my house and fixed it on my dining room table.

kornhole 4y ago

Best not to show your phone on a first date. It is like talking about religion here in San Francisco. Apple verses Google is like Allah verses Yahweh. You may not get laid.

Teknoman117 4y ago
I mean, shouldn't really be looking at your phone on a date anyways unless it's pertinent to whatever conversation you're having...
vlovich123 4y ago
Do you want a partner that uses social signaling as a criterion for picking their partner? Especially one as meaningless as that?
- bowsamic 4y ago
  I think you’ll find it’s impossible to find a human being who doesn’t use any kind of social signaling
  - lrvick 4y ago
    I signal that phone superiority is stupid by not owning one.
  - sph 4y ago
    We're saying that phone as a social signal is dumb, not social signalling as a whole is stupid.
    - bowsamic 4y ago
      That's not what the comment I'm replying to said "Do you want a partner that uses social signaling as a criterion for picking their partner?"
weberer 4y ago
>Allah verses Yahweh Aren't they the same guy?

lrvick 4y ago

The right phone to bring on a date or any personal human interaction is none at all or turn it off. Cell phones are like toilets. No one wants to watch you using one. If a date cares which toilet or phone you use... that is weird. Run. FWIIW I have a 20 year background in software engineering and devops. Today I run an infosec company, live in silicon valley, and I do not have a cell phone at all. I have a desktop computer for getting work done in office hours, and if I have time alone away from home for an extended period of time I bring a laptop and a book which are used at times of my choosing.

sorenjan 4y ago
Always having access to a detailed map with GPS has been one of the best quality of life enhancers modern tech has provided. I can go anywhere and never worry about getting lost. And the same device will play any music I want whenever I want, take photos, show me a grocery list automatically synced with my computer, and pay for the groceries and any of by bills like rent. You do you though.
- lrvick 4y ago
  I once used all of those things constantly too. I get it, but there are viable alternatives that are worth it for me, and maybe others. Paper maps exist. As do standalone GPS devices. Personally I look up directions before I leave and write them down. Within a few months of not using a GPS I actually started learning to navigate on my own. There is even evidence GPS reliance is literally causing atrophy in the portions of our brains evolved for navigation: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/7/24/20697829/gps-nueroscience-hippocampus https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/7/24/20697829/gp... I actually still use and prefer taxis over uber/lyft because there is no app, and they tend to know where they are going without staring at a phone while driving. As a motorcycle rider, I think all distracting screens should be turned off while driving. They get people killed. As for photos, dedicated point and shoot cameras are still a thing as they have vastly superior lenses to most/all phones. As for keeping lists, I switched back to paper notes. I rarely even look at them because the act of writing things down commits it to memory remarkably better than I expected, and my memory is pretty poor. As for music, I use rockbox on a small dedicated music player with 2tb of storage. I filled it so I have plenty. There is nothing stopping you from still using a phone for all these things, but consider keeping your phone in airplane mode full time so you are a bit less distracted and more disconnected. The average person checks their phone 300 times a day. When you know the internet is off... that addictive habit dies down. I did that for a year and used offline music and maps on the go etc. After that I stopped paying for cell service I never used as I could find wifi anywhere if I felt I really needed it. After that I deleted apps one by one and finding alternatives. Somewhere along the line I started finding I would forget to bring it with me to go shopping or for a walk. About a year ago I just ditched it entirely. I simply realized I am happier and more present and focused without it. Even airports, traveling, etc. There is no anxiety for me when I am without internet or a phone like there once was. It is like modern day survival training that paid off. The mental health gains and my overall ability to focus has gone up so dramatically I do not see myself ever going back. Maybe a beeper for emergencies but that is about it. I suggest anyone start with airplane mode and wifi only for a while and see how far down that path is right for them. If you had asked me 2 years ago if I would ever leave home without a phone I would have thought you were nuts. Detoxing from anything takes time.