3 ms·

Don't know about you, but without Maps I'd be completely lost. Also, all gov services in my country (Estonia) require Smart ID, which requires a smartphone. So

Don't know about you, but without Maps I'd be completely lost. Also, all gov services in my country (Estonia) require Smart ID, which requires a smartphone. So if I want to log into my bank account, sign documents, look at my medical records, do tax declarations, manage my business information, manage car parking, and so on and so on, I will need a smartphone. I suppose I could use the oldschool physical ID card and a ID card reader for my computer, but then I'd not be able to do anything on the go, and I'm certainly not going to carry a computer with me to be able to pay for car parking. I'd say being able to live without a smartphone is only in third-world countries at this point, and less and less even there. In Argentina, everything from government services to booking a hair salon appointment to viewing restaurant menus is done via Whatsapp and QR codes, for example.

prmoustache 3y ago
You could all have those in a tablet at home with android or ios for anything that you do at home. I very much doubt you can't pay parking without a smartphone.
- ywain 3y ago
  There are definitely some parkings where you can only pay with a smartphone. The worst is when they force you to download a shitty app. Super fun when the parking does not have good reception and you have to download an unnecessarily large app over 3G. I've also been to random parking lots in the middle of nowhere with a cardboard sign saying "Venmo $5/hour at X".
chrysoprace 3y ago
What you've described are conveniences, which in essence was what my comment was about. A headphone jack is a convenience. It is inconvenient to use a dongle to convert from USB-C to 3.5mm, just as it is inconvenient to go down to your local government branch to change your address. You could do it, but you'd probably much rather just use your phone. You could ask the restaurant staff for a physical menu, but it's probably more convenient to scan the QR code.
- askonomm 3y ago
  I won't be able to pay in most parking places. There's no government office to show up at for that. I also don't think I can manage my business information in any offline way - the most manual form of that requires (electronically) signed forms to be sent via e-mail. So while I agree, some things you probably can do without, others in a 2023 Northern European society you really can't. If I wanted to live life with a dumbphone nowadays, I'd have to move to a less advanced part of the world.
  - mixmastamyk 3y ago
    [flagged]
  - mixmastamyk 3y ago
    Yours is the country that’s now vulnerable, not the "less developed third-world." No one should be depending on fragile insecure multiple-points of failure technology for 100% of life. You’re one invasion, terrorist/cyberattack, or solar flare away from armageddon. Even just the power out for a few days after a storm and you’re done during that time. I can think of additional failure modes.

prmoustache 3y ago

You could all have those in a tablet at home with android or ios for anything that you do at home. I very much doubt you can't pay parking without a smartphone.

ywain 3y ago
There are definitely some parkings where you can only pay with a smartphone. The worst is when they force you to download a shitty app. Super fun when the parking does not have good reception and you have to download an unnecessarily large app over 3G. I've also been to random parking lots in the middle of nowhere with a cardboard sign saying "Venmo $5/hour at X".

chrysoprace 3y ago

What you've described are conveniences, which in essence was what my comment was about. A headphone jack is a convenience. It is inconvenient to use a dongle to convert from USB-C to 3.5mm, just as it is inconvenient to go down to your local government branch to change your address. You could do it, but you'd probably much rather just use your phone. You could ask the restaurant staff for a physical menu, but it's probably more convenient to scan the QR code.

askonomm 3y ago
I won't be able to pay in most parking places. There's no government office to show up at for that. I also don't think I can manage my business information in any offline way - the most manual form of that requires (electronically) signed forms to be sent via e-mail. So while I agree, some things you probably can do without, others in a 2023 Northern European society you really can't. If I wanted to live life with a dumbphone nowadays, I'd have to move to a less advanced part of the world.
- mixmastamyk 3y ago
  [flagged]
- mixmastamyk 3y ago
  Yours is the country that’s now vulnerable, not the "less developed third-world." No one should be depending on fragile insecure multiple-points of failure technology for 100% of life. You’re one invasion, terrorist/cyberattack, or solar flare away from armageddon. Even just the power out for a few days after a storm and you’re done during that time. I can think of additional failure modes.