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Back when this all started, there was a word for people who insist on interacting with others while wearing tech on their face: glasshole. The message it sends

Back when this all started, there was a word for people who insist on interacting with others while wearing tech on their face: glasshole. The message it sends is, "You're not worth me putting my screen down for a minute to have a conversation."

makeitdouble 3y ago
That was also a time when it was rude generally rude to have earbuds in when interacting with people, meetings needed to be done face to face, and having anything covering you face was just viscerally rejected by a chunk of the population. The consensus has changed a lot in the meantime, or at least you'll find your group that doesn't care about any of that.
- shafyy 3y ago
  I still think it's rude to not remove your earbuds when talking to people. I even feel that way when people don't remove their AirPods when they quickly interact with the person working at the check-out counter in the grocery store. It's kind of degrading.
  - makeitdouble 3y ago
    I kinda saw the point a decade or two ago. As of today we have transparency mode where the person might actually hear you better with the buds on, then bone conduction where putting or removing them makes no sense, then ear cuff types etc. It's just so much more complex that having someone remove whatever they're wearing feels like an anachronism. It can still be a nice gesture, but as it becomes devoid of meaning it's also to me signaling that we don't trust the other person to understand they have our attention (through eye contact, actual conversation etc) if we don't overdo it.
  - currymj 3y ago
    arguably there is not so much difference between AirPods in transparency mode and a hearing aid these days. i share your feeling and remove earbuds. but it’s starting to feel like taking your hat off — purely symbolic gesture.
mulmen 3y ago
Being a glass hole wasn’t just about wearing tech while talking to people. It was more about how smug the users were and how overtly “look at me” the interaction was.
- lupire 3y ago
  It was just because glass rhymes with ass, and people didn't like other people wearing cameras.
  - mulmen 3y ago
    Google glass user behavior also rhymed with asshole.
bradgessler 3y ago
Before that was “Bluetooth Johnson” that you’d see running around at airports with their Bluetooth ear piece and a BlackBerry.
- hhh 3y ago
  That’s changed a bit with Airpods (and the like) has it not?
  - lupire 3y ago
    People don't like people who can afford more expensive things.
  - sangnoir 3y ago
    The exact same product features with savvier marketing makes the Apple users appear more suave: it's still a Bluetooth headset or a camera strapped on someone's face, just with Apple branding.
gwd 3y ago
With Google Glass at least you were actually seeing their real eyes. I always got the vibe that the attitude came from the fact that 1) looking at you also pointed a camera at you 2) you could never tell what the person wearing the glasses was looking at while talking to you, if anything. If people start wearing this thing to go grocery shopping, you'll probably get similar reaction. If people are obviously in the middle of doing something and you walk up to ask them a question, I'd expect that would be less of an issue.
lIIllIIllIIllII 3y ago
Glasshole - love it. Gargoyle is also apt.
- cesarb 3y ago
  > Gargoyle is also apt. For those who don't know, this is a Snow Crash reference. Quoting Wikipedia: "Stephenson also describes a subculture of people choosing to remain continuously connected to the Metaverse by wearing portable terminals, goggles and other equipment; they are nicknamed "gargoyles" [...]"

makeitdouble 3y ago

That was also a time when it was rude generally rude to have earbuds in when interacting with people, meetings needed to be done face to face, and having anything covering you face was just viscerally rejected by a chunk of the population. The consensus has changed a lot in the meantime, or at least you'll find your group that doesn't care about any of that.

shafyy 3y ago
I still think it's rude to not remove your earbuds when talking to people. I even feel that way when people don't remove their AirPods when they quickly interact with the person working at the check-out counter in the grocery store. It's kind of degrading.
- makeitdouble 3y ago
  I kinda saw the point a decade or two ago. As of today we have transparency mode where the person might actually hear you better with the buds on, then bone conduction where putting or removing them makes no sense, then ear cuff types etc. It's just so much more complex that having someone remove whatever they're wearing feels like an anachronism. It can still be a nice gesture, but as it becomes devoid of meaning it's also to me signaling that we don't trust the other person to understand they have our attention (through eye contact, actual conversation etc) if we don't overdo it.
- currymj 3y ago
  arguably there is not so much difference between AirPods in transparency mode and a hearing aid these days. i share your feeling and remove earbuds. but it’s starting to feel like taking your hat off — purely symbolic gesture.

mulmen 3y ago

Being a glass hole wasn’t just about wearing tech while talking to people. It was more about how smug the users were and how overtly “look at me” the interaction was.

lupire 3y ago
It was just because glass rhymes with ass, and people didn't like other people wearing cameras.
- mulmen 3y ago
  Google glass user behavior also rhymed with asshole.

bradgessler 3y ago

Before that was “Bluetooth Johnson” that you’d see running around at airports with their Bluetooth ear piece and a BlackBerry.

hhh 3y ago
That’s changed a bit with Airpods (and the like) has it not?
- lupire 3y ago
  People don't like people who can afford more expensive things.
- sangnoir 3y ago
  The exact same product features with savvier marketing makes the Apple users appear more suave: it's still a Bluetooth headset or a camera strapped on someone's face, just with Apple branding.

gwd 3y ago

With Google Glass at least you were actually seeing their real eyes. I always got the vibe that the attitude came from the fact that 1) looking at you also pointed a camera at you 2) you could never tell what the person wearing the glasses was looking at while talking to you, if anything. If people start wearing this thing to go grocery shopping, you'll probably get similar reaction. If people are obviously in the middle of doing something and you walk up to ask them a question, I'd expect that would be less of an issue.

lIIllIIllIIllII 3y ago

Glasshole - love it. Gargoyle is also apt.

cesarb 3y ago
> Gargoyle is also apt. For those who don't know, this is a Snow Crash reference. Quoting Wikipedia: "Stephenson also describes a subculture of people choosing to remain continuously connected to the Metaverse by wearing portable terminals, goggles and other equipment; they are nicknamed "gargoyles" [...]"