I quit haulin' my phone into the woodlot.

[Gologit]

This thread is going to make my day!!! :msp_w00t: Especially since just this morning I stumbled on my cell which has been AWOL for the past 10 days. It was "in the Jeep" which I haven't used since the weekend previous. And I COULDN'T CARE LESS. :wink2:

Spidey, I'm with you 100%. And for you people who feel you can't live without them, what did you do before them?? I will concede the point that for some of you who are running a business and you are in the field all day, that a cell is a better alternative than returning a couple dozen phone calls at the end of the day when you get home. But having said that, I dispute the notion that you must be accessable to your customers 24/7. Also I should mention that I'm in my store all day, and the store phone rings enough that I certainly don't need the cell going off.

Part of this debate is do you simply want a phone, or do you need all of the other crap that comes with a smart phone? The more you get into the features, the more likely you are to have the damn thing IV'd into your body. My brother is like this. One for work, and one personal. Poor guy can't go 10 minutes without checking the stupid things. Be kind of hard to use the word "liberating" when describing this technology that is supposed to make our lives better. I just have the cheap basic flip phone, and it's for phone calls only. Pay as you go plan, and it costs me about $100 a year. I will not text and I find the reactions people have to that quite amusing. They look at me as if I said I don't breath. They walk around addicted to these electronic narcotics to the point that their "mobile device" has become the most important organ in their body. It's sad in way, because with total reliance on their electronic nonsense, they become helpless in subtle but real ways. (like being able to read a map)

Does all of this crap make life better/easier, as we are told in the endless stream of phone commercials? Or do they add to our daily stress by flooding us with an avalanche of unecessary calls, voice mails, texts, and e-mails that must be sifted through and managed? Whoever mentioned the useless "watsup dude" type message hit the nail on the head. Many of the calls we get at the store are from guys driving around and filling their time with the phone. I don't want those calls. If your bored, turn on the freaking radio.

The worst part of this has become the common expectation that we all must be plugged in to the communication grid constantly. Everyone must be accessable; all the time. The frustration evident in people's voices when "I couldn't get you on your cell" or, "didn't you get my message?" illustrates this point rather clearly. I realize that most folks have jumped on this bandwagon, but I've always gone my own way and I'm opting out of playing this game. Think I'll go hide my cell for another week or so!

Well said.

 

[avalancher]

Cell phones are like any other form of "new" technology, either embrace it or hate the mere existence. For me, a cell phone has proven to be a device that has improved my life ten fold in many different ways.

For starters, I work alone mostly, and the wife always used to worry when I was out in a rural area that something would happen and I would not have access to help. Cell phone aleviated that problem a good bit. Second, we have foster children that often have a lot of medical appointments, and as I am self employed I am generally the one to take them to the docs when they need to go. A smart phone is pretty entertaining once you get the hang of it.

Third, I learned to text and got pretty dang fast at it, and the biggest reason for that was my teenage daughter. Like most kids her age, she is glued to her phone, and its nothing unusual for her to rack up 30,000 text messages in a month. For years my daughter and I have had a hard time communicating as I am rather old fashioned and just flat out dont get the way kids think these days. Often a simple conversation would end up heated and off to her room she would go in a lather and she would generally refuse to talk about things in her life that were troubling for her and hard for me to understand.

Then I discovered something. A topic that would often get heated in plain conversation went pretty well in a texting conversation, and often a text sent across the living room in the evening of "hey youngen, you look pretty upset, whats going on?" would result in a reply that turned into a conversation where as before if I simply asked her out loud the "whats wrong?" I would generally get a "NOTHING" reply.

Text conversation in my book has become just another way to skin the cat, there are more than one way to do it. if the goal is to communicate, often it works best to have more than one way to do it. Many of my customers send me a text for a request, most of the case workers for our foster children prefer texting, and I appreciate being able to answer at my leisure rather having to answer a ringing phone. And personally I would like a weird way to communicate with a very shy teenage daughter and know whats going on in her life than to be in the dark. If banging out a reply on a keyboard lets her share, then so be it.

 

[spike60]

Third, I learned to text and got pretty dang fast at it, and the biggest reason for that was my teenage daughter. Like most kids her age, she is glued to her phone, and its nothing unusual for her to rack up 30,000 text messages in a month. For years my daughter and I have had a hard time communicating as I am rather old fashioned and just flat out dont get the way kids think these days. Often a simple conversation would end up heated and off to her room she would go in a lather and she would generally refuse to talk about things in her life that were troubling for her and hard for me to understand.

Then I discovered something. A topic that would often get heated in plain conversation went pretty well in a texting conversation, and often a text sent across the living room in the evening of "hey youngen, you look pretty upset, whats going on?" would result in a reply that turned into a conversation where as before if I simply asked her out loud the "whats wrong?" I would generally get a "NOTHING" reply.

If the sterility of texting is an acceptable replacement for one on one human interaction we're a lot worse off than I thought. :msp_ohmy:

 

[Gologit]

If the sterility of texting is an acceptable replacement for one on one human interaction we're a lot worse off than I thought. :msp_ohmy:

Sterility. Good choice of words. I like to hear people talk.

 

[kodiak]

... I am a throw back to a time when all this crap wasn't available and am fine not having to be dependent on it now. ...

Says the guy sitting front of his computer reading message boards on the Internet. Do you ever send an e-mail to take care of some business that previously required snail mail? Can we assume you've canceled your girly magazine subscriptions now that you can just go online to see hot women (reference to your avatar, very nice BTW)?

 

[avalancher]

If the sterility of texting is an acceptable replacement for one on one human interaction we're a lot worse off than I thought. :msp_ohmy:

We are a lot worse off than what most people believe. The art of writing a letter is gone, instead we bang out an email. Forget taking care of our young children, now we park them in front of the TV, then the computer, then the #### in a vain attempt to not have to learn anything about them. The way I figure, I am probably a member of the last generation that will actually remember writing a letter to anyone, sticking a stamp on it, and mailing it off. No wonder the USPS is hurting for business.

Electronics are quickly and quietly taking over our lives, just ask any factory worker. The key here is to take a look at your surroundings, and learn to live with modernization so that you run as much of your life as possible rather than let the gadgets run your life. While texting to a troubled teenager may sound weird, its better than no communication at all that I see so many folks partaking in these days. The second you have no idea what is going on in your childrens lives you can just expect a life changing surprise to show up. Just trot yourself on down to the local health department and get a look at all the teenage girls there signing up for benefits after finding out that an evening wrestling around in a back seat of Billy Bobs Lexus ended up bringing another life into the world, and the parents had no idea where or what their kids were up to.

Nope, I will take advantage of any new technology that will make my life better or more productive. Technology for technology sake? Nope, that aint for me. You wont find me standing in line for 11 weeks in front of the apple store just cause they are releasing a new Iphone. I waited four years before buying a Blue Ray player because I wanted the prices to come down, and I wanted to see if it was a format that would stick around for awhile. Remember Beta tapes? I am still happy banging away on a computer that is running Windows XP and have no interest in anything newer.

And yeah, I like my Iphone. It sure has made life easier.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Yes, which is a valid question. You may have a difference of opinion and want to live in the cave man times, that's fine, but I don't think you know me. How would you know how I use my phone? Why did you need to be rude about it?

If you want to live "back in the day" why are you on the internet even?

In the message you sent to me:

"The same way YOU can not believe that anyone can not live if their cell phone is not stitched to their ear, I can't believe that YOU have to be connected to the outside world 24/7. Sure people need these for business use and emergency use but come on YOU can't go without the damn thing for a few hours. Hey who am I to say that YOU need it or not but if YOU are that important or think you are that important by all means let that little piece of metal dictate YOUR life. I am a throw back to a time when all this crap wasn't available and am fine not having to be dependent on it now. Finally I would guess that in my opinion probably 20% of all cell calls are related to something important and the other 80% is plain bull ####. JMO again!"

You were the one questioning how anyone could get by without a cell phone in this day and age, and I responded that I wasn't quite on board with having one glued to my ear 24/7. A difference of opinion that's all. My intent was not to be rude but just to state a point, sorry if I hurt your feelings.

 

[avalancher]

Yes, which is a valid question. You may have a difference of opinion and want to live in the cave man times, that's fine, but I don't think you know me. How would you know how I use my phone? Why did you need to be rude about it?

If you want to live "back in the day" why are you on the internet even?

In the message you sent to me:

"The same way YOU can not believe that anyone can not live if their cell phone is not stitched to their ear, I can't believe that YOU have to be connected to the outside world 24/7. Sure people need these for business use and emergency use but come on YOU can't go without the damn thing for a few hours. Hey who am I to say that YOU need it or not but if YOU are that important or think you are that important by all means let that little piece of metal dictate YOUR life. I am a throw back to a time when all this crap wasn't available and am fine not having to be dependent on it now. Finally I would guess that in my opinion probably 20% of all cell calls are related to something important and the other 80% is plain bull ####. JMO again!"

Dude, let it go. He said, "A difference of opinion that's all. My intent was not to be rude but just to state a point, sorry if I hurt your feelings." A guy cant convey with a keyboard tone of voice, body language, etc and I think you are reading too much into it. Especially after he said sorry.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Why are you involving yourself in the matters of others? :msp_tongue: His statement is worded extremely poorly if he was not trying to be rude.

It's like me telling someone "go to hell" and then saying I wasn't trying to me rude... hmmm...

Dude, let it go. He said, "A difference of opinion that's all. My intent was not to be rude but just to state a point, sorry if I hurt your feelings." A guy cant convey with a keyboard tone of voice, body language, etc and I think you are reading too much into it. Especially after he said sorry.

 

[brenndatomu]

...and another one of Spideys threads off in the ditch...

play nice boys...

 

[greendohn]

my cell phone is the "rugged model" supposedly waterproof and all. no data packages and I leave it behind quite a bit.
that texting is a pain is the arse for the most part, i only fool with it when i have to.

 

[Steve NW WI]

You screw up out in the woods, lop your leg with a chainsaw, or seriously maim yourself, all alone, and you'll see the need for one then.

I'm not a whole lot different than most you, don't always have my phone on my person, don't like text messages and I really don't like the world having unfeddered access to me. I don't own a smart phone, have a flip phone, they are still plenty available and you get them and the associated plans cheap. Whenever I'm out at the wood pile and the Mrs. isn't home, I have the thing out there with me.

We all like to think of ourselves as rugged frontiersman, there's is nothing that we cannot handle on our own, we're completely independant. Until true adventure stares you in the face and you soil your Fruit Of Looms. It's hard to act like a tuff guy when you're lying in a pool of your blood miles from anywhere, you could be cold and stiff by the time anybody realizes that you're not around. That little device that you loath so much is your #1 safety device, wise up!!!!

That's not how I look at it. I'm somewhat rural, a lot of people on here are a heck of a lot more so than I am. A cell phone will get a 1st responder to my driveway in 10 minutes or so, an ambulance close to twice that. Out in the woods, a heck of a lot longer as they try to figure out how to get there from the road. I'm not knocking these people, it's just a fact of country living. If you don't have first aid skills and equipment, a cell phone will do little more than help them find your body.

Don't misunderstand me, a cell is a very good thing for safety, IF it has signal where you are. I'm often in areas where that doesn't happen.

FWIW, for those of you who are cell-resistant, but still think it's a good emergency tool, ANY phone with a signal and a battery can dial 911 - no contract, prepaid account, or anything required.

Why are you involving yourself in the matters of others? :msp_tongue: His statement is worded extremely poorly if he was not trying to be rude.

It's like me telling someone "go to hell" and then saying I wasn't trying to me rude... hmmm...

Valley, since you're new here, I'll introduce myself. I'm one of the moderators here. There's at least one more that's posted in this thread as well.

People often don't communicate as well with typed words as they do speaking in person. I'm sure Dogsout meant nothing like you're taking it, and Avalancher was just trying to convey what I just repeated. If you don't like public interaction, or can't handle others getting a little pointed when replying to you, perhaps the internet isn't the best place for you.

While we wish everyone got along perfectly and life was all roses on this little site, sometimes people just don't agree with each other. If it gets out of hand, we have to get involved. Let's try not to let this one get out of hand.

 

[ropensaddle]

I hear you what ever happened to these they doubled as fishing gear View attachment 300865

 

[ropensaddle]

My wife has a cell phone, a cheapie at that. I don't want one of the dern things. I don't text and really don't like talking on the phone. I realize it's a neccissity sometimes.I will admit they are nice on trips and in an emergency situation.

I hear ya like when low on depends and making sure walgreens has some stocked ? :monkey:

 

[sb47]

Everybody has there own needs and wants. I like my flip phone, its easy to put in my pocket and is more durable then a smart phone.
I have all the bells and whistles but only choose to make and receive phone calls.
Smart phones are good for some and not worth the cost to others.
I don’t text so I don’t need it, a phone call works better for me.

Texting is slow but is handy for some. The only reason I would use text is if I was in a meeting and wanted to send or receive a message and keep a low profile.

I don’t judge others for what technology they choose to use. I love my PC and use it quite extensively at home and in the office. But I don’t feel the need to use it on the road. I like to keep that part simple.
There is a learning curve with every new technology out there, some like to mess with it and some don’t.

 

[apn73]

That's not how I look at it. I'm somewhat rural, a lot of people on here are a heck of a lot more so than I am. A cell phone will get a 1st responder to my driveway in 10 minutes or so, an ambulance close to twice that. Out in the woods, a heck of a lot longer as they try to figure out how to get there from the road. I'm not knocking these people, it's just a fact of country living. If you don't have first aid skills and equipment, a cell phone will do little more than help them find your body.

Don't misunderstand me, a cell is a very good thing for safety, IF it has signal where you are. I'm often in areas where that doesn't happen.

FWIW, for those of you who are cell-resistant, but still think it's a good emergency tool, ANY phone with a signal and a battery can dial 911 - no contract, prepaid account, or anything required.

Granted and point taken. I work in a very saftey sensitive environment, OSHA makes routine stops because we are very visible. Because of this I tend to be very sensitive about safety issues. The woods can be a very dangerous place, especially with trees falling and heavy equipment rolling, and I believe that every effort to stay safe and go home to your families in one piece should be taken. Cell phones can be a pain, but I would rather have somebody on the move and looking for me than not, that right there could make the difference between you living and dying. Cell phone, radio, carrier pidgeon, something to get a message out that something is very wrong and I need help, especially when you're alone. My previous post may have come off a little strong and I apologize for that, but too many people in my industry have left a spouse alone and orphened kids, so that is why I said what I said. Be safe, above all else.

 

[jrider]

While I realize a cell/smart phone isn't for everyone, I do get a kick out of how some people make these broad sweeping statements blasting technology on an internet forum. And it's not like its their first post either.

 

[Fifelaker]

You screw up out in the woods, lop your leg with a chainsaw, or seriously maim yourself, all alone, and you'll see the need for one then.

I'm not a whole lot different than most you, don't always have my phone on my person, don't like text messages and I really don't like the world having unfeddered access to me. I don't own a smart phone, have a flip phone, they are still plenty available and you get them and the associated plans cheap. Whenever I'm out at the wood pile and the Mrs. isn't home, I have the thing out there with me.

We all like to think of ourselves as rugged frontiersman, there's is nothing that we cannot handle on our own, we're completely independant. Until true adventure stares you in the face and you soil your Fruit Of Looms. It's hard to act like a tuff guy when you're lying in a pool of your blood miles from anywhere, you could be cold and stiff by the time anybody realizes that you're not around. That little device that you loath so much is your #2 safety device, wise up!!!!

Fixed, #1 is between your ears.

 

[sb47]

Stop the madness! The fact that you are burning a fire means that you are using technology that was started quite possibly millions of years ago.
Fire itself is an old technology from long ago. So why not use everything at your disposal to get the job done.
A saw, truck, trailer, hatchet, axe, rope, excreta are all technologies that were invented long ago. The fact is we all use it in some form or another.

 

[JRepairsK70e]

where can I get some excreta ??hate to be left in the past :msp_confused: