Was the world a better place before mobiles phones?
Discussion
xRIEx said:
What a load of elitist b
ks! Only rich people should be allowed mobile phones? GTFO.
You regard being able to afford the figures I quoted as putting someone in the rich category? Do you regard most car owners as rich? I quoted fairly modest figures, and the cost of an iPhone is around £600 if you buy it though Vodafone.ks! Only rich people should be allowed mobile phones? GTFO.I did follow what I said with a line about being serious, then I went in to the second part of my post.
The first part was tongue in cheek, but it is a fact that with discounting and incentives, the true value of our mobiles is lost to us all.
I read somewhere today that on the top 10 things to do with smart phones, making actual phone calls was number 6.
I preferred it when mobiles were not around, it meant you damn well turned up on time for a meeting with friends etc... none of this crap of turning up 30-60 mins late and being able to find everyone. If you missed the initial meeting point there was a back up meeting 2 hours later in a specific bar, you missed that one, then your evening went to pot.
Also people looked where they were walking, so many times someone has walked into me as their head has been buried in their phone.
Also means home time is home time and none of this 24/7 on call bks due to having a work phone and being contactable.
I preferred it when mobiles were not around, it meant you damn well turned up on time for a meeting with friends etc... none of this crap of turning up 30-60 mins late and being able to find everyone. If you missed the initial meeting point there was a back up meeting 2 hours later in a specific bar, you missed that one, then your evening went to pot.
Also people looked where they were walking, so many times someone has walked into me as their head has been buried in their phone.
Also means home time is home time and none of this 24/7 on call b
ks due to having a work phone and being contactable. Willy Nilly said:
55palfers said:
This is all the "phone" we ever needed
They're only hope now is that Windows Phones become more popular, because they won't survive selling £10 basic phones.
As for the original question - reminiscing about the pre-mobile age is just rose tinted nostalgia - the annoying kids who are pre-occupied by there mobiles now are no different to the kids who refused to stop using their Walkman or Gameboy in the 90's.
As for the pub debate, yes people will arrive late now sending a text asking for their mates to wait, they'd still been late in 1994, only you'd have to wait for them for hours in case they turned up.
As for the pub debate, yes people will arrive late now sending a text asking for their mates to wait, they'd still been late in 1994, only you'd have to wait for them for hours in case they turned up.
P-Jay said:
Willy Nilly said:
55palfers said:
This is all the "phone" we ever needed
They're only hope now is that Windows Phones become more popular, because they won't survive selling £10 basic phones.
Nokia = thinks they are too big to fail...
How wrong they were.
wildcat45 said:
Mobile phones were useful an unusual. Something of a status symbol back in 1989 when I first started using them.
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The rot began about 1995 when they became cheap and easy to get.
Having a mobile is now a "right" not a privilege, or something that costs to own. They are ubiquitous, as they were a boon for the late 1980s businessman they are now a tool of the trade for drug dealers, criminals and terrorists.
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You should be able to buy all the tech you want but you should pay for it. £600 for an iPhone, an annual £150 license proper checks to confirm who you are.
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Yeah I know, never travel Standard class.
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I don't know you, and most of it may be in jest, but based on that post you sound like a class A elitist d...
The rot began about 1995 when they became cheap and easy to get.
Having a mobile is now a "right" not a privilege, or something that costs to own. They are ubiquitous, as they were a boon for the late 1980s businessman they are now a tool of the trade for drug dealers, criminals and terrorists.
...
You should be able to buy all the tech you want but you should pay for it. £600 for an iPhone, an annual £150 license proper checks to confirm who you are.
...
Yeah I know, never travel Standard class.
...
head.wildcat45 said:
You regard being able to afford the figures I quoted as putting someone in the rich category? Do you regard most car owners as rich? I quoted fairly modest figures, and the cost of an iPhone is around £600 if you buy it though Vodafone.
What difference would it make, seriously?The "the innit Bruv moron" that (understandably) annoyed you with his conversation can have a possibly better and definitely longer conversation on a £10 Nokia/Samsung.
The "adjacent mouth breathing chav slapper" that somehow annoyed you by keeping to himself, can do as much and quite possibly more on a £120 Moto G/Nokia 530.
Of course, the only thing this accomplishes is that people can see your £900 Gold iPhone 6+ 128GB and know you actually paid for it.
I agree though, it does allow us to easily identify the morons.
But not in the way you think it does.
ZesPak said:
What difference would it make, seriously?
The "the innit Bruv moron" that (understandably) annoyed you with his conversation can have a possibly better and definitely longer conversation on a £10 Nokia/Samsung.
The "adjacent mouth breathing chav slapper" that somehow annoyed you by keeping to himself, can do as much and quite possibly more on a £120 Moto G/Nokia 530.
Of course, the only thing this accomplishes is that people can see your £900 Gold iPhone 6+ 128GB and know you actually paid for it.
I agree though, it does allow us to easily identify the morons.
But not in the way you think it does.
Fair points. All.The "the innit Bruv moron" that (understandably) annoyed you with his conversation can have a possibly better and definitely longer conversation on a £10 Nokia/Samsung.
The "adjacent mouth breathing chav slapper" that somehow annoyed you by keeping to himself, can do as much and quite possibly more on a £120 Moto G/Nokia 530.
Of course, the only thing this accomplishes is that people can see your £900 Gold iPhone 6+ 128GB and know you actually paid for it.
I agree though, it does allow us to easily identify the morons.
But not in the way you think it does.
But please take the tongue in cheek comment in the spirit of humour. Don't be so serious. Just the same as a light hearted comment someone may make about having "my man do this for me" or whatever.
I even said in the post I wasn't being serious.
The series point is that we - and by we I mean the collective us and do not mean to include you I'f it does not describe you and you find it offensive - do not aporeciate the value of mobiles. Be that financial value, or any other value.
We take them for granted..
In just the same way we do so many other things from fridges to the fact that you average ambulance has better gear in it than most A and E departments a generation ago. Clean water, penicillin, air travel, Democracy genetic engineering..........whatever.
We do not appreciate the value.
And some do not appreciate light hearted comments .
Typed on a knackeredI iPhone 4
Edited by wildcat45 on Friday 31st October 12:15
55palfers said:
This is all the "phone" we ever needed
It must be about 13 years old now, but will be kept until it no longer works as an emergency backup phone
Pickled said:
55palfers said:
This is all the "phone" we ever needed
It must be about 13 years old now, but will be kept until it no longer works as an emergency backup phone
3days?
2?
I currently have to charge my Iphone each afternoon to be sure it will be working after 21:00.
Many years ago when they first came out I had one which was left off 99% of the time because otherwise my work would contact me on my days off. BUT it was handy to have in case I broke down etc.
So yes, they can be handy.
These days people seem unable to function without using their smartphone, which tends to be somewhat smarter than they are. So it has gone too far (for example friends visit us and then access their phone to put on facebook that they are visiting us?!!?) now.
So was it better, yes and no. Are phones very handy, yes.
So yes, they can be handy.
These days people seem unable to function without using their smartphone, which tends to be somewhat smarter than they are. So it has gone too far (for example friends visit us and then access their phone to put on facebook that they are visiting us?!!?) now.
So was it better, yes and no. Are phones very handy, yes.
wildcat45 said:
or the adjacent mouth breathing chav slapper who sat staring at her screen for an hour without expression.
Why would you be upset by somebody who is keeping herself to herself and not disturbing or bothering you?ETA: I've reread it and it seems light-hearted and I take your other points!
Edited by RobinBanks on Friday 31st October 17:07
I loved the freedom and the privacy of not constantly being at the end of a phone. The fact that you had to make reasonably concrete arrangements with friends and stick to them, not something as loose and flaky as today. Always ironic that the proliferation of phones has contributed so much to the loss of the art of conversation too.
RobinBanks said:
Why would you be upset by somebody who is keeping herself to herself and not disturbing or bothering you?
ETA: I've reread it and it seems light-hearted and I take your other points!
She looked like a Vicky Pollard type character and I made a judgement based in her general demeanour. I could have judged her unfairly, but I doubt I was far off the mark.ETA: I've reread it and it seems light-hearted and I take your other points!
Edited by RobinBanks on Friday 31st October 17:07
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