Comments on: Rage against the machine

By: Dar

Dar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:56:37 +0000

Couldn’t have said it better! I’m so behind the times, I’m just reading your post now!

Ok, well, I’m about to get on my cell phone while falling off a bike into traffic fraught with completely unaware drivers! Love that, Andy! You know, I saw a young female driver the other day on her cell phone about to make a left turn with her right signal on…Grrrr that makes me mad!

Keep up the posts, Bon! I love your writing!

By: bonsmots

bonsmots — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:23:10 +0000

The thing about technology is that once you have it, you wonder how you could have done without it. But it is possible.

I know a few luddites who don’t have cell phones or Facebook accounts and I envy them. Is there a detox program for Facebook or FriendFeed?

By: Andy Donovan

Andy Donovan — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:09:41 +0000

Hey Bon,

Excellent take on the issue…I think most would agree that having a cell is great (and all the Crackberry users would concur) but sometimes you don’t or rather shouldn’t be on the phone at all…take all the drivers in this morning that cut me off because they were tied up too much to use their signal lights).

Here’s when you know it’s getting out of hand when you see a young teenager trying to navigate and almost fall off his bicycle on St. Clair Avenue all while talking on his cellphone…I don’t think I was allowed to even talk on a land line when I was that age. Cheers,

Andy

By: Christine Smith

Christine Smith — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:42:31 +0000

I've often said "I'm just not that important" as the reason I gave up using a cell phone about three years ago. I just couldn't see how anyone would be interested in hearing me transmit: "I, honey, I'm at the Victoria Park Station; almost home!" or "Hi, traffic's bad; be home later." That's the kind of stuff I overhear all the time from people tethered to their phones. Drives me nuts. However, my husband and son (both cell phone users) are getting pretty fed up with me. They like to know where I am. They like me keeping in touch. (I feel quite reckless when I don't report on my whereabouts; so, perhaps not owning a cell phone is more about me wanting to feel free and independent.) Go figure.

By: bonsmots

bonsmots — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:05:27 +0000

Thanks, Michelle. Cell phone etiquette goes both ways, though; you switch off your phone during certain events and situations so as not to disturb those around you. You can’t be expected to have your cell phone on all the time, can you?

Besides, some rules are made to be broken. ; )

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:42:29 +0000

I completely agree with you. Having a cell phone also leaves little room for “me time” these days, with the expectation that cell phone users can be reached anywhere and any time. I like the idea of being unreachable (as you call it), but I feel that if my cell phone is ever switched off when someone calls, it goes against modern cell phone etiquette.

By: bonsmots

bonsmots — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:16:33 +0000

It’s a dinosaur — a Sony. It’s not hooked up, though.

By: Parker

Parker — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:45:42 +0000

You still have a laserdisc player? That’s awesome.

Agreed that cell phones should be used to facilitate face to face rather than replace it.

On a related note…I told my coworker (Duane) that I needed a new phone and he suggested I get a Jitterbug — http://www.jitterbug.com/Phones.aspx

By: Eric Lee

Eric Lee — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:33:58 +0000

Well said Great information, keep up the great work!