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I don't have a smartphone or at least I wish I didn't

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Re: I don't have a smartphone or at least I wish I didn't

#231

Post by account42 »

runjake wrote: post #138
stronglikedan wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The word "requirements" is doing a lot of work there. I've never met a QR code where scanning it was required of me.

Anecdotal, but I've encountered a number of places where it's more or less required. - Restaurants: Menu is QR only. In one case, ordering food was QR only. - Queueing up at my local Costco optical department requires scanning a QR code. - Various other check-ins for various other government agencies and businesses. - Urgent care check-in paperwork requiring QR code. No paper, and typing the loooong URL in manually i…

> Restaurants: Menu is QR only. In one case, ordering food was QR only.

Or worse, a physical menu but they want to pay you with your mobile wallet using a QR code. Even if there are alternatives presented when you complain, that still turns you into an outcast.

Re: I don't have a smartphone or at least I wish I didn't

#232

Post by account42 »

noman-land wrote: post #217
culebron21 wrote: post #162

Learn to say "no". It's freaking easy. I do have a smartphone, and every time someone asks me to install something on it, or ask for my phone number for "accumulating bonuses", I say simple and dry "no" looking into their eyes. When there's a queue behind me, they'll just show loading icon on their face a couple of seconds, and then proceed, because of pressure. Otherwise, when there are no more people, they feel lik…

You can just as easily say "no thanks" and smile instead of being a creep who stares at people silently. Some checkout worker is not your enemy.

If they are willing to disrespect you for payment from their employer then they don't deserve respect in return.

Re: I don't have a smartphone or at least I wish I didn't

#233

Post by account42 »

theandrewbailey wrote: post #226
spankibalt wrote: post #52

Never had a personal smartphone, just work-issued ones that usually stay on-location after a shift. Yeah, it can drive people up the wall. I don't care lol.

Based. If an employer wants me to install something, I'll ask them for a phone to install it on.

Yeah I do have a smart phone but there's no way I'll install whatever crappy apps my work requires on it. Those all go on the company phone that gets powered off while I'm not working.

Re: I don't have a smartphone or at least I wish I didn't

#234

Post by account42 »

elAhmo wrote: post #82

> When I buy something, from a small kitchen appliance to a car, I’m now forced to get formal confirmation by the seller that I will be able to use it without installing one, two or three different apps. I have no idea where is without buying stuff, but other than a car I bought more than a dozen of appliances or devices in the past years and other than obvious ones (label printer), none required an app, or it was pu…

Why is an app requirement obvious for a label printer?

Re: I don't have a smartphone or at least I wish I didn't

#235

Post by account42 »

charcircuit wrote: post #39

I wonder if the author has actually tried the QR code menus. It's actually incredibly convenient and some even let you pay right on the website so you ever are having to wait on some server to come by your table. You can get more information about the items on the menu than a physical menu and it is just more pleasant to read in general.

> It's actually incredibly convenient

Some convoluted app-like website on a small screen is more often than not less convenient than an A5/A4 printout.

> some even let you pay right on the website so you ever are having to wait on some server to come by your table

I don't want any payment method available to stuff running on my phone so this is also more cumbersome than paying the normal way.

Re: I don't have a smartphone or at least I wish I didn't

#236

Post by hilbert42 »

eddieroger wrote: post #9

I do have a smartphone, but I don't seem to feel the pain the author feels about being inundated by QR codes and apps. Maybe I have all the apps I need already? Maybe I just don't mind having an app on my phone because I know that I can set it to basically never bother me. Most of my apps have notifications silenced. My home screen is empty, save the handful of apps I do want. And for the little bit of effort I put f…

Same, I never use apps because they're the simplest way for vendors to violate your privacy.

The real reason why vendors want users to use their apps is that an app maximizes the information they can steal from users with the minimum disruption (unfortunately users aren't aware of the fact).

I've never understood why this isn't obvious to everyone.

For years, I've avoided giving my phone number out to organisations by saying I don't have a phone. It's blistful, I almost never receive an unwanted call.

Re: I don't have a smartphone or at least I wish I didn't

#237

Post by iamnothere »

account42 wrote: post #230
iamnothere wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you tried saying “my phone is broken”? I doubt it’s as stringent as you think. I have never had an issue and I don’t carry a smartphone. Usually they just hand you a paper menu or a tablet depending on what you’re doing.

Often there technically are other options but this is still like saying you don't need to participate in society and can move to a cabin in the woods.

What’s the problem? Are you saying that people who live in cabins are doing something wrong?

I used to live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. It has its downsides, but there were plenty of positives as well.

Re: I don't have a smartphone or at least I wish I didn't

#238

Post by yreg »

iggldiggl wrote: post #223
yreg wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's pretty annoying when traveling to new countries, which I do often. Always figure out all the apps I need to use local transport, to park, to charge the car, etc. In plenty of regions you also need special (often confusing) wallet apps to be able to pay for stuff without local bank accounts. I would appreciate it if more of this ran on the web as well.

> Always figure out all the apps I need to use local transport, to park, to charge the car, etc. In plenty of regions you also need special (often confusing) wallet apps to be able to pay for stuff without local bank accounts. And everybody's favourite, apps that have been region-locked to local-inhabitants-only, because foreign visitors don't exist, right?

Oh, yeah. That happens frequently as well.

Re: I don't have a smartphone or at least I wish I didn't

#239

Post by rtkwe »

gib444 wrote: post #158
rtkwe wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you consider if they were trying maybe just to save you the trip/inconvenience in the future by informing you of something most people would be able to use?

Yes, of course. That would be more believable if it were a comment at the end of the transaction along the lines of "just in case you want to save time next time, our app has the feature" But immediately responding before I've barely finished explaining why I'm here today is a real "fuck you, use the app and stop wasting my time" kind of message

That's the least charitable interpretation, most people aren't avoiding the app intentionally you have to adjust to the fact you're anomalous for not having a smartphone at this point.

Re: I don't have a smartphone or at least I wish I didn't

#240

Post by MisterTea »

inigyou wrote: post #106
MisterTea wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> - Not having any banking apps on my phone. Every time my son needs a few bucks in his account, my wife has to do it if we're out. This is the most tyrannical things about smart phones -- banking apps. I get it, the bank wants to ensure the platform is not a liability. But it forces most of us to use one of the only two "trusted" mobile providers on earth: Google or Apple, both of which are American (and I'm an Amer…

Many work on GrapheneOS

Which is based on Android, a Google product. What if I don't want to run Android or iOS? What if I want to run something that isn't Linux based?
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