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PSA: Back Up Your Shit

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111–120 of 137 posts

Re: PSA: Back Up Your Shit

#111
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So like a hundred years ago you would be saying, "Upon perusing my letters received via post, I always immediately incinerate them in the woodstove." That's one way to live, I guess...

People keep letters? Actually: people write letters?

How do you think most of your history books were written?

Re: PSA: Back Up Your Shit

#112

I think that the beauty of Snapchat is that it frees you from this ridiculous notion that a text, IM, Facebook message, etc, has any value. In my opinion, it doesn't. Also, in my opinion, I believe that feeling the need to save every single conversation you have fuels an over-inflated sense of self-worth, and that everything you say has value and needs to be saved. I never, ever peruse through my messages, to reminis…

> I believe that feeling the need to save every single conversation you have fuels an over-inflated sense of self-worth

> I will disallow anyone I'm in a conversation with to google facts with their phone

That whole deleting all communications to avoid over-inflated sense of self-worth thing? IT'S NOT WORKING.

Re: PSA: Back Up Your Shit

#113
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So like a hundred years ago you would be saying, "Upon perusing my letters received via post, I always immediately incinerate them in the woodstove." That's one way to live, I guess...

People keep letters? Actually: people write letters?

People almost never write personal letters today, but yep, when it was common, people often kept them.

Re: PSA: Back Up Your Shit

#114
post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm glad no one I know plays this childish game, speaking as someone who is occasionally on call, lives under the conscious commitment to always pick up the phone when my wife calls, or maybe just likes to check the time every so often.

... And check your Facebook, and Instagram your food, and reply some email that actually will wait until the next day but you want your boss to see that you're "working" after hours, and maybe a bit of Twitter... If you want to do all that, stay at home alone and do it on your PC. If you want to enjoy a meal in the company of friends, then try to live a bit more in the moment.

So he lists a couple of pretty reasonable reasons to have a phone (emergency contact/replacement for a wristwatch) and you immediately assume he's using Instagram instead? There are words to describe the kind of person you're being right now.

Re: PSA: Back Up Your Shit

#115
I want to have some record of some things but not everything by far. For example, I wouldn't want a record of everything I ever did recorded, but my dad used to walk around once in a while with a video recorder on special times when everyone gathered (birthdays, holidays...) and looking at those artifacts of life from almost 30(!!) years ago is priceless. Many people in those tapes have died since then, and I'm glad they exist. I save a few letters and emails, but not all or even many. I was going back and reading an email I sent a friend about getting together with an ex and seeing the perspective I had on things back then was... weird. When I was in high school (before cell phones or text messages) people passed notes in class, and some of my friends still have a box full of them. They are relics of the past. They take up space, and you probably won't want ALL of them, but I think it is worth keeping a few. I wish I kept one or two. I can't imagine the vacant things mine would have contained. I mean, I still have my yearbooks, I didn't throw those out... same kinda thing really.

Re: PSA: Back Up Your Shit

#116
post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... And check your Facebook, and Instagram your food, and reply some email that actually will wait until the next day but you want your boss to see that you're "working" after hours, and maybe a bit of Twitter... If you want to do all that, stay at home alone and do it on your PC. If you want to enjoy a meal in the company of friends, then try to live a bit more in the moment.

So he lists a couple of pretty reasonable reasons to have a phone (emergency contact/replacement for a wristwatch) and you immediately assume he's using Instagram instead? There are words to describe the kind of person you're being right now.

Yes, there are also words to describe seeing someone make a general point on the Internet and piping up why you are so special and unique that it doesn't apply. It's a game, nothing more. Snowflake.

Re: PSA: Back Up Your Shit

#117
post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... And check your Facebook, and Instagram your food, and reply some email that actually will wait until the next day but you want your boss to see that you're "working" after hours, and maybe a bit of Twitter... If you want to do all that, stay at home alone and do it on your PC. If you want to enjoy a meal in the company of friends, then try to live a bit more in the moment.

Yeah the thing is, I don't do all of that shit, which is why I would resent going out with friends who would treat me like a child. But I actually do have to answer my phone sometimes.

Sulking because you don't want to join in a game is the epitome of childish behavior. You might want to think about that.

Re: PSA: Back Up Your Shit

#118
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but I actually /do/ throw my letters in the trash You still send and receive letters? Somebody sits down, puts pen to paper and writes a letter ? Folds it, puts it in an envelope, adds postage, and mails it? Outside of hokey "Christmas letters" (typed once, printed, and mailed to many), I haven't seen a real letter in many years. I'd say I envy you, but then someone else would reply and tell me that if I like lette…

> Somebody sits down, puts pen to paper and writes a letter? Folds it, puts it in an envelope, adds postage, and mails it? ------------------ I do. Largely because people use so few of the things. It doesn't get mixed in as a contact from some email address you've never seen before with 15-100 other emails that someone might get in a day. If it's someone I know and correspond with regularly, then email, sure. Conveni…

I feel oppositely. If someone sends me a letter, I consider it to be an unnecessary inconvenience. If they want a letter in return, that's almost asking too much. It feels rude. You're taking up my physical space and cluttering my home. You know what I get in the mail? Advertisements that get tossed into the dumpster on the way back to my apartment and physical notices of bills from companies that won't keep up with the times. If you send me a letter, you're placing yourself in the same categories.

I don't keep stamps around. I don't keep envelopes. It's the same as if someone wants me to give them a money order. I have to go out of my way to get one, when I could just as easily do a bank transfer or PayPal et al. My mailbox is a long walk from my apartment, and when I check my mail (once a week), it's all just advertisements addressed to "current resident".

So I guess the point is, don't assume a letter will be well received, especially by the younger generations living in apartments. I don't want you to call me, I especially don't want you to leave a voicemail, and for all that is holy, don't send me a letter.

Re: PSA: Back Up Your Shit

#120

I think that the beauty of Snapchat is that it frees you from this ridiculous notion that a text, IM, Facebook message, etc, has any value. In my opinion, it doesn't. Also, in my opinion, I believe that feeling the need to save every single conversation you have fuels an over-inflated sense of self-worth, and that everything you say has value and needs to be saved. I never, ever peruse through my messages, to reminis…

Honestly, a lot of what you have to say make sense, it does... But then I remember that I still have the emails my wife exchanged almost ten years ago when we first met - and occasionally I do look back at those. And I fall in love with her all over again. And then there are the random musings from friends who have died or any of a dozen other, slightly less big deal reasons to look back -- and I realize that in fact…

My fiance and I recently went through a bunch of our first emails and chat logs and laughed about it. The effort needed to keep this stuff is almost nil, so why not?
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