Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Their Numbers Are Dropping - the Cellphone Refuseniks

nytimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 30 posts

Re: Their Numbers Are Dropping - the Cellphone Refuseniks

#21

Post by decode »

pmichaud wrote: post #4

I resisted until my business partner insisted and the company bought me one, which I still have. I just recently got in trouble with a good friend over it though -- she is very much into the cell phone thing, and culturally, she considers it rude that I don't get back to her quickly -- she says the longest reasonable time is a return call that same day. I, on the other hand, feel like someone calling doesn't obligate…

I just can't wrap my mind around how having a piece of technology obligates me to use it.

It's the same as if you had a landline, bought an answering machine, set it up, and never listened to the messages. Then you blamed your friends when they got upset about that. That would be rude. Not because of the technology per se, but because you're telling your friends that you can be reached via cell phone, but then you disregard the time and effort they put into reaching you. If their time and effort really isn't worth the courtesy of you meeting them half way by looking at your cell phone once a day, then either they're not your friends, or you're a jerk to your friends.

A solution is simply to tell your friends that your cell phone is for business use only, and offer them other ways to reach you. But to give out your phone number and ignore your friends when they follow your own directions is not polite.

Re: Their Numbers Are Dropping - the Cellphone Refuseniks

#22

Post by trebor »

I hate cellphones, but I'm not a senior citizen, and am not any less educated than the "adopters".

I despise cellphones because I grew up with a father that had one. I was fortunate enough that, at that time, Dad could come home for lunch ... but it was inevitable that he would get interrupted. Later, when his office was at home (and he still had a cell phone) his boss would call and interrupt when Dad manage to find a lull to visit with the family.

Currently, my father works in the cellphone industry, and has some eight or more models down in his office. It's all we can do to get him away from them, and even then he'll have one or two phones with him. And it's still inevitable that he'll get interrupted by it! Only now, it could be a call, an e-mail, or an instant message.

The only time I have been thankful to have a cellphone with me was when I borrowed one, and was t-boned at an intersection.

Do I have friends? Sure! I chat with them every few days, email a little less frequently, and manage to talk on the phone with them once a month or less (we do meet frequently).

If I bought a cellphone it would be prepaid, for business use only. But then again, just like getting a driver's license ... there's a cultural sense of obligation that comes with the phone. If I get one, my friends will expect, and pressure, me to use it--just like they expect me to use my driver's license, even when I don't want to go out.

So, I keep adequate change to afford pay-phones (remember, when the power goes out you cannot get a signal on the cellphone as long as you can the pay-phones) just in case I have to make an emergency call.

Why should I care about cellphones? I'm "connected" enough as it is!

Re: Their Numbers Are Dropping - the Cellphone Refuseniks

#23

Post by mquander »

RyanMcGreal wrote: post #12
GavinB wrote: post #3

People don't get cell phones to keep things simple, but I love the simplicity of not having to plan my day ahead of time.

There seems to be a sharp generational inflection point between older people who make prior plans, and younger people who arrange things on the fly with their call phones. I must confess to be a member of the former set.

I suspect that this largely depends on who you talk to, at least as much as it depends on age.

I'm pretty young and I have a cell phone and I plan everything a total of about an hour in advance; if it involves me driving a few hours or involves me herding other people, I might or might not plan it a day in advance.

However, I know other people in my peer group who plan all kinds of things weeks or months in advance, and ask me every time about those things, leaving me to shrug haplessly.

Re: Their Numbers Are Dropping - the Cellphone Refuseniks

#25

Post by mquander »

trebor wrote: post #22

I hate cellphones, but I'm not a senior citizen, and am not any less educated than the "adopters". I despise cellphones because I grew up with a father that had one. I was fortunate enough that, at that time, Dad could come home for lunch ... but it was inevitable that he would get interrupted. Later, when his office was at home (and he still had a cell phone) his boss would call and interrupt when Dad manage to find…

Smartphones kind of kick ass above and beyond the phonitude. I get a lot of non-communication utility from having a symbolic mathematics environment, alarm clock, MP3 player, camera, Google Maps, Wikipedia, and business Internet (i.e. I can find store hours & addresses online while away from home, I can look up authors and reviews of books while I'm at the bookstore) in my pocket.

Re: Their Numbers Are Dropping - the Cellphone Refuseniks

#27

Post by guitarjunkie »

AndrewDucker wrote: post #8
TrevorJ wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel that unless the person calling leaves me a message indicating what they want it's not a high priority for me to get back to them. I'm not sure if that's the norm or not, I just figure if they don't leave a voicemail then it signals that it was just a casual call I can return or not at my leisure.

I agree. If someone wants something then they text or leave a message. Otherwise I assume it was just a "Hey, how are you?" kind of call.

right there with ya

Re: Their Numbers Are Dropping - the Cellphone Refuseniks

#29

Post by MikeCapone »

saturdayplace wrote: post #24

I am 29. I have never had a cell phone, and never felt the need to have one. I've never been in a position where I've needed to call someone, or needed to be available to someone, where I wasn't already sitting next to a landline. Plus, I'm a miser.

I'm the same, except I'm 27.

Re: Their Numbers Are Dropping - the Cellphone Refuseniks

#30

Post by pmichaud »

decode wrote: post #21
pmichaud wrote: post #4

I resisted until my business partner insisted and the company bought me one, which I still have. I just recently got in trouble with a good friend over it though -- she is very much into the cell phone thing, and culturally, she considers it rude that I don't get back to her quickly -- she says the longest reasonable time is a return call that same day. I, on the other hand, feel like someone calling doesn't obligate…

I just can't wrap my mind around how having a piece of technology obligates me to use it. It's the same as if you had a landline, bought an answering machine, set it up, and never listened to the messages. Then you blamed your friends when they got upset about that. That would be rude. Not because of the technology per se, but because you're telling your friends that you can be reached via cell phone, but then you di…

I agree that if I set up an expectation that I didn't follow through on, I would be rude. The fact is that I'm very, very clear about my position on the phone, so she has no reasonable expectation that I'll check it regularly.
Post reply on HN