Why I’m Using a Flip Phone • Hacker News Board

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#271

Post by posting2fast » Tue, Jul 31, 2018, 3:45 PM UTC

cortic wrote: post #80

koolba wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not a Luddite by any stretch and I’ve had smart phones since they were quite dumb, but your reasons don’t ring for me: > I can communicate with my fiancee even when she's in another country (international sms = fail). It facilitates instant communications. Email across the planet has been around since day one. > I can have a fiancee who's in another country. I can assure you this was possible pre-smart phone. > W…

>millions of man years wasted streaming mind numbing video. ..millions of man years wasted waiting. >zoning out of the real world people around you to doodle on your phone that’s sad. ..humoring pointless gossip so people will like you, that's sad. My point is that these seem very subjective and judgmental.

"waiting" isn't an actual action. You either read something, or think, or look around while thinking, and so on, but nobody just "waits". Being aware is an action. Thinking is an action. If people around you gossip, tell them that gossip is lame and shift the conversation.

And what does it even mean to say something is subjective? Contrary to what? And what does judgemental mean? That you can be whatever you want, and think of yourself however you want, but others may not see you how they see you? What's wrong with judgement?

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#272

Post by bikamonki » Wed, Aug 01, 2018, 9:04 PM UTC

tostadora wrote: post #134

bikamonki wrote: post #128

20+ years w/out watching TV, yet there is a TV right there on the family room for the occasional movie or soccer match. No need to ditch a very useful device, need discipline to use it wisely.

I'm almost in the same area as you. I have a TV and I use it very sparingly. The difference with smartphones is that the smartphone's applications are engineered to be addictive, which is not the case of TV. There's another important difference between the two: you don't carry your TV all the time with you.

True in all accounts. I guess we need stronger discipline then :)

I am working it out with this approach: no social network apps, turned off all notifications (however the red dots over app icons bother me still), uninstalled email app (I do check it on demand using the browser email app), airplane mode at night, off the pocket most of the weekend.

My biggest concern is that using a phone killed my reading habit. I guess reading short shallow posts is the actual problem. Really pissed about it. I try to read a book and my attention span lasts for a couple of minutes. I tried kindle to keep the form factor. No luck :( I used to read a lot, a lot!

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#273

Post by mantas » Thu, Aug 02, 2018, 1:19 PM UTC

elcapitan wrote: post #269

mantas wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lithuania. Our beloved Trafi does wonders. But it doesn't cover obscure little towns :(

Oh ok, but good to know :) I always wanted to visit the baltic countries once, and I usually travel around with public transport, so I'd have to consider that when planning I guess.

Well, public transit between major cities and in/out of country is OK. Online timetables are reliable enough, you can get tickets online etc.. No live GPS tracking though :) But tourist attractions in smaller towns or, worst of all, in between them is kinda.. tricky. One of the reasons why hitch hiking is not dead.

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#274

Post by cortic » Thu, Aug 02, 2018, 11:32 PM UTC

posting2fast wrote: post #271

cortic wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>millions of man years wasted streaming mind numbing video. ..millions of man years wasted waiting. >zoning out of the real world people around you to doodle on your phone that’s sad. ..humoring pointless gossip so people will like you, that's sad. My point is that these seem very subjective and judgmental.

"waiting" isn't an actual action. You either read something, or think, or look around while thinking, and so on, but nobody just "waits". Being aware is an action. Thinking is an action. If people around you gossip, tell them that gossip is lame and shift the conversation. And what does it even mean to say something is subjective? Contrary to what? And what does judgemental mean? That you can be whatever you want, an…

>"waiting" isn't an actual action.

semantics. you feel like you can only be critical of action, while inaction gets a pass? 'thinking' quietly is not inherently more valuable than being entertained. And while we are at it, nobody is just 'entertained' we learn, process, and yes 'think' at the same time

>to say something is subjective

In this context subjective means only applies to you Contrary to something that is a universal truth, something koolba seemed to be claiming.

>What's wrong with judgement[al]?

Its a weak argument, to say someone has 'failed' by your standards is to say they have failed by an arbitrary measure that may not have anything to do with their goals.