The Technology Vent and Rant Thread

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Nothing should exclusively require a smart phone as the phone can go flat or infrastructure go offline or call credit expire.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Also, you can forget to take your phone with you.

…and, the honking huge factor you’re both leaving out: not everyone has a smart phone! The broke and the elderly are too often left out of access and discounts that require a smart phone.

Smart phones are expensive, data plans are expensive, and smart phones require a level of technical expertise.

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by issybird

…and, the honking huge factor you’re both leaving out: not everyone has a smart phone! The broke and the elderly are too often left out of access and discounts that require a smart phone.

Smart phones are expensive, data plans are expensive, and smart phones require a level of technical expertise.

To add to this: Some people simply don't want a smartphone. I lived for years with just a basic flip phone and it worked for me. It was only when my job required me to have a smartphone that I finally got one.

I strongly agree about the technical expertise issue. With my flip phone I could go through the Settings and have everything set in about 5 minutes. With my smartphone I had to work for hours in the Settings to get it to work the way that I needed (as an example, I had to work for about an hour to find a way to set it up where I could just tap a button rather than having to swipe it).

[John F]

Originally Posted by issybird

...

Smart phones are expensive, data plans are expensive, and smart phones require a level of technical expertise.

Just for arguments sake ...

I don't believe you have to have an expensive smartphone and data plan. If the discounts are worth it, I think a smartphone can be purchased for $40 and I don't think a data plan is necessary (just use wifi). Full disclosure, I haven't tried this.

[John F]

Stupid Microsoft. Another Windows update, another OneDrive shortcut added to File Explorer, even though I don't have it setup/enabled.

Time for another google.

[Karellen]

In the same light... Restaurants that require you to scan a QR code to view the menu and place an order.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

To add to this: Some people simply don't want a smartphone. I lived for years with just a basic flip phone and it worked for me. It was only when my job required me to have a smartphone that I finally got one.

I strongly agree about the technical expertise issue. With my flip phone I could go through the Settings and have everything set in about 5 minutes. With my smartphone I had to work for hours in the Settings to get it to work the way that I needed (as an example, I had to work for about an hour to find a way to set it up where I could just tap a button rather than having to swipe it).

Hah! I was a smartphone holdout until about a month ago, when I finally caved. I enjoyed being a Luddite; I have never felt that I needed to be online all the time and people who constantly text just make me tired. But the workarounds finally got to be too inconvenient.

Originally Posted by John F

I don't think a data plan is necessary (just use wifi).

But you have to be in a situation where you can access WiFi, which cuts you off from a lot of the reasons to have phone, much less a smart phone. Suppose you break down in the car, for example? (I've never been that successful using WiFi to make calls anyway.)

There was an article in the WaPo sometime last month, I think, about the new public toilets in DC. But, the point of the article, you needed a smartphone to access them. And what population most needs public toilets? The unhoused, of course.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by John F

I don't believe you have to have an expensive smartphone and data plan. If the discounts are worth it, I think a smartphone can be purchased for $40 and I don't think a data plan is necessary (just use wifi). Full disclosure, I haven't tried this.

Lots of places have no WiFi.

I do have two smartphones. A very cheap one in my coat and posher cheap Nxtpaper 40 that never leaves the house. No contracts. Just €10 call credit when needed (the thieving phone companies expire it if not used up in a certain time).
In theory there is some data possible, but unlikely. WiFi is used at home and with friends. I've no payment methods on either phone as that is less secure than my physical credit card. My bank Debit card is virtual, so only works at home online (as the 2FA is to the phone that never leaves the house).

[Quoth]

Oddly actual Luddites were not against technology. The machine weaving increased cloth merchants profits by over x100+ compared to buying hand woven WFH cloth. Yet the factory workers had worse accommodation, much longer hours and lower pay (less skilled)! They wanted a fairer share.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by issybird

But, the point of the article, you needed a smartphone to access them. And what population most needs public toilets? The unhoused, of course.

Lack of global thinking. Like when I first arrived at NY airport in late 1980s from Ireland with heavy cases, a kind local gave me a US coin for the trolly lock.

You can get paper money for another country at a bank*, but not coins,

[* Actually my current bank has no counters or premises. Fortunately the local Post Office sells some foreign currencies and also I have no intention of travelling even as far as the other side of Ireland now]

[John F]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Lots of places have no WiFi.

...

And lots of places do. I would guess that the majority of places that require apps and give discounts for the apps, also have wifi.

I'll leave it up to the individual to do the math.

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by issybird

…and, the honking huge factor you’re both leaving out: not everyone has a smart phone! The broke and the elderly are too often left out of access and discounts that require a smart phone.

Admittedly, if you can afford parking in Downtown Boston? You probably can afford a mobile phone. But that's orthogonal the point: having one shouldn't be a requirement.

Welcome to the "future".

[DNSB]

One local parkade has 4 parking levels all of which are underground. They installed a new parking system which required you to scan a QR code to connect to a web page to pay for your parking. Most of the locations on the first level worked but as you went further down, fewer worked. On the 4th level none of them were usable (my iPhone simply said No Service). They ended up doing free parking for a week or so while they installed cellular repeaters on every level.

My personal suspicion was the lackwits who installed the system never tested below the first level of the parking lot.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DNSB

They ended up doing free parking for a week or so while they installed cellular repeaters on every level.

My personal suspicion was the lackwits who installed the system never tested below the first level of the parking lot.

Wrong solution. What they should have done was realised that it's an inherently stupid solution for all the reasons previously mentioned and "cell repeaters" adds another possible failure point.

[JSWolf]

I recently switch my phone plan. It's now cheaper and I have unlimited data. Plus, I have an included Apple One Individual subscription. I did have an annual Apple TV subscription. When I switched my plan and got Apple One, I was refunded the remaining balance. So I'm saving quite a bit.

[j.p.s]

^ So, what is your rant or vent?