Are you a slave to technology?
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I'm not a technophile. I don't really want, need or even like gadgets. But I'm no technophobe, either. I appreciate when something is useful or adds that undefinable "something" (I hesitate to use the "quality") to my way of living. But here's the thing: I'm surrounded by crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep". I've been spending a lot of time in the garden lately. I never thought this would be my sort of thing - I was so wrapped up in technology, felt this pressing need to be contactable 24/7, to be "wired in", so addicted to technology that I've spent the better part of the last 15 years completely divorced from the world around me - but really, truly, digging, planting and nurturing has made me realise just what an unhappy life life surrounded by technology is. I'm not advocating a Luddite rebellion here - technology has some very good uses (and let's face it, here I am typing on such a thing for y'all to read :) ) - but have a think about the following: How much time per day do you spend interacting with crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep"? Both work and leisure. How many crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" do you own? How disconnected from electronics do you ever get? And are you ever really disconnected? (For example: do you run, cycle or exercise with some electronic gadgetry that measures speed, distance or pulse?) Do you feel naked or elated without your gadgets? Do you go cold turkey without them? Have you ever wondered what you'd do if all the crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" vanished from the face of the planet tomorrow? And ask yourself this: if we have become so reliant on crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" in less than 50 years, are we all doomed?
print "http://www.codeproject.com".toURL().text Ain't that Groovy?
Sadly, I guess I'm pretty well sucked in. My day yesterday, for example went about like this: Wake up to an alarm clock playing a song off of my IPod. Make sure my laptop is still performing the tasks assigned to it from last night (ok, making the game character do his self-studies... sad, I know). Get ready for work. Walk to work (see? I don't have to use an electric car to get to work at least. That's good. Right? Ok, you're right, it's not). Unlock my work laptop. Check my email. Text message my gf (first of several times throughout the day). Check the support system (web pages displaying whatever information related) and answer client questions. Use a spiffy IP Phone to call a client for a conference call. Go back to the support system. Help other techs on the support system. Eventually get off work and go home, where I sit down to play my game that has been diligently playing itself all day. Make supper in the microwave. Continue playing game. Use my cell phone to actually talk to my gf. Go to bed, first reading on an Amazon Kindle (electronic book reader). Sad! The only time I wasn't using a plastic beeping thingy was when I was walking from place to place, in the shower, or asleep! Although even walking half the time my IPod is filling my head with... I'll call it music although I'm sure some of it would be questionable to some of those who've responded.
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Oh surely the thing could just beep when there was a problem instead of as confirmation that yes, your heart did indeed beat yet again. I don't have much personal experience in this area, but I thought I'd seen (ok, maybe it was on TV, but surely it's accurate, like all TV, right?... right?) that you could turn the beep off. Someone needs to make one that lets you tell it what beats per minute range needs to be sounded so that you can ignore a "normal" heart rate and just alert people of racing or slowing beats. My two cents with change. :-)
Well, I was actually thinking about the loud "BEEP BEEP BEEP" of a problem rather than the "beep ..... beep" of everything being okay. But you can, if not careful, spend more time than a single life should allow, discussing the merits of various beeping strategies. :) Rich
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I'm not a technophile. I don't really want, need or even like gadgets. But I'm no technophobe, either. I appreciate when something is useful or adds that undefinable "something" (I hesitate to use the "quality") to my way of living. But here's the thing: I'm surrounded by crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep". I've been spending a lot of time in the garden lately. I never thought this would be my sort of thing - I was so wrapped up in technology, felt this pressing need to be contactable 24/7, to be "wired in", so addicted to technology that I've spent the better part of the last 15 years completely divorced from the world around me - but really, truly, digging, planting and nurturing has made me realise just what an unhappy life life surrounded by technology is. I'm not advocating a Luddite rebellion here - technology has some very good uses (and let's face it, here I am typing on such a thing for y'all to read :) ) - but have a think about the following: How much time per day do you spend interacting with crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep"? Both work and leisure. How many crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" do you own? How disconnected from electronics do you ever get? And are you ever really disconnected? (For example: do you run, cycle or exercise with some electronic gadgetry that measures speed, distance or pulse?) Do you feel naked or elated without your gadgets? Do you go cold turkey without them? Have you ever wondered what you'd do if all the crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" vanished from the face of the planet tomorrow? And ask yourself this: if we have become so reliant on crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" in less than 50 years, are we all doomed?
print "http://www.codeproject.com".toURL().text Ain't that Groovy?
Yes ;o)
Raul Macias
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I'm not a technophile. I don't really want, need or even like gadgets. But I'm no technophobe, either. I appreciate when something is useful or adds that undefinable "something" (I hesitate to use the "quality") to my way of living. But here's the thing: I'm surrounded by crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep". I've been spending a lot of time in the garden lately. I never thought this would be my sort of thing - I was so wrapped up in technology, felt this pressing need to be contactable 24/7, to be "wired in", so addicted to technology that I've spent the better part of the last 15 years completely divorced from the world around me - but really, truly, digging, planting and nurturing has made me realise just what an unhappy life life surrounded by technology is. I'm not advocating a Luddite rebellion here - technology has some very good uses (and let's face it, here I am typing on such a thing for y'all to read :) ) - but have a think about the following: How much time per day do you spend interacting with crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep"? Both work and leisure. How many crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" do you own? How disconnected from electronics do you ever get? And are you ever really disconnected? (For example: do you run, cycle or exercise with some electronic gadgetry that measures speed, distance or pulse?) Do you feel naked or elated without your gadgets? Do you go cold turkey without them? Have you ever wondered what you'd do if all the crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" vanished from the face of the planet tomorrow? And ask yourself this: if we have become so reliant on crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" in less than 50 years, are we all doomed?
print "http://www.codeproject.com".toURL().text Ain't that Groovy?
I used to carry an 2yr old iPaq and a very basic phone (with TM turned off). I jJust cracked the iPaq screen last week and am really hesitant about replacing it. I used to be much more connected, but am relishing cutting the (virtual) cords. :)
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Well, I was actually thinking about the loud "BEEP BEEP BEEP" of a problem rather than the "beep ..... beep" of everything being okay. But you can, if not careful, spend more time than a single life should allow, discussing the merits of various beeping strategies. :) Rich
I see where I misunderstood. Then I'll take back my thought of silencing the beeps as you meant only the ones that matter. And yes, you can spend more time than you should on anything if you aren't careful, not just this topic, but literally everything could be allowed to take up more time than it should.
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I'm not sure why you replied to me rather than the O.P. but, oh well. I thought my Gutenberg comment made it clear I didn't think we were doomed. You, on the other hand, sound like you need a horse-sized dose of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors.
Steve Katic wrote:
it's time for our medication.
Party on, dude.
Software Zen:
delete this;
Fold With Us![^]I thought I was replying to the OP. I thought the messages simply ran down consecutively. But I guess now I should assume that the indents of messages have some meaning in terms of who I am replying to? Your Gutenberg comment didn't make it clear to me that you didn't think we were doomed. But now that you have clarified that, I'll let the reply stand as it is since it provides a contrast of sorts. Sorry, I offended you. I will delete it if you wish: it is after all just a version of the stereotypical doomsayer standing on the city street corner with the sign around his neck that says "THE END IS NIGH".
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I'm not a technophile. I don't really want, need or even like gadgets. But I'm no technophobe, either. I appreciate when something is useful or adds that undefinable "something" (I hesitate to use the "quality") to my way of living. But here's the thing: I'm surrounded by crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep". I've been spending a lot of time in the garden lately. I never thought this would be my sort of thing - I was so wrapped up in technology, felt this pressing need to be contactable 24/7, to be "wired in", so addicted to technology that I've spent the better part of the last 15 years completely divorced from the world around me - but really, truly, digging, planting and nurturing has made me realise just what an unhappy life life surrounded by technology is. I'm not advocating a Luddite rebellion here - technology has some very good uses (and let's face it, here I am typing on such a thing for y'all to read :) ) - but have a think about the following: How much time per day do you spend interacting with crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep"? Both work and leisure. How many crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" do you own? How disconnected from electronics do you ever get? And are you ever really disconnected? (For example: do you run, cycle or exercise with some electronic gadgetry that measures speed, distance or pulse?) Do you feel naked or elated without your gadgets? Do you go cold turkey without them? Have you ever wondered what you'd do if all the crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" vanished from the face of the planet tomorrow? And ask yourself this: if we have become so reliant on crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" in less than 50 years, are we all doomed?
print "http://www.codeproject.com".toURL().text Ain't that Groovy?
All electronic gadgets are not crap. I wear hearing aids that I would be lost, cutoff from people, and likely unemployed without. My cell phone helps me keep tabs on my kids. The security system in my home gives me peace of mind that the bad guys are going next door to the neighbors house without the "protected by..." sign out front (sorry, neighbor). Sure I wish I didn't have to depend on it all, but my life is sure easier with it than without it.
Someone's gotta be the last to know, but why is it always me?
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Maxxx_ wrote:
Personally I HATE anything that goes BEEP. Why can't beeping devices have an easily accsible and obvious MUTE button?
This approach has its drawbacks on a heart monitor. Rich
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Only if I'm very lucky, or got stuck babysitting again.
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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When I go to my Nan's in the middle of the woods, there's no signal and no internet. I get slightly sweaty after a week, unless I keep myself busy! Mostly I have just a phone, other than computers, and tv etc. Although the Microwave goes beep, and then keeps beeping until you open the door! :mad:
You don't have to be mad to live here [UK], but it helps.
Moodster wrote:
When I go to my Nan's in the middle of the woods, there's no signal and no internet. I get slightly sweaty after a week, unless I keep myself busy!
That so sounds like the opening line of a very bad novel :)
___________________________________________ .\\axxx (That's an 'M')
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"if we have become so reliant on crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep" in less than 50 years, are we all doomed?" Oh, cheer up. We have always been doomed anyway. Don't go blaming technology now. You've just confused with 'crap, plastic, man-made things that go "beep"' as being a cause, where it is a symptom of our human condtion: of groping at laziness dressed up as competency and convenience without really shaking off the incompetence. Man can always look at all of his finest achievements with awe and wonder, but in the end he knows that the bottom line is that he won't be able to stop raping this world until the brink of destruction is reached. "Are we there yet mommy?". "No not yet son, we'll be there when you see everyone trying to kill each other again for the third time". Wait on, doesn't man look at technology as its saviour? How dare we blaspheme against it. I better go now, the paradoxes are coming. Anyway, it's time for our medication.
And, isn't ironic that the grand prize/award for scientific achievement was named after the man who invented dynamite?