New iPhone I really didn't want

[GregW]

"never " being out of touch gets to be a little to convenient.

I have no problem ignoring work calls (or any calls for that matter) when it isn't safe or convenient.

 

[Basil]

I have no problem ignoring work calls (or any calls for that matter) when it isn't safe or convenient.

Same here. If it's not a good time for a call, that's what voice mail is for.

 

[GTP1960]

Same here. If it's not a good time for a call, that's what voice mail is for.

Different businesses = different rules.

back in ancient times ( read about 10 years ago), we had an emergency 800 line, manned 24/7.
but with better cell phone coverage & smart phone communication options, came customer enlightenment.
the mantle of "patient on the table, emergency instrument issue" (we never say "problem")
by and large, was passed to us field guys.
(& of course we don't know what's an emergency & what's not until we pick up.)

 

[Deleted member 8987]

That's a double edged sword though.
I've travelled for work most of my career & "never " being out of touch gets to be a little to convenient.
also, the whole new reality of driving under the influence of gadgets is sobering (no pun intended)

That's a big part of the suckering in.
Technology for technology's sake is another.
A lifestyle once experience becomes a necessity.
Driverless cars.
Siri, Cortana, tracking your every move.

I saw enough of where it was headed what, 15 years ago, and drew a line.

Now, those of you who are critical to National Security and World Peace, just go right ahead and be connected 24/7...and the gummint tracks you the whole time.

What happened to the good old days when you got home, looked at the new member requests, and vetted them then?

I see folks with their faces buried in those dang things and I want to puke.

We have (already) lost face-to-face communication.

You see kids at Mickey D's all sitting around a table on their stupid phones talking to each other....on the phone.

I am really happy you have all so easily entered the dark side.

I shall continue to resist.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

I am really happy you have all so easily entered the dark side.

I shall continue to resist.

 

[Deleted member 8987]

View attachment 45648

No.....but it does depend on attitude and resolve.
Like I said, 15 or so years ago I drew a line.

You think the invasion of privacy will get any better?

Couple of days ago, front page of the (real, print) newspaper, this person gets a bill from the county for not having a pet license.
$250 fine.
Hasn't had a pet since the dog died five years ago.

Come to find out, those cards you use at the store to get your member discount...they sell all the data (ALL of in, including name, address and phone number) PLUS everything you buy to AT LEAST gummint agencies...and who knows what other marketer...and this person had purchased a dog toy for an elderly friend's dog.....and now the county is after them.

You have to make a concerted, conscious effort to avoid this carp (sp).

Like I said, those of you who are critical to National Security and World Peace, just go right ahead and be connected 24/7.

 

[NutmegCT]

Interesting segment on Good Morning America today. Google's new voice activated "Answer Machine" was demonstrated. Prior to release, it's "Google Home". It's constantly listening, so it can answer your questions.

The interesting part: those devices (Google Home, Amazon's Echo, Apple's Siri) aren't just looking up answers for you. They're also storing all your questions in their proprietary "clouds" for future reference. Not necessarily for *your* future reference.

View attachment 45649

 

[Deleted member 8987]

Oh, yeah..
Cortana (windoze 10) you NEVER want to activate. It immediately downloads your harddrive to the MS "cloud" to search for any "answers" or "preferences"...and leave all your data, everything, open fully to gummint or anybody else's snooping.

Why do you think 10 became such a mandate for download to 7, 8 and 8.1 users?

Why do you think I am using XP?

 

[GTP1960]

You have to make a concerted, conscious effort to avoid this carp (sp).

if I'm ever able to be "retired". I'm going to try & move off the grid.

Solar power, well water, septic system, HD antenna, ( my neighbors powerful wifi [haha]) & no cell service, Bitcoin banking & finance.
& of course I'll only own cars that require a driver........property tax, sales tax will be it.

this is the true dark side the gov't. doesn't like.

 

[LarryK]

I had a Pantech with slider text panel until I had it in a pocket that got water in it when I cleaned the gutters. AT&T said it would be a goner. Had to pay extra for a 4G upgrade to a SamSung waterproof phone. Does everything I want it to. Then on a whim, took out the Pantech and charged it and low and behold the wet did not ruin it. Went back to AT&T and they chipped it for free with the reserve number I was not using for the replacement phone. The phones are over 4 yrs. old and have no problems. Best of all either one fits in the pocket of a shirt and you can stick them anywhere in a car body to do pictures of the insides of the car body cavities.

 

[SD Bugeye]

That's a double edged sword though.
I've travelled for work most of my career & "never " being out of touch gets to be a little to convenient.
also, the whole new reality of driving under the influence of gadgets is sobering (no pun intended)

i have it set to not ring or notify from 5pm to 8am only thing that rings or texts is from my favorites list.
after five it's basically a dial out phone only .

 

[Basil]

i have it set to not ring or notify from 5pm to 8am only thing that rings or texts is from my favorites list.
after five it's basically a dial out phone only .

That's exactly how I set mine up too, DO NOT DISTURB (but my time is from 11PM till 7AM) except those in my Favorites. (In case a family member has an emergency)

 

[pdplot]

We are heading for "1984". Two-way telescreen so Big brother can see who's watching and who isn't. If a totalitarian government ever comes about, imagine what it could do with this data. Imagine what Hitler could have done with this technology.

 

[SD Bugeye]

"Everybody Knows " The change is Coming that's the way it goes.... Everybody's knows.
Don Henley
LOL!

 

[Deleted member 8987]

which is why the techno-geeks get so whizzed off when I run points-fired, non-computer automobiles, flip phones, XP, and eschew faceplant.

You would not believe the horse manure flipped at me on computer forums over my use of XP...until I explained the facts of life and the ensuing silence was deafening.

They track you, monitor you....but it is so much harder on old technology...primarily because the bad guys don't care about older technology.

The software just isn't there in XP to do what 8, 8.1 and 10 does to you....and many updates (KB's) on 7 loaded much of that carp (sp) into 7.
Seriously.

You have to research it and delete the offending KB's to make 7 safe again.

Went to our financial folks on Monday, to meet with their MedAdvantage guy...and he was quite apologetic...could not use his laptop, and showed us....10 was doing it's mandatory Monday Morning update.

If I want updates, I'll look for them. And I want the option to kill them. Without purchasing an "enterprise" version.

Opinion.

 

[Basil]

which is why the techno-geeks get so whizzed off when I run points-fired, non-computer automobiles, flip phones, XP, and eschew faceplant.

You would not believe the horse manure flipped at me on computer forums over my use of XP...until I explained the facts of life and the ensuing silence was deafening.

They track you, monitor you....but it is so much harder on old technology...primarily because the bad guys don't care about older technology.

The software just isn't there in XP to do what 8, 8.1 and 10 does to you....and many updates (KB's) on 7 loaded much of that carp (sp) into 7.
Seriously.

You have to research it and delete the offending KB's to make 7 safe again.

Went to our financial folks on Monday, to meet with their MedAdvantage guy...and he was quite apologetic...could not use his laptop, and showed us....10 was doing it's mandatory Monday Morning update.

If I want updates, I'll look for them. And I want the option to kill them. Without purchasing an "enterprise" version.

Opinion.

Tis why I run Ghostery on my iMac. Does pretty decent job of stopping the trackers in their tracks (so far). But I get your point and appreciate it.

 

[Deleted member 8987]

AdBlockPlus and Ghostery everywhere. SpyWareBlaster, PrivateBrowsing, never use IE (especially 10 or 11, and Edge is just a renamed 11), ESET antivirus.

Got a website owner all mad at me because after their latest "upgrade" I spent some quality time with AdBlockPlus deleting all the adds and links.....changed the site to where it was actually usable.

Plus he hates that I am so anti 10. I am for good reason...but most folks just figure if MS says it's good, it must be.

I even use older versions of FF because I hate the bells and whistles.
Simplicity.

Heck, my BIG backup PC has a fresh XP Pro 64 bit load (this year) and I just left IE6 on it to remember the good old days when it was so simple and clean.

I still have IE8 available on this box, but prefer FF, and NEVER the originator of stealing all your data...google.

This site isn't bad...just AdPeeps through Ghostery, but some sites...literally the window of blocked trackers covers the whole side of the page.

When the crypto BS was rampant, I found CryproPrevent, if there is something hacked, it stops it. WGA Remover, which was probably the first MS Phone Home program...so we have a blocker so it doesn't.

Killed updates 9 years ago, and the computer doesn't slow down to a crawl over the years like most WinDoze products do when bloated with updates.

It is amazing how fast they are when clean.

Opinion.

 

[pdplot]

Amen to that. Every computer I've gotten has been slower and more cumbersome online than the previous one. With W. 10, at least I can power up after updates without waiting an eternity like (can't remember the name - the one before Vista). Vista wasn't half bad. Add in the fact that I don't know what I'm doing and my online experiences are not a pleasure.

 

[Basil]

Amen to that. Every computer I've gotten has been slower and more cumbersome online than the previous one. With W. 10, at least I can power up after updates without waiting an eternity like (can't remember the name - the one before Vista). Vista wasn't half bad. Add in the fact that I don't know what I'm doing and my online experiences are not a pleasure.

I used to feel that way - until I switched to iMAC. My 5 year old iMac is as fast as it was the day I bought it (well, maybe a little slower booting up because I have a lot of apps that load on start up). I had been a PC user for decades and thought making the switch would be hard. It wasn't.

 

[pdplot]

Tempting. My brother in VA has been a MAC user for years. But - both my laptop and desktop were new last year. Hard to justify a new purchase. Plus all my docs are set in Word and Excel and I don't know if they will translate to a MAC.