Is the Angry Professor Against Cell Phones Cool?

[JasonRox]

Exactly. I'd turn it off in both situations (though I don't drive). I'd have it turned off 24/7. Why buy it?

Then have it turned off 24/7. I don't care. Why buy it? Well, in that case, it would strictly be used for emergencies.

And yes, having a cell phone does force you to talk on it while driving. Apparently. I can't prove it rationally, but anecdotal evidence appears to suggest that humans are incapable of owning a cell phone but turning it off when they drive. I've never seen someone do that, even the people who claim they should.

Do you do that?

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. My friends don't even answer it while on the road. That sounds like VERY weak evidence. I'm interested in knowing the source though.

And, no I don't do that.

A lot of people won't let you off that easy. Once they have you on the line they will insist on a conversation.

And I'm not talking about calls I initiate (I never would, anyway. Why do I need to know where everyone is?) I'm talking about receiving calls from others.

If they insist to have a conversation, click the hang up button. WOW, isn't that easy. That's what I do. If you're friends get mad, tell them you don't want to have conversations on your cellphone. If they don't respect that, get new friends. Not everyone has conversations on their cellphones at every possible moment.

Why do you need to know where everyone else is? I don't know. You tell me. If you're out at a bar and someone left, wouldn't it be nice to know your friend left? Of course! But then again, you're friend could just come and find you and tell you he's leaving, but why not just call you. It's much faster. Why should you care he's leaving? You might be his ride home or he might be your ride home. That's why.

I don't need to make any arguments. You're the one implying that I need a cell phone. You argue your case. I'm just arguing that there is never a time I would want the damn thing. That was the only thing I ever had to demonstrate, and I'm pretty suire I demonstrated it adequately.

You don't need to make arguments and you're right about that, but you made some up anyways and they turned out to be weak arguments. I'm also not implying you get a cellphone because I DON'T EVEN HAVE ONE. Did you not read my posts?

 

[Xezlec]

Once again, this is yet another OPTIONAL thing. Just because you have a phone, doesn't mean you are obligated to use it.

I never said I was. You seem to be suggesting I should get something for no reason at all. Like in the absence of any reason to use something I should get it by default. That's silly. I've just knocked out every possible time when anyone ever uses a cell phone. What is left? What is the purpose? If you're not buying it to use it at one of those "optional" but (I argue) bad times, why are you buying it at all? It's an object whose only possible usages are all bad ideas. At least for me.

To know that you will be able to reach someone... If you're running late you can call and tell someone that.

I already do that. I'm not saying I don't use phones. I'm saying I don't use cellular phones. Do you really need to tell someone you're late while you're driving? If not, then why not just stop and call on a normal land line?

You don't have to answer. There's an ignore button. There is also a power button.

And if I buy an automatic weapon, I don't have to use it either. Hey! I better go buy a gun then...

I'm not saying that you should get a phone. Are you just saying that you don't want to pay so much for something you would almost never use?

No, I'm saying I wouldn't even pick one up if it was lying on the street, since I have zero uses for it (at least good, responsible uses). I don't pick up rocks lying around either. It's a useless object to me.

I like having my phone to be able to text throughout the day, virtually anywhere. I communicate with my friends through text and rarely by phone.

When you say "virtually anywhere", can you think of such a place that doesn't also have a land line? And what's so great about text?

Also, I can play music on my phone My phone has a 2MP camera which has pretty good quality. I've used it many times. My phone has a gps feature. I've only used that once, but it was awesome. I can get on AIM with my phone, as well as check email. It has a qwerty keypad so I type rather quickly on it... I rarely use these things, but there are times when I need to. My phone is also my alarm in the mornings as well as my watch during the day.

I have a watch, an alarm clock, and a portable MP3 player (though it's not an iPod. So far, I'm not interested in anything that can't take plain old AA's. My current player seems awesome to me in that and other respects). I've never needed GPS. I have a tiny keychain camera I can carry around if I want to, but I haven't lately just because I don't really care.

Email is almost a convincing reason. Almost. The thing is when I get email I usually want to start doing computery stuff (i.e. posting on PF) so I prefer to check email on a 'puter anyway.

If they add enough features, I might get one someday. But I doubt I'll ever use it as a phone.

 

[Xezlec]

Then have it turned off 24/7. I don't care. Why buy it? Well, in that case, it would strictly be used for emergencies.

Oh emm gee. After I already pre-emptively knocked out that objection and you made some remark about how "no one says that anymore". Now you're just trolling.

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. My friends don't even answer it while on the road. That sounds like VERY weak evidence. I'm interested in knowing the source though.

Okay, billg, grow a sense of humor. I was cynically implying that a lot of people seem to ignore their own advice about talking on the phone while driving.

If they insist to have a conversation, click the hang up button. WOW, isn't that easy. That's what I do. If you're friends get mad, tell them you don't want to have conversations on your cellphone. If they don't respect that, get new friends.

Glad I'm not one of your friends. And I wasn't just talking about friends. Family is always the biggest offender on these kinds of things.

Why do you need to know where everyone else is? I don't know. You tell me. If you're out at a bar and someone left, wouldn't it be nice to know your friend left?

Those of us who consider our friends important enough not to just give them the finger if we think they talk too much rarely have this problem.

You don't need to make arguments and you're right about that, but you made some up anyways and they turned out to be weak arguments.

Don't you read my posts? If you look carefully you'll note that I was responding to the question "why don't you get a cell phone?" All I had to do was argue why it is of no responsible use, and that was all I did. Quite well. I had no reason to try and argue against the assertion that I need one, because no one made any good argument why I need one. And you still haven't. Why are you still talking?

 

[mathwonk]

reminds me of the conversation i had in about 1984, with dave penney, an author of edwards and penney, when i complained about problems in his book requiring a calculator. and he said "you have a tv don't you?" to which i responded truthfully, "no." that ended that discussion.

 

[Pythagorean]

reminds me of the conversation i had in about 1984, with dave penney, an author of edwards and penney, when i complained about problems in his book requiring a calculator. and he said "you have a tv don't you?" to which i responded truthfully, "no." that ended that discussion.

except for here... the discussion never ends!