I am a keen photographer and put images to music. So I do spend a lot of time at my computer doing this that and the other. As well as on here of course. It's part of my life.
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
I use my laptop for this forum and the internet generally. I use FB to keep in touch with friends and message them ( I think about 30 "friends" on there" ) I virtually never use my mobile phone. I keep it in my pocket when in the garden as my daughter sometimes calls during her lunch break, or on the way home. I still use a VHS video recorder to record tv, and use catch up. I don't have sky, and never will, folk who rave about their new phone are usually the same folk who raved about their last phone, and will form a queue to buy the next phone. I reckon I'm the opposite of the " gullible consumer" who'll buy any old tatt put out there. I'm the "cynical consumer" who will only buy stuff I genuinely need, and even then, reluctantly.
A friend has one of those "Alexa" things and I asked what he did with it. " When I first got it we used to try to get it say rude words " ( little boys looking up "rude" words in dictionaries sprung to mind ) " now I just ask it what time it is" " wouldn't it be easier,and quicker to just look at your watch?" " yeah, but it's more fun with Alexa" Gullible consumer , that's him.
My instinct is to try to repair something if it's broken. That can sometimes mean that you miss out on useful innovations but you also miss out on the latest useless innovations too.
I know someone who is/was an 'objector'. 'No need for it' said he. Wouldn't have a mobile phone, wouldn't have an MP3.... He recently bought a new car and it has no CD player. Who's crying now? He's so far behind with technology that he can't play his music in his car and hasn't the know-how to do anything about it. I think small steps are necessary to keep up but I won't buy into the consumerism of it all. I still use my ancient phone which does everything I need. It has internet connection but I think I've used it twice in my life. I text a lot because I have a lousy memory and if I don't say it now I'll forget when I see the person, also my OH is quite deaf so phone calls are out...I hate talking on the phone anyway. As for anti-social media, I looked at my friends and colleagues who use FB and my friends and colleagues who don't and decided which gang I wanted to be in.
I wonder how many old Video disc players, DAT casette players, mini disc players were purchased just before they were superceded ( very quickly) by other products.
I think either extreme position - 'I won't use any of it' or 'I have to have all of it' is silly (being curmudgeonly about it). You pick and chose what suits your life. I'm not on FB. OH is. I don't have family in Australia I want to keep in touch with, he does. I text quite a lot. I used to do it more when I was working - I would be sitting in endless meetings, so texting people who worked for me with what I needed them to do and answering their questions was the best way to stay in contact a lot of the time. OH hardly ever texted anyone until recently, when he found that sending a text in the evening to a chap working for him was good way to let the guy know what was needed next day without interrupting everyone's dinner. I also text OH to tell him I'm on the train/on my way home/in the supermarket and does he need anything? He's often up a stepladder or doing something with large bits of machinery with big blades, so I only actually phone him if I'm somewhere he can ring me back when it's safe or if it's a real emergency. I wouldn't have one of those Alexa type things in my house at the moment - I suspect it's just a way to track what you do so they can sell you more stuff, and I don't buy stuff, on the whole, so it's waste of their time and my money. If I discover I need it, I'll reconsider. I have an MP3 player but it's not an iPod. I feel that the really pushy brands are selling style over substance, so I read the reviews and try to buy the one that works best rather than the one with the biggest shiniest ad. No one has yet persuaded me that I need to know how many steps I've walked today or to be able to make phone calls from my watch. But who knows? I wouldn't reject any of it out of hand, but I'll only buy in if I find I might have a use for it. That's what I've always done with other household appliances, I can't see that digital widgets are any different to clanky old washing machines, really.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Most people only use 3 programs on their washing machine. Who uses all the programs on a microwave? I just use mine for cooking peas or heating up leftovers. Our TV isn't that new but there's buttons on the remote that I've never used.
Alexa smacks of Big Sister to me.
I was wondering about WiFi printers. Could someone hack into your system and print off your documents remotely? They'd find mine pretty boring.
Posts
I still use a VHS video recorder to record tv, and use catch up. I don't have sky, and never will, folk who rave about their new phone are usually the same folk who raved about their last phone, and will form a queue to buy the next phone.
I reckon I'm the opposite of the " gullible consumer" who'll buy any old tatt put out there. I'm the "cynical consumer" who will only buy stuff I genuinely need, and even then, reluctantly.
" When I first got it we used to try to get it say rude words " ( little boys looking up "rude" words in dictionaries sprung to mind )
" now I just ask it what time it is"
" wouldn't it be easier,and quicker to just look at your watch?"
" yeah, but it's more fun with Alexa"
Gullible consumer , that's him.
'No need for it' said he. Wouldn't have a mobile phone, wouldn't have an MP3.... He recently bought a new car and it has no CD player. Who's crying now? He's so far behind with technology that he can't play his music in his car and hasn't the know-how to do anything about it.
I think small steps are necessary to keep up but I won't buy into the consumerism of it all. I still use my ancient phone which does everything I need. It has internet connection but I think I've used it twice in my life. I text a lot because I have a lousy memory and if I don't say it now I'll forget when I see the person, also my OH is quite deaf so phone calls are out...I hate talking on the phone anyway.
As for anti-social media, I looked at my friends and colleagues who use FB and my friends and colleagues who don't and decided which gang I wanted to be in.
I'm not on FB. OH is. I don't have family in Australia I want to keep in touch with, he does.
I text quite a lot. I used to do it more when I was working - I would be sitting in endless meetings, so texting people who worked for me with what I needed them to do and answering their questions was the best way to stay in contact a lot of the time. OH hardly ever texted anyone until recently, when he found that sending a text in the evening to a chap working for him was good way to let the guy know what was needed next day without interrupting everyone's dinner. I also text OH to tell him I'm on the train/on my way home/in the supermarket and does he need anything? He's often up a stepladder or doing something with large bits of machinery with big blades, so I only actually phone him if I'm somewhere he can ring me back when it's safe or if it's a real emergency.
I wouldn't have one of those Alexa type things in my house at the moment - I suspect it's just a way to track what you do so they can sell you more stuff, and I don't buy stuff, on the whole, so it's waste of their time and my money. If I discover I need it, I'll reconsider.
I have an MP3 player but it's not an iPod. I feel that the really pushy brands are selling style over substance, so I read the reviews and try to buy the one that works best rather than the one with the biggest shiniest ad.
No one has yet persuaded me that I need to know how many steps I've walked today or to be able to make phone calls from my watch. But who knows?
I wouldn't reject any of it out of hand, but I'll only buy in if I find I might have a use for it. That's what I've always done with other household appliances, I can't see that digital widgets are any different to clanky old washing machines, really.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Our TV isn't that new but there's buttons on the remote that I've never used.
Alexa smacks of Big Sister to me.
I was wondering about WiFi printers. Could someone hack into your system and print off your documents remotely? They'd find mine pretty boring.
I do fancy one of those cordless hoovers,though.
Just sayin'.