Survey (i)

[poptart]

I first got on the internet -----> by dial-up, 15 years ago this month.
Shortly after that, I registered at Smack Chat.

Some of you may have more internet years (or months) under your belt than I do, but I would guess most of us have participated in Al Gore's creation for 15+ years.

I'd like to throw three questions at you -- along with some tangent questions, also.


1) Has usage of the internet enhanced your quality of life? Or has it perhaps caused your quality of life to decline?

2) Do you have an iPhone? If yes, for how many years? If not, do you want one? Like #1, has it enhanced your quality of life, or has it caused your quality of life to decline? If you have an iPhone, how many text messages do you send in an average day? How many do you receive?

3) If you have an iPhone, could you give it up? Quit altogether and not have one. What about the internet, period? Could you live your life without it? Or would it be unthinkably radical to imagine trying to do that? Would your life be better if you could take that step? What if you didn't stop internet completely, but just cut yourself down to say, 15 minutes a day, just to take care of a thing here-or-there?


Answer.
Discuss.

[Wolfman]

This looks very familiar for some strange reason.

[mamamustanger]

The internet has become mainstream and sometimes almost impossible to do without. I think it is addictive to some and they find it hard to go without for even short periods of time. I think it's sad that email has replaced, in many cases a hand written note or letter.

I remember growing up that it was so exciting getting a handwritten letter or card in the mail and I still feel the same way. I saved those cards and letters for a long time and often reread them.

As far as iPhones go, yes I have one and I love it but I miss the ring of the phone at home and I feel phone are most definitely used at inappropriate times, when attention should be with whomever you Are with or attention should be on event that you are attending.

Both have made life much easier, but there was nothing wrong with looking and researching information from encyclopedias, newspapers, books or libraries when I grew up or knowing who was calling your child at home when the house phone rang

[poptart]

Good post, mama.

Seems most teens are carrying a phone around.

At what age do you think a child should have a phone?

Different time, for sure, but imagine... when you were, say 14.
Was there ever any reason at all that you would need to have been carrying a phone around with you?

Is there any reason a 14 year old needs to carry a phone now?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

I was in a small town a couple hours north a few days ago and had difficulty placing an important phone call due to shitty reception. Yet there is an app I could've downloaded and used at that moment without any trouble that teaches you how to eat pussy by licking the screen on your phone.

That's basically where we're at today.

[Moving Sale]

I've been on since 1995ish. Registered for SC1 when there were maybe 10 people posting. Dark gable, TVO and the like were on. I couldn't do without the net at work because it is such a great search resourse and now with PDFs, all my cases get scanned, so most days I only bring my iPad mini to court. Trials are different and they won't allow iPad in prison so I still lug paperwork then.

I had I iPhone 5 till I took it swimming. It's about the same as the 4. My 10 yo had the 4 till I fried the 5, but it never had service so just games and stuff unless he had wifi. I make him do one hr of education ( math, Spanish and are you smarter than a 5th grader right now) before he can play minecraft or whatnot but he only gets an hr of that. All bet are off during long trips when we bring old iPad, iPad mini and all the iPhones I can find.

He won't get a working one till 7-8 grade maybe later and I dont let him take it to school even with no service. And they ( I also have a 4yo) can't play it with device in their lap or as I tell them, "your penis might fall off."

I'm pretty busy so I don't use net more than I should but I'm sure some do.

[Screw_Michigan]

I was in a small town a couple hours north a few days ago and had difficulty placing an important phone call due to shitty reception. Yet there is an app I could've downloaded and used at that moment without any trouble that teaches you how to eat pussy by licking the screen on your phone.

That's basically where we're at today.

The trend of getting rid of land line telephones is kind of scary considering if we ever have another 9/11 type event in the US, we are so, so fucked.

[Left Seater]

1). The Internet has made my life much easier. No more calling for weather, fuel, flight plans, scheduling, etc, etc. the iPad with wifi or a cellular connection can do all of that. Plus no more pulling and replacing pages from from the brain bag, updates are automatically done.

F). Yes I have an iPhone but could turn it in tomorrow for a blackberry. The iPhone sucks balls at sending out emails and the like because if you have fingers larger than a jr high kid typing sucks. I might send 2 texts a day. If I need to interrupt someone else's day it needs to be important enough to call. Since I don't do any social media stuff period it isn't a factor in my Internet usage.

%). Forgot this question or maybe I already answered it

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

The iPhone sucks balls at sending out emails and the like because if you have fingers larger than a jr high kid typing sucks. I might send 2 texts a day.

Talk-to-text, bro. I use it frequently. It's pretty accurate if you speak slowly and enunciate, and will squiggly line mistakes for easy correction.

[War Wagon]

Since I don't do any social media stuff period it isn't a factor in my Internet usage.

Isn't what we do here considered social media? I look at it as such.

I had an Iphone which was pretty much useless to me since I only used it to make or take calls. All that other stuff I can live without. I gave it to my daughter when hers broke. I don't carry a cell phone with me at all now and have somehow managed to survive.

When you're with friends doing whatever and their attention is constantly focused on their fucking phones, that is annoying and just plain rude. I'd like to snatch that phone out of their hands some times and heave it into the nearest large body of water.

But that would also be rude, so I don't.

[Left Seater]

I don't know if this place qualifies as social media, but I am hardly an expert on the subject.

When you're with friends doing whatever and their attention is constantly focused on their fucking phones, that is annoying and just plain rude. I'd like to snatch that phone out of their hands some times and heave it into the nearest large body of water.

But that would also be rude, so I don't.

I understand your point above and agree with it to a point. However, there are times where having a smart phone has allowed me to attend a dinner or function that I would have previously had to miss to handle a work issue. I usually apologize ahead of time and let people know what is happening.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

I don't carry a cell phone with me at all now and have somehow managed to survive.

That's pretty stupid logic. There are lots of things you can cut out of your budget that you don't need for survival, but cell phone communication shouldn't be one. You should at the very least carry a cheap prepaid phone or something in case of emergencies. Let's say your truck breaks down on a smokes run to the QT. Or worse, if a family member needs to reach YOU asap.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

...if a family member needs to reach YOU asap.

I slid one into the chamber...then had reservations. I truly need to temper my parlance in order to become a more evolved human being.
Eased the safety back on.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

...if a family member needs to reach YOU asap.

I slid one into the chamber...then had reservations. I truly need to temper my parlance in order to become a more evolved human being.
Eased the safety back on.

I'm with you, friendo. I was thinking of working a lesbian daughter emergency bit into that last part, but pulled myself together.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

I'm with you, friendo. I was thinking of working a lesbian daughter emergency bit into that last part...

WHAT!?!?!

What the hell kind of sick shit is that?

That's absolutely NOT where I was going...c'mon bro...

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

okay, yes I was, actually...

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

I'm with you, friendo. I was thinking of working a lesbian daughter emergency bit into that last part...

WHAT!?!?!

What the hell kind of sick shit is that?

That's absolutely NOT where I was going...c'mon bro...

Okay, Okay, I got it.

Wags is making a run to the QT for smokes, a cup of sludgy coffee, a two day old taquito and a slice of supreme pizza, when his truck breaks down halfway there. Meanwhile, somewhere in rural Missouri, Whitey's daughter is about to be kidnapped by an Albanian lesbian trafficking gang, and she only has time to make one phone call so she calls her dad because he has a very particular set of skills that involves negotiating with IKYABWAI tactics.

"I'm sorry, this number is no longer in service."

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

I think that was an episode of 24.

[War Wagon]

Ok, I may regret this but I've heard just about enough lesbian daughter cracks.



That could be my future son-in-law.

Commence to right clicking, you freaks.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

I think that was an episode of 24.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

lesbian daughter cracks

Is there a website for that?

A friend wants to know...

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

But seriously. You should keep a phone with you.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

This is where Marty goes butt-cracker crazy...

You have no idea how hard I'm trying to keep my cool.

I swear to god...I'm sweating like a rapist.

[Moving Sale]

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l. to r.-- pitcher, catcher

[War Wagon]

that's pretty good, in a sick kind of way. I would expect no less.

Bravo.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

I do not send many text messages. Often, when I receive a text message from someone, I just call them. Typing that shit is stupid.

Oh...you're that guy...

[Derron]

Ok, I may regret this but I've heard just about enough lesbian daughter cracks.



That could be my future son-in-law.

Commence to right clicking, you freaks.

Notice the operative word there could

[R-Jack]

It's a good idea for her to maintain appearances. The world may not be ready for a lesbian softball coach.

[BSmack]

1) Has usage of the internet enhanced your quality of life? Or has it perhaps caused your quality of life to decline?

My career exists because of the Internet. I've had many great and weird experiences thanks to the Internet. The Internet is A-OK with me. You do realize the the Internet is a proper name?

2) Do you have an iPhone? If yes, for how many years? If not, do you want one? Like #1, has it enhanced your quality of life, or has it caused your quality of life to decline? If you have an iPhone, how many text messages do you send in an average day? How many do you receive?

I have used Android based phones. My wife had a Droid 2 and switched to the iPhone. She is always complaining how slow he iPhone is and that her phone fills up with pictures too quickly. I point out to her than my HTC has a 32GB SD mini card, and I always can upgrade, whereas the fascists in Cupertino limit the storage on her phone to whatever they want her to have. I get 2-3 texts a day, mostly from my wife. It allows us to stay in touch during the day without her calling me. This is a good thing.

3) If you have an iPhone, could you give it up? Quit altogether and not have one. What about the internet, period? Could you live your life without it? Or would it be unthinkably radical to imagine trying to do that? Would your life be better if you could take that step? What if you didn't stop internet completely, but just cut yourself down to say, 15 minutes a day, just to take care of a thing here-or-there?

What is this obsession with iPhones? You do realize that there are other types of phones in the world?

I enjoy unplugging at times. But I don't think it is a moral virtue to unplug for the sake of unplugging. And when I do unplug I don't try to get the rest of the world to do it too.

[Screw_Michigan]

What's with the (i)?

[smackaholic]

In my line of work, field technician, it is a fukking curse in that it means I have to spend half my fukking day entering work related bullshit. Back in the dark ages you simply filled out a field service report in 5 minutes at the end of the job.

Of course all this valuable data allow my manager to make cool pie charts and graphs which management today seems to think has something to do with efficiently managing personnel. It is an utter bag of shit. But, you can watch pron on it, so, I guess it is a good thing on balance.