The fall of the phone

[MisterCairo]

I think you should have held a funeral for THAT jerk, immediately afterward.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[klind65]

They order their coffee after acting as though WE are interrupting them and then apologize to the person on the phone. The nerve![/QUOTE]

Yes! When did people forget that the people present , "in person" before us take precedence over phone calls?? Back to remedial manners 101 for these folks.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I screen my calls as a rule. And I turn the phone off at night. ("But what about emergencies?") But the vast majority of my communicating is done via text. It's just portable email, far as I'm concerned: a way to communicate on your own time and send or respond any time you want, rather than taking time to have a phone conversation that isn't necessary to have at that very moment. But manners are important. The phone goes away when I'm with real people.

 

[John in Covina]

For many callers the wait on a phone to speak to a person at a business seems to be at a different rate than real time. 20 seconds waiting is longer than it takes to read "War & Peace" to the holder on end. With that perception, many business put a premium on answering the phone over servicing people that are in the store already. It goes against the first come firt served concept, but many businesses know you won't leave, and they don't lose a potential sale on the phone because of interminable waiting.

 

[scottyrocks]

I dont look at cell phones in a negative light.

To me, my cell phone allows me the freedom to be able to communicate with whom I want, whenever and wherever I happen to be. When it rings, the number or name shows up, and I can decide whether or not to answer it. I love the ability to send pictures, or text a non-intrusive message that doesnt require a verbal conversation.

I have a bluetooth that I use all the time. I love having my hands free when I talk.

I am not a big phone talker, however. I would much rather have a face-to-face.

I also know when to turn it off.

I dont have a land line. Havent had one for over two years. We had a power outage recently in my neighborhood, and my landlord asked me for my cell because his landline phones, which now all plug into the wall outlets for power, were non-functional.

I dont want to pay two bills a month either, so I chose to have a cell phone over a land line. To me, there was no comparsion.

The idea that answering a ringing cell phone taking priority over a current live conversation is not new. For years before cell phones were common place. I cant tell you how often Ive been in stores, when the store's phone would ring, and whatever customer that was being waited on was suddenly 'not there' for the duration of the phone call, and was expected to wait. I guess the thought is that the customer is already in the store, and will wait while the store help tries to bring someone else into the store, or build rapport to get them to (keep) come(ing) back.

I have tried to put myself in the salesperson's position, and the reasoning and urge to answer the phone is very compelling. The customer is right here, and can certainly 'wait a minute' to help the invisible, and therefore more elusive, customer thats on the phone. (For many reasons,) I'm glad Im not in sales.

 

[LisaFreemontSt]

Speaking of phones, when did it become unnecessary to have the operator get you connected? I will never forget Janet Leigh's phone number in The Manchurian Candidate...'El Dorado 59970'

I was just watching an old Alfred Hitchcock episode and the lead character's father was at 'Monroe 24228' When did placing a call become 'impersonal'...heh heh. When did phone numbers reach their current state? Anybody know?

 

[C-dot]

I have tried to put myself in the salesperson's position, and the reasoning and urge to answer the phone is very compelling. The customer is right here, and can certainly 'wait a minute' to help the invisible, and therefore more elusive, customer thats on the phone. (For many reasons,) I'm glad Im not in sales.

fftopic: Those salespeople were not taught the order of urgency when waiting on multiple customers. You NEVER leave a customer before they are finished - If the phone rings, you answer it and tell them to "hold please."

Public service etiquette - just like cellphone etiquette - is far too rare these days.

A common defense of answering every cellphone call at any time is "It may have been an emergency!" But cellphones are a relatively NEW invention! What did people in the Golden Era do in "emergency" situations? Did they die? :eusa_doh:

When did phone numbers reach their current state? Anybody know?

When party lines went out and multiple phone lines (commercial and residential) came in. There were simply too many, so they added more digits - eventually having to dial area codes. Many cities have more than one area code now.

 

[Paisley]

There's a number for emergencies: 911.

For questions that probably won't have a follow-up question, I prefer e-mail. It gives me a record of the conversation and the person can answer my question at their convenience. The record is nice because I can't always remember my question or whether I even asked one. (I'm not senile, I just handle thousands of pieces of paper.)

 

[C-dot]

There's a number for emergencies: 911.

:eusa_clap

 

[Paisley]

I have never owned a cellphone. Why, when no one would actually call me? They'd all just text me, then I'd have to text them back, then I'd have no money. Besides, I don't want people to be able to reach me day and night, wherever I may be. Phone my house, and if I'm not there, leave a message. I'll get back to you when its convenient.

When people ask me for my number, I give it to them telling them its a landline. Then I'll get a call at night, and a funny sound will play out of the receiver, and I'll know they tried to text my home phone.

Why would someone phone you when they can just look on Twitter or Facebook and know precisely what you're doing? I once made a Facebook account to escape pressure from my friends. I hated it. When a very long relationship I was in ended acrimoniously, I wanted to tell my friends about it when I was ready - but it turns out they already knew. Why? My ex changed his Facebook status!

Anyone who is not willing to exert themselves for my friendship by calling me to get together, is not a real friend.

:eusa_clap

I don't have a cell phone, Facebook, account, or Myspace account and I don't Twitter or text. What am I going to do, take a call from the pharmacy while I'm dancing? Call my aunt in California while I'm on the bus? Announce to all and sundry creeps what my relationship status is?

For a friend of mine, her Facebook account did have a real benefit. After she wrote that she was leaving her husband, her ex-husband contacted her. She'd been looking for him for years to collect back child support.

 

[C-dot]

What am I going to do, take a call from the pharmacy while I'm dancing? Call my aunt in California while I'm on the bus? Announce to all and sundry creeps what my relationship status is?

Well, everyone else is doing it...

Glad to hear that Facebook helped someone out - I know it's rekindled many old friendships and such... But for me, at least, the downsides far outweigh the benefits.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Speaking of phones, when did it become unnecessary to have the operator get you connected? I will never forget Janet Leigh's phone number in The Manchurian Candidate...'El Dorado 59970'

I was just watching an old Alfred Hitchcock episode and the lead character's father was at 'Monroe 24228' When did placing a call become 'impersonal'...heh heh. When did phone numbers reach their current state? Anybody know?

It depends on where you were. "All Digit Dialing" first came in in the United States starting in 1962, but it took nearly twenty years before it was fully implemented -- there were many holdouts, especially in bigger cities like New York, where MUrray Hill, CIrcle, SPring, BUtterfield, PEnnsylvania, and other historic exchanges lingered on for years before finally being changed over.

As far as manual exchanges go, they started disappearing in 1919 when dial systems began coming into service, but the last one didn't close down until 1982. My mother was a central office manual-exchange operator from 1959 to1965 -- in a town that went directly from "Number Please" to All-Digit Dialing in one swoop.

Long distance calling was a separate thing -- "Direct Distance Dialing" was phased in beginning in the early fifties, but it was well into the sixties before it was universal, and you could make a long distance call from anywhere in the US without going thru an operator. Unless, of course, you were still on a manual exchange.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Thank GOD for the Novophone it allows you to have the convenience of a Cell/Mobile, with a chunky handset to tuck under your chin whilst talking, and eating Blinis with caviar, it's perfect, do admit?"

Bravo, Binks! I've been tempted many-a-time to get a handset like that. The rest of the household and guests find it bizarre that I prefer using a 40s style "desk phone" with handset that I can prop on my shoulder while I talk. Alas, it IS attached to a Vonage box so the calls come in via Internet...but stilll I'm doing what I can to remain vintage...

I had to ride in the ambulance with a friend's son to the hospital last week (he took a spill at the theater on his "wheelie" shoes and has a small torsion wrist fracture and wanted "Uncle Michael" to go with him since Dad was going on with the show). When we were ready to leave the ER, his wife asked me to text him that we were heading to their house. I dialed his number on my cell phone and said "Greg - Austin has a small fracture. We're heading to your house. Your leftover chow mein is MINE now, baby!" faster than I could've texted anything. I mean...voicemail or texting - it's going to get to him after the show's over and I can talk faster than I can text... And then his wife texts virtually the same message which took her almost two minutes. I dialed, left message and had my cell back in my pocket in 30 seconds, and she spends four times that texting.

Yeah, great timesaver... :eusa_doh:

 

[Paisley]

That's why I just don't get texting--it takes about 10 seconds to leave a typical voice mail. The only advantage I see to texting is not being overheard. Or not having to talk to the person you're texting.

 

[Feraud]

Gaining access to someone's voicemail usually takes longer than the voicemail itself! You have to wait for the ringing and entering the mailbox. Texting is quick and easy.
That does not mean people should do it walking down subway stairs like they do in NYC. Or while driving, engaged in retail purchases, etc..

 

[Miss Neecerie]

For me....texting is the 'telegram' of today...(I even have my text 'ring' sound as a telegram noise)

You send a quick burst to notify someone of something.....If a reply is needed, it can be at their leisure and if they consider it important enough.


and sure..there are folks that want all this....but there are also folks that don't want other things we all consider -standard- now too....so this 'why is necessary'...is an eye of the beholder thing.

 

[Forgotten Man]

With every new "BIG" thing, it's always over done by the masses. Same as it was in the past. When Radio hit the scene, everyone jumped on the band wagon... and there were those who didn't like it or felt it a vulgar addition to the sacred sanctity of the home.

I feel that technology is advancing a little too fast for it's own good... and may be our very own downfall. People wanting to plant chips with all our info into parts of our bodies or to make us smarter... whatever it is I'll be hanged first! But, look at new computers; they're last spring's straw hat in no more then a year!

Look at how long the rotary dial was in place... since the early 1900s till the 1970s... nearly 80 years and now, new becomes old in a matter of months to a year.

We need to slow things down people! Why? Because fast only becomes faster and then that inevitable brick wall comes that cannot be dodged and then WHAM! A crash of a kind the world has not seen the likes of!

 

[klind65]

With every new "BIG" thing, it's always over done by the masses. Same as it was in the past. When Radio hit the scene, everyone jumped on the band wagon... and there were those who didn't like it or felt it a vulgar addition to the sacred sanctity of the home.

I feel that technology is advancing a little too fast for it's own good... and may be our very own downfall. People wanting to plant chips with all our info into parts of our bodies or to make us smarter... whatever it is I'll be hanged first! But, look at new computers; they're last spring's straw hat in no more then a year!

Look at how long the rotary dial was in place... since the early 1900s till the 1970s... nearly 80 years and now, new becomes old in a matter of months to a year.

We need to slow things down people! Why? Because fast only becomes faster and then that inevitable brick wall comes that cannot be dodged and then WHAM! A crash of a kind the world has not seen the likes of!

Perspicacious comments, Forgotten Man! Perspective, perspective, perspective! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Carlisle Blues]

We need to slow things down people! Why? Because fast only becomes faster and then that inevitable brick wall comes that cannot be dodged and then WHAM! A crash of a kind the world has not seen the likes of!

Hardly......technological advances are for those who can assimilate the tool. There are still rotary phones. Without advances mankind would not have medicines to combat disease, communication devices which save lives, entertainment units for those home-bound...the list is endless.

There is only resistance when people do not want any advances or there can be no improvement; for example the wheel...it is still turning and the design has not changed.

 

[Paisley]

Gaining access to someone's voicemail usually takes longer than the voicemail itself! You have to wait for the ringing and entering the mailbox. Texting is quick and easy.
That does not mean people should do it walking down subway stairs like they do in NYC. Or while driving, engaged in retail purchases, etc..

There are a few ways of skipping to the beep:

Step One: Push 1. If your friend is on Sprint (or possibly Verizon, but not always), this skips the greeting and you are done, skip to End. IF you hear a message that says “One is not a valid option” skip to Step Three below, otherwise continue to Step Two.
Step Two: Push *. If your friend is on Verizon, you’ll hear the beep, and can leave your message. Skip ahead to the end now.
Step Three: Push #. This works for both Cingular and T-Mobile subscribers, and you’re all set to go.​