Modern Communications

[Butts]

Am I the only RailUK Forums Member that does not possess a Smartphone nor subscribe to Facebook or Twitter ?

Why do people feel they have to be constantly online wherever they are including on a Train. What is wrong with reading a Newspaper or Book.

A lot of people seem to have become slaves to modern technology, which seemingly impinges on their "downtime". Christ, some people are unable to have "a crap" in peace these days.

Is there a downside to the world of instant communication, in the form of less privacy and an addiction to keeping in touch with the latest trends.

How many of the mobile conversations and other interactions are actually necessary and of an urgent nature ?

Any other "luddites" out there ?

 

[Tom B]

50 years ago people were probably moaning about the new-fangled telephone, where people could instantly contact you in your home without having to wait three days for a letter to be sent. Disgraceful!

I am quite happy to read a newspaper, or a book, or use Facebook, Twitter or a site like this!

 

[Butts]

50 years ago people were probably moaning about the new-fangled telephone, where people could instantly contact you in your home without having to wait three days for a letter to be sent. Disgraceful!

I am quite happy to read a newspaper, or a book, or use Facebook, Twitter or a site like this!

Fair enough - but why do kids have to send so many texts - or am I out of date on that front ?

 

[ExRes]

Am I the only RailUK Forums Member that does not possess a Smartphone nor subscribe to Facebook or Twitter ?

Why do people feel they have to be constantly online wherever they are including on a Train. What is wrong with reading a Newspaper or Book.

A lot of people seem to have become slaves to modern technology, which seemingly impinges on their "downtime". Christ, some people are unable to have "a crap" in peace these days.

Is there a downside to the world of instant communication, in the form of less privacy and an addiction to keeping in touch with the latest trends.

How many of the mobile conversations and other interactions are actually necessary and of an urgent nature ?

Any other "luddites" out there ?

I'm with you, no smartphone, no facebook, no twitter, no interest in them either

VOTE LUDDITE, You know it makes sense

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I like Tom B above will happily and variably do either. On a long distance train I tend to have a flick through Twitter if I'm bored or trying to catch up on something; check Messenger for any Facebook messages or check my emails; but in equal measure will look at a magazine, some railway literature I've picked up (I could easily spend an hour looking through a timetable) or read whatever book I'm on (usually something pertaining to the American West or music). Very rarely get a paper these days, I certainly wouldn't buy one. Of course looking out the window also occurs!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

My mobile is only set for voice calls and SMS text messages on a PAYG basis; none of the smart features are activated - I can't even extract any photos from it! When I travel, I like to look out of the window - reading is reserved for any protracted delays.

I will admit to sending texts from in the middle of the Chunnel just for the show off factor now that mobiles work down there, though!

 

[Qwerty133]

Fair enough - but why do kids have to send so many texts - or am I out of date on that front ?

It's all about snapchat now!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Anyone who uses SnapChat needs to be executed at dawn

At least Twitter and Facebook serve some kind of purpose, SC is absolute purile gibberish

 

[Qwerty133]

I notice that people on this forum suggest reading something called a 'book', my knowledge of these boring, outdated, wasteful pieces of paper full of lines and lines of text, is that they are very boring and only to be used where absolutely necessary. Maybe it's because of the rubbish that we're forced to read at school such as the dreadful 'of mice and men', which makes books seem so boring to us. I think I've only read one book by choice since I was about 11 (I'm now 16). As for newspapers, that's a daily expenditure when you can get the news written in the same or higher quality for free on the internet, often including the exact same wording, therefore not a justifiable cost when short of money, yes you can get the metro but I don't care who Harry Styles is pretending to be 'going out with' this week of that the train I am on must be overcrowded, even if it isn't.

 

[Bill Stanier]

Having spent a working lifetime in computer engineering (MBCS, Chartered IT practitioner etc), I use technology as I see fit. Only birds twitter (and what they say is about as meaningful to us as any human twitters I've seen).

Facebook does stuff, uncommanded by me, I don't like, so no to that.

So I do e-mail and forums and blogging (which I control) and that's it.

It does concern me (a bit) that our trains, buses, and streets are full of young folk tapping away or talking on a device, while ignoring the people they are actually with, seeing nothing, being aware of nothing of their surroundings.

Ride the Hope Valley line and marvel at the valleys, farms, cottages, rushing streams under the line, Peak Villages, and most majestic of all... the the hill tops including Kinder Scout, Mam Tor ridge, Chinley Churn, and the rest of the magnificent Peak District skyline. And then see all the saddos tapping away on a 'device', oblivious of all this natural majesty just outside the windows. Some might be concluding vital commercial deals, but I doubt it, really. Mostly they are doing what I'm doing now inmy armchair at home; typing unimportant crap.

Take time to breath the air, observe this wonderful world (and it really is wonderful if you take the time to REALLY look), talk to people directly rather than through the distancing effect of an electronic medium. And just stand and stare once in a while rather than rabbiting or tapping inanities into a phone.

 

[Mojo]

Maybe it's because of the rubbish that we're forced to read at school such as the dreadful 'of mice and men'

You are Michael Gove, And I Claim My Five Pounds

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I see where Qwerty comes from, To Kill a Mockingbird (which I did at GCSE) is horrendously dull and absolutely obliterated any interest I had in fiction (I haven't read a fictional book since), but I do still love non-fiction books and have probably bought more books in the last six months than I have in the last six years as a result of actually taking the time to Amazon books on topics I'm interested in. Feel a lot more knowledgeable too about my interests as a result.

 

[alexjames]

Do I get a reward for not being on ****ter, facebook or anything similar and not possessing or having the use of a cellphone?

Not many of us holdouts left. Not that I have anything against cellphones - please do yap away as much as possible via such devices. Us Vodafone shareholders do enjoy spending the consequential dividends on beer, football match tickets, rail travel thereto and similar essentials.

 

[martinsh]

I notice that people on this forum suggest reading something called a 'book', my knowledge of these boring, outdated, wasteful pieces of paper full of lines and lines of text, is that they are very boring and only to be used where absolutely necessary. Maybe it's because of the rubbish that we're forced to read at school such as the dreadful 'of mice and men', which makes books seem so boring to us. I think I've only read one book by choice since I was about 11 (I'm now 16). As for newspapers, that's a daily expenditure when you can get the news written in the same or higher quality for free on the internet, often including the exact same wording, therefore not a justifiable cost when short of money, yes you can get the metro but I don't care who Harry Styles is pretending to be 'going out with' this week of that the train I am on must be overcrowded, even if it isn't.

Your post reveals an urgent need for you to read a book on punctuation !

I recommend this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Lynne-Truss/dp/0007329067

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Surely there should be no space between the last word and the exclamation mark if you're so concerned about punctuation?

 

[EM2]

I see where Qwerty comes from, To Kill a Mockingbird (which I did at GCSE) is horrendously dull and absolutely obliterated any interest I had in fiction (I haven't read a fictional book since), but I do still love non-fiction books and have probably bought more books in the last six months than I have in the last six years as a result of actually taking the time to Amazon books on topics I'm interested in. Feel a lot more knowledgeable too about my interests as a result.

So you dismiss a massive proportion of the written word on the basis of one book?
Have you tried fiction that's based on the topics that you're interested in?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

So you dismiss a massive proportion of the written word on the basis of one book?
Have you tried fiction that's based on the topics that you're interested in?

It was really a combination of it over five years at secondary school, the only extended prose of any form I enjoyed was Private Peaceful. It was the thoroughly dull nature of TKAM and the fact that for about three hours a week for about seven months in Year 11 we analysed every last paragraph of it almost drove me to insanity and it got to me so much that from that point on I have never been able to regain an enjoyable focus on it.

The topics I am interested in reading about are primarily history and music. In both instances the truth is infinitely more interesting than any fiction that could be composed about it. Why waste time on stuff that didn't happen when there are so many fascinating and interesting tales about what did?

 

[alexjames]

Tut, tut.

Martin's comments above are highly discriminatory.

One should have rather more sympathy for the object of his advice.

The miserable bacteria brained youth is entirely the victim of current mores. To reach the conclusion that books are of no use merely demonstrates that the fool has little or no working brain cells. It would be rather more kindly to suggest that the idiot should jump off a cliff or something similar before he has an opportunity to pollute the gene pool with his idiotic ideas.

And to suggest that he (or she) reads, digests and seeks to understand the suggested work is pointless in the extreme. The fool would not understand much, if any of it.

 

[EM2]

The topics I am interested in reading about are primarily history and music. In both instances the truth is infinitely more interesting than any fiction that could be composed about it. Why waste time on stuff that didn't happen when there are so many fascinating and interesting tales about what did?

So let's take music as an example. Would you dismiss all music on the basis of a song you don't like? I notice your Location is actually a lyric from an Eagles song, a band that I personally cannot enjoy, but I still enjoy countless other musicians and groups.
As for fiction, I can name a number of excellent works of historical fiction, and who knows, they may lead you to discover the 'many fascinating and interesting tales' of the real-life events that inspired them?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

So let's take music as an example. Would you dismiss all music on the basis of a song you don't like? I notice your Location is actually a lyric from an Eagles song, a band that I personally cannot enjoy, but I still enjoy countless other musicians and groups.
As for fiction, I can name a number of excellent works of historical fiction, and who knows, they may lead you to discover the 'many fascinating and interesting tales' of the real-life events that inspired them?

I like quite a varied selection of music - I'll listen from just about anything from country to metal to classical to pop, but a year of uni pre-drinks has brought me to dislike anything like club, trance, hip-hop or dubstep or whatever I'm unsure how you define 'dismiss all music'. There are some bands I am more keen on than others and some I cannot abide (such as the Beatles), as such I don't listen to them but still respect and acknowledge their contribution, but they are for someone else to enjoy and not me. Stuff like YT has made a lot of music more accessible though so I will generally give anything a listen then pass judgement.

Any historical fiction you could recommend on the Californian Gold Rush, westwards migration across the US (including stuff like the Oregon Trail), or the Old West would be appreciated and perhaps even acted upon.

 

[EM2]

I'm unsure how you define 'dismiss all music'.

It was more to illustrate the point that your interest in fiction being obliterated by TKAM, would be like my interest in music being obliterated by 'Take It Easy'.

Any historical fiction you could recommend on the Californian Gold Rush, westwards migration across the US (including stuff like the Oregon Trail), or the Old West would be appreciated and perhaps even acted upon.

You may enjoy John Steinbeck's 'Grapes Of Wrath', although seeing the kicking that 'Of Mice And Men' has received on this thread...

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I don't posses a smartphone, but rather my 8-year old 'brick'.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

It was more to illustrate the point that your interest in fiction being obliterated by TKAM, would be like my interest in music being obliterated by 'Take It Easy'.

Though my interest (probably more undying and endless love ) in the Eagles wouldn't exist if with Take It Easy I was made to listen to it a seemingly infinite number of times, analyse ever chord, chord change, word, drum beat and bass note to it every week for over half a year. You could also argue it isn't a valid example, I love that genre of music, if you're comparing it to TKAM it's probably more like making me listen to dubstep and analysing it! Thinking about it in more detail I would probably say it was doing Shakespeare that got the dislike ball rolling. I appreciate that he is probably the greatest British author ever and did things for our language beyond comprehension, but doing it as a 15 year old when you have absolutely no interest whatsoever in Romeo and Juliet builds up that dislike. The only reason I read R&J and TKAM and whatever else was because I was legally obliged to be so. That and I had a really fit teacher for GCSE...

 

[EM2]

The good thing about being at school is you don't have to analyse or interpret anything if you don't want to, you can just read it for enjoyment's sake.
Back on topic, I use social media a lot because I have a very far-flung group of friends and relatives, and it's much easier to keep in contact that way. I find 'round-robin' emails very impersonal, and with social media I can interact much more closely with them.

 

[Butts]

Anyone who uses SnapChat needs to be executed at dawn

At least Twitter and Facebook serve some kind of purpose, SC is absolute purile gibberish

Forgive the ignorance - what is "snap chat" ?

 

[GatwickDepress]

I have a smartphone, but all I use it for is messaging, 'phone calls, and as a backup iPod if my one dies.

My friend uses his iPhone so much, I've forbidden him from using it on train journeys with me. I don't care about the news or if we're delayed by seven femtoseconds, the highlight of travel for me is the actual journey!

Forgive the ignorance - what is "snap chat" ?

It's an application where people can send images, video, text etc to others and upon viewing the file, it's deleted after a set number of seconds. Popular with teenagers wanting to send covert communiques... naturally!

Your post reveals an urgent need for you to read a book on punctuation !

I recommend this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Lynne-Truss/dp/0007329067

Shush!

 

[Butts]

Thanks for the explanation.

To think that I thought Pagers were an imposition when they were in vogue twenty or thirty years ago

Those days seem relatively halcyon now

 

[PaxVobiscum]

50 years ago people were probably moaning about the new-fangled telephone, where people could instantly contact you in your home without having to wait three days for a letter to be sent.

Leaving aside the timescale of when the telephone network was being established in thus country (there's an early reference in the 1878 operetta HMS Pinafore), 50 years ago it not take 3 days to communicate by post. Going further back, in the Sherlock Holmes stories telegrams were used a bit like people use text messages today.
Sometimes I wonder how much progress we have really made in the last 50 or even 100+ years.

 

[gswindale]

Depending on the journey; I may do the following:

1) Enjoy the scenery out the window
2) Read a paper/magazine/book (either physical or via Kindle / Zinio app)
3) Play a game on phone/tablet
4) Browse the web

I do have twitter & facebook accounts. I hardly use the former - the latter is useful for keeping in touch with family members throughout the country.

I have to say that whilst I respect the choice of people not to use various modern communications networks; the attitude of those who give them "silly" names is just downright rude and disrespectful.

For those who were put off reading books by school; I agree to a certain extent. I've no desire to read TKAM anytime soon (20 years after reading it), but other books are worth reading - for instance I've just enjoyed the 3rd book in Jasper Fforde's "Last Dragonslayer" series. Similarly I've pre-ordered a new book by Ben Aaronovitch and also something due in Sept by Terry Pratchett.

Not all books are like they were at school. Just try reading to enjoy rather than for analytical purposes.

 

[Tom B]

Leaving aside the timescale of when the telephone network was being established in thus country (there's an early reference in the 1878 operetta HMS Pinafore), 50 years ago it not take 3 days to communicate by post. Going further back, in the Sherlock Holmes stories telegrams were used a bit like people use text messages today.
Sometimes I wonder how much progress we have really made in the last 50 or even 100+ years.

Yes, the telephone network was established many years ago - but 50 years ago I believe that a significant percentage of the population were not telephone subscribers, and STD was only just kicking off, thus a call over a long distance would cost a small fortune.

I did read a while ago about the GPO's snail pace speed to connect a new subscriber in the 60s/70s, partially due to the lack of capacity in the system. It could apparently take several months to have a line installed. The privatised telephony system in 2013 took 3 months to do 45 minutes' work, so I don't think we've improved any in that regard!