The Cell Phone Revolution…

I’ve so far resisted the allure of cell phone ownership.  Actually, I still can’t quite figure out why I’d want to pay for the privilege of having people call me anytime day or night.  (And pay for the call as well!)

Cell phone companies should come up with a button that puts the cell phone “out of range”, and takes a message.  Then they’d have a feature that I’m already using… known as an “answering machine”.  If they can then drop the price to what I’m paying monthly for my normal phone bill, they might get me hooked.

Of course, I don’t have long distance plans, three-way calling, call forwarding, caller ID, Voice Mail, or any other money-costing features that the phone company offers.  Never felt the need for any of it.

The company that I work for recently decided to reimburse their employees for cell phones being used during work.  These employees drive long distances to various accounts, and are often out of radio range.  So the company offered an extra $20 each month if you’ll agree to use your cell phone.  What a deal!!  The company can now instantly speak to you on your dime!  I figure if my company wants to talk to me on a cell phone, they can issue me a cell phone.  (Hopefully, someone will invent the “out of range” button before my company decides to do so.)

We’ve turned into a society where actual physical contact never need take place.  We can speak all day on a phone that we carry with us … regardless of your location or activity, you can be speaking to someone miles away.  One gentleman obtained a bit of fame when he demonstrated the ability to never leave his house – obtaining everything he needed via the internet.

I must admit a tad bit of weakness for the internet myself… I probably spend far too much time sitting in front of a computer screen.  On the other hand, I deal with people all day long – so a bit of personal time spent working on websites … or having discussions and/or arguments on news forums is probably at least as sane a preoccupation as any other.

Hmmm… come to think of it – my preference for newsgroups rather than ‘chat rooms’ probably has much in common with my distaste for cell phone usage.  A chat room is nothing more than a typed form of cell phone usage – if not quite as intrusive.  A news forum, on the other hand – demands thought and preparation.  You read what someone wrote, and you take your time responding to it – even to the point of looking up material to include.  Chat rooms are far more instantaneous and ‘off the cuff’ form of communications.

What this all boils down to is… don’t bother asking me for my cell phone number…  by the time I get a cell phone – I’ll be able to stop you from calling and bugging me anyway…