# Who's the most technologically primitive doper? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596 "2005-05-12T20:04:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/1 "2005-05-12T20:04:27Z")
- I don’t have a cell phone. - I don’t have a pager. - I don’t have an iPod. - I don’t have a PDA. - I don’t have an MP3 player. - I don’t have a laptop computer. - Our home PC is on a 56K dialup modem. - We don’t have cable or satellite TV. Top that! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/2 "2005-05-12T20:28:55Z")
I never _use_ my cellphone – otherwise I’m right there with you. Didn’t get a CD player till '88 – does that make up for owning the cellphone? ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/3 "2005-05-12T20:35:51Z")
I don’t have a landline, a pager. an iPod. a PDA. an MP3 player. or a laptop computer. Also, I don’t have a dishwasher I don’t have a microwave I don’t have an electric can opener I don’t have an automatic garage door opener I don’t have an air conditioner I don’t have power locks or windows in my car And I like it that way, dammit! Well, except maybe the air conditioner one. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/4 "2005-05-12T20:41:05Z")
Wow. And I thought I was a luddite. Any of you have a DVD player or a stereo VCR? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/5 "2005-05-12T20:47:39Z")
I heated my house with wood and passive solar for about 10 years until a couple of years ago. And I live in a very cold climate. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/6 "2005-05-12T20:54:45Z")
No A/C in home or car; no power anything in the car. No DVD player. (Sorry – thought that was on the original list.) Microwave yes – dishwasher no. The last is a matter of economics rather than a moral stance, however. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/7 "2005-05-12T21:01:18Z")
Of the things on your list, I also have none of them, with the exception of cable - we graduated to cable internet three years ago, and we have cable TV, but hardly ever watch it. We do have three stereo VCRs and one DVD player, though. No electric can or garage door opener. Didn’t have a CD player until 1994, but I did have some CDs starting in 1989. It was nice to finally hear them! ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/8 "2005-05-12T21:08:52Z")
I don’t have any of the stuff that any of you mentioned (except the microwave). I also don’t have a dryer - I hang all our clothes out on a clothesline. We have two little cheap space heaters when it gets cold in the winter. No vcr, dvd…and no television remote control. ---
**Author:** ![Boldface\_Type](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@Boldface\_Type](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boldface_Type)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/9 "2005-05-12T21:48:35Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > - I don’t have a cell phone. > - I don’t have a pager. > - I don’t have an iPod. > - I don’t have a PDA. > - I don’t have an MP3 player. > - I don’t have a laptop computer. > - Our home PC is on a 56K dialup modem. > - We don’t have cable or satellite TV. > > Top that! 😛 I don’t have any of those things, plus: - I don’t have a TV at all. - My car has no power steering and no AC. - No dishwasher. (But this is a bit of a misrepresentation, 'cause I have many electrickery gadgets, just not the same ones most other people choose). ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/10 "2005-05-12T22:07:57Z")
> [@Boldface Type](#): > > I don’t have any of those things, plus: > > - I don’t have a TV at all. > - My car has no power steering and no AC. > - No dishwasher. Yes, you topped me. I’m not worthy! [bows to **Boldface Type**] ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/11 "2005-05-12T22:27:32Z")
Well, I still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/12 "2005-05-13T00:40:45Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > - I don’t have a cell phone. > - I don’t have a pager. > - I don’t have an iPod. > - I don’t have a PDA. > - I don’t have an MP3 player. > - I don’t have a laptop computer. > - Our home PC is on a 56K dialup modem. > - We don’t have cable or satellite TV. > > Top that! 😛 My list is your list, I’m sad to say except that my son bought me an MP3 player that also plays CDs but I only use it to play CDs so we can’t count that. People are aghast that our TV only gets 4 channels (fringe reception area.) I sometimes refer to our home as Green Acres. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/13 "2005-05-13T03:09:52Z")
:eek: at all of you. I don’t place much importance on material things, but I need my gadgetry. This house has [ul][li]3 TVs with cable (one has a TiVo, surround sound, and a DVD player; the other just a DVD player)[_]3 desktop PCs (one very well-outfitted) and an iBook, connected to a wireless network and broadband[_]an iPAQ (a PDA), also with wireless networking[_]an MP3 player[_]2 cells (no landlines; and one of the cells has unlimited anytime / anywhere Internet access for use by itself or with the iPAQ)1 dishwasher, 2 fridges, 1 microwave, washer and dryer[/ul][/li]And the crazy thing is, I would’ve said “I don’t have much” if I’d been asked. Never listed all that crap before. However, my only CD player is in the car – but to make up for that, it also plays MP3s and Windows Media from CDs and has a color screen. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/14 "2005-05-13T03:36:59Z")
My computer is coal fired. My telephone is a can with a string tied to it. My modem is homing pigeon (fleet of them, actually) that flies in all my posts. I don’t even have opposable thumbs. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/15 "2005-05-13T03:55:02Z")
> [@Boldface Type](#): > > I don’t have any of those things, plus: > > - I don’t have a TV at all. > - My car has no power steering and no AC. > - No dishwasher. Oh yeah? Well, I don’t have a TV or dishwasher either, but I gotcha beat. _I don’t have a car!_ I also have the same stereo I got when I was thirteen, uh, thirteen years ago. I have a CD walkman, but not an iPod. I have a…toaster. Oh yeah, and a blender. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/16 "2005-05-13T03:56:45Z")
Okay, well, in the interest of full disclosure, I do have a cell phone, a landline, and a DSL connection. ---
**Author:** ![Dinaroozie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/17 "2005-05-13T04:02:57Z")
> [@](#): > > From **Crafter\_Man** > > - I don’t have a cell phone. > - I don’t have a pager. > - I don’t have an iPod. > - I don’t have a PDA. > - I don’t have an MP3 player. > - I don’t have a laptop computer. > - Our home PC is on a 56K dialup modem. > - We don’t have cable or satellite TV. > > Top that! 😛 Hrm… I feel I’m about to misrepresent myself, but here goes: That list describes me entirely. I also have never owned a stereo of any kind, or a car, or a digital camera. Nor do I own a microwave or a dishwasher. Also, I have a TV, but it doesn’t actually have an aerial of any kind plugged into it right now, much less cable or satellite TV. I think I’m in a similar situation to **Boldface Type** , though, in that I do own lots of techy stuff - I own an unreasonable amount of gaming hardware and games, for example. Also, I’m in the honours year of a computer science degree, so I can’t really claim to be a total luddite. Actually, I just read **belladonna** ’s post, and I have this to say in all seriousness: I didn’t know they had electric can openers. :o ~ Isaac ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/18 "2005-05-13T04:38:21Z")
Of **Crafter Man’s** original list, I have the cell phone, no longer use the pager-just sold it on eBay, in fact. Otherwise Casa d’ Cats is fairly primitive. Microwave is an ancient GE the size of a portable TV. There’s no cable TV on the pole to have. Well for water, LP tank for gas, 38K is a good connection, stereo is a Lafayette Quadrophonic receiver along with a belt-drive turntable and a reel-to-reel. The Catmobile is just getting good and broken in at 394K miles. Some of you have me beat, though. ---
**Author:** ![TastesLikeBurning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TastesLikeBurning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TastesLikeBurning)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/19 "2005-05-13T05:59:34Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > My computer is coal fired. > > My telephone is a can with a string tied to it. > > My modem is homing pigeon (fleet of them, actually) that flies in all my posts. > > I don’t even have opposable thumbs. I had to chisel this post onto a stone tablet, which was then carried by mule to a friend who got it to the point where you are now able to read it. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596/20 "2005-05-13T12:10:21Z")
> [@TastesLikeBurning](#): > > I had to chisel this post onto a stone tablet, which was then carried by mule to a friend who got it to the point where you are now able to read it. You have _iron tools?_ I just daub on the walls of my cave with charcoal, and the occasional team of French anthropologists relay it to the outside world for me {I think Yvette wants to get into my loincloth: she keeps muttering about _tres gros sauvage_} [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-technologically-primitive-doper/303596.md?page=2)