I think Robardin was making that exact point—that we miss the good old days not because they were good, but because they were old. He did it sarcastically, but I suspect the two of you agree.
I fully agree with your post—with one tiny exception. I’m not so sure the OP objected to discretized full-duplex communications. Rather, I suspect the OP was on speakerphone (at either end or both) without realizing it. Most speakerphones (including those on most mobile phones) are inherently half-duplex.
Both of my parents—yes, boomers—have problems with this. They both know that sometimes the other person can’t hear them or they can’t hear the other person, but neither of them connect the phenomenon with speakerphones.
My dad was a TV reporter and producer, but his understanding of the distinction between full- and half-duplex is is nearly as weak as his grasp on the distinction between Newtonian mechanics and general relativity.
Because they don’t fork over a thousand bucks every couple of years to get themselves one of the latest people.
I’m sure the OP goes ballistic when someone tells him to “dial” a number. 
When texting first came out, I thought it was the stupidest idea ever. Why would I want to type something out on my phone and send it to someone? I have a phone right there in my hand! Just call them! Order pizza through the computer?!? Just call them and tell a human being what you want on your pizza! Why go through all of those clicks?
Yeah, those were pretty poor predictions on my part.
Well, until they removed all the pay phones, I almost never needed a phone in my pocket. I first bought one of these gadgets when the tree promised mobile email. That i later upgraded to a device that also made phone calls was just a bonus. I’ve always cared more about email and internet than phone. And i now find text very handy.
Is that a nickname for some company, an autocorrect error, or an admission of insanity?
I see Warren Buffet just upgraded from a flip to a smart phone. Gad! These young kids jumping into every fad that comes along! He’ll probably go broke paying for all the extra charges they’ll tack on his phone bill!
Cell phones used to be called ‘Handies’ in Europe. Not sure if that’s still the case.
My Wife and I have canceled our landline at home. Mostly because it was so unreliable. It would go out for weeks at a time in the winter.
I have put up an antenna on the roof for our cell phones as we live rural. The antenna connects to a signal booster inside. Works pretty we,.
:shrug: things change.
That shit is either boring or paywalled. You should really check out the world’s lies and heresay!
Create a need, then fill it. Smart!
I don’t have live internet on my phone. On rare occasions I will use Wi-Fi but it’s a rubbish cheap phone and most wi-fi around here is terrible, so I don’t do it often. It’s just a phone and podcast ipod for me. I guess it still tracks where I travel to, but yay, hundreds of journeys back and forth to the shops, how useful for the hacker who finds that.
I se the usefulness, I see the burden. It’s whatever you want it to be. Do that with it.
Because they do what they fucking want. Set it to NEVER dim the display, and it will still dim the display when the battery gets low, making it useless to me for slightly longer.
I remember reading an article when cell phones first came out – to be installed in your auto unless you wanted to lug around an attaché-sized case – that mentioned a lot of people would make brag calls (Hey, Rich! Guess were I’m calling from. My car!) until they got their first monthly bill for around $300.
(reads post)
(looks at username again)
OK this checks out. Carry on!
I interviewed for a job with a company, practically still a startup at that point, that would latch onto your smartphone and send targeted advertising while you walked around a store or mall. I’m not sure, but I suspect I didn’t get hired because I mumble something about not wanting to help immanentize the eschaton.
Yours came with a manual? I mean, one that is not all disclaimers? Enter the Now, woman. We Now People don’t need no stinkin’ manuals!
The OP’s mistake is getting a cell phone at all. Life is better without a leash.
Yes, you are only truly free when you do all your communications via carrier pigeon.
There are definitely no excluded middles here. Or there is nothing but excluded middles. Definitely one or the other.
You started it.
Meh, I just expressed the opinion that if the OP is that bothered by his espionage rectangle, he should just just do without it. This could involve carrier pigeons, hitting up the nearest person or business and asking to use their phone, or just waiting until you’re near a landline or can speak in person.
The latter option, of course, being what cool people like me do.