h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

i wouldn't call myself an expert its just that i work for one of the biggest network providers in england thats all.. bbfl.

Hi all.

Hope you don't mind if I wade in with my two penn'orth?

I spent the first 21 years of my career in nursing in England. From the late 80's onward the pressure to come in and do extra shifts was constant so I made sure I was difficult to contact.

I have been ex-directory all the time I have lived away from home and intend to remain so.

I now have a job that comes with a mobile phone. It is a work tool and only gets used occasionally. I have set it up to exclude my number from the recipients of my calls.

It's a matter of personal choice, being 'in touch' and I choose only to be as in touch as suits me.

As for the companies getting desparate. I heard a statistic recently saying that the market is saturated. The Co.'s have just shelled out massive amounts of money (at least in Britain) for the G3 (I just typed G£ - how apposite) licences so they need us all to change our phone regularly and they also need to generate a market in which the customer expects to be upgrading their phone for the latest, gadget-festooned model every year at the very least. Otherwise how can they survive?

I'm with GreyDesk in my opinions about mobile ownership. If work hadn't provided it, I would not have one. I have never had the remotest need to live my life as stream-of-consciousness as many mobile owners do! I value my privacy and will defend it.

For bbfl. It is nice to have an 'expert' on the thread even if bbfl does not concider themself to be one. And we are all entitled to our own view, a fact enshrined in the house rules.


Phew!

I'll go now.

turvy

First a question on text messengering. Can anyone actully type worth a darn on a phone? I mean come on the three letters on one key thing is horrible.

My second point, (this may be more a problem in the US) does anyone else get really angry when you see three cell phone stores for the same company with in 4 blocks taking up tons of retail in space (I am in NYC so you it's not cheap) and all they sell are phones the size of a deck of cards? (even though it stopped becoming a question somewhere along the way)

I am convinced that my cell phone bill would 1/4 what is now if they wireless companies did not have the overhead in rent that they do now.

In answer to the original question I think that the companies are desperate to the point of creating things that sound very cool but for all practical purposes suck. I would rather my gets excellent reception when I need instead of it having the useless ability of downloading movie times at a snails pace while the charge me the minute...Coincidence I think not

Jolly Roger - you may be able to answer a question - someone told me that those of you in the USA hadn't taken so much to the customization of Ring Tones - something some UK youth change several times a day.

Is this the case or is it something that you can't class all the US into?

Cheers

CH

Different ring tones are definitely a feature here in the UK. Within a half-hour in this PC centre, I will hear half-a-dozen different ringtones, some of them reasonably current (I think I heard the Harry Potter one earlier today).

My mobile is not particularly new (2 years old) and does what I want it to - is a phone, has basic text messages, is mobile, let's me write my own ring tone (rather than one of the limited options that came with it.) I also own a digital camera and a PDA. It might be nice to have infra-red on my phone so I can dial up with my PDA, but that's the only extra thing I want.

What I am most concerned about with all these new "wonderful" mobile phones - when mine dies, will I be able to replace it with something which *doesn't* have picture message, PDA etc within it?

Æ

I doubt it. You'll just have to not use them.

Hey CH,

I have different ring tones like themes from movies and tv shows. I cannot say that in the US we change them constantly. I can say that the ones that come with the phone are just awful. Again the companies nail you by making you pay to download new tones.

I usually just leave it vibrate I hate when the rings at inappropiate times. Like in the middle of a movie. Although I hear that they are working on cell phone ejection seats in the movie theaters. lol.

Everything dates.

Cars, clothes, mobile phones, recipies, computers.
First it is new and interesting, then just ok, then old and finally fashionably old (retro).

Fashion is a social concept. The mobile phone is a social device - a nexus of social life used in the street. It goes right to the heart of fashion.

The social sense of fashion can bring shame to those whose social conscience requires them to always keep up appearances. This social conscience is born in an idea of a life lived not for oneself, but for a sense of what others think of you.

This is a fearful way to live. That fear is used and enhanced by the makers of mobile phone advertisements.

That is the shame of it.

"cell phone ejection seats in the movie theaters"

...now that is a great idea

Smithers, fetch the cellapult!

Eeeeeeeeeeexcelllllllllent.

I don't think they need ejection seats in cinemas. Too much hassle and all. How about just hiring a sniper?

I found it amazing when I came to Malaysia just how many cell phone shops are here. Most of the malls seem to seriously have a cell phone shop for each other shop. One of them doesn't seem to have any other shops.

Cell phone companies also seem to be the worst with the marketing. Everything is sold on image, but the cell companies seem to be especially bad with claiming you have no identity without a cell phone. It simply defines who you are.

Wampus, I'd start sending your CV to cinemas if I were you. I think there's an opening in the job market...

Cell phone ejection seats in cinemas? Why stop there. Surely just turn them into electric chairs

I'd probably go to the cinema more often, just to see a few yuppies get toasted!