Some time ago, around the first of this year, I wrote about some new technologies I think I could do without. A few examples I mentioned were push-button electronic car ignition switches, car alarms, horns that honk when you click the button to lock your car doors and toothbrushes with motors.
I think I have come across a few more. First, though, I want to say that I am not against all new technologies. Some of them I go for very happily. For example, I like my computer, I like e-mailing, I like my Excel spreadsheet. I like creating websites. I like my credit card, although I have to rein it in from time to time. I like the technologies that make my car almost always start! I like it that my doctor was able to implant stents in my cardiac arteries. I probably wouldn’t be alive today without that.
I like my cell phone. My phone is not “smart,” but itdoes receive calls, and I can call people to talk to them.
Some 70 years ago, the writer for the Dick Tracy newspaper cartoon came up with the idea of outfi tting Dick Tracy and Sam Ketchum with two-way wrist radios. That was the first time I was aware of the idea that eventually evolved into today’s cell phones. For some reason, though, Dick Tracy never thought of putting a camera in his two-way wrist radio!? I wonder why?! Or, I wonder why we in our day dreamed up the idea of putting a camera into the box with our phone? I have a pretty fair digital camera.
I wonder why I need my phone to take pictures?
Our home has one of those phone systems that let you carry your handsetabout, anywhere within a 200 feet range of the base unit. The handset is always getting lost! The handset always needs charging!
My big fingertips don’t fi t the thing’s teeny buttons! I also have in my study one of those old phones with the handset tied to the base by a curly wire. I’ll bet we have young people who never heard of phones like that. That phone never needs charging. When the electric power goes o◊it still works! The headset has never gotten lost! Sometimes I remember those old fashioned 1950s black dial phones, with the handset resting on the cradle.
Those old things worked so well! My fi ngers fi t the holes of the dial wheel.
When it rang, it sounded like a phone, not like a little screechy cricket! OK, yes I do like being able to walk from room to room while talking on our cordless phone! But give me my old hard-wired phone in apower outage.
So, what set me o◊on this spiel? I have these gripes about my cable TV service. First, their prices are high! Second, in order to access channels you want to see, you have to choose these 100 channel tiers, even though you may only be interested in one channel in the whole tier. But my biggest gripe is their advertising. Bundling is all the rage now.
The cable company o◊ers phone service and Internet service and DVR service, and all. So the phone company has to do likewise.
Now the cable provider is o◊ering mobile service for smart phones, so you can watch TV anywhere: while you are having supper with your family, or while you are jogging and falling into holes, or while you are driving down the road with one eye on the roadway, or while your are listening to the people around you with half an ear turned towhat they want to say to you. Somehow I think I can do without that watching TV from anywhere and everywhere! My cable company is always o◊ering exciting promo o◊ers - only $19.99 for six months!
Sign up now! Then, when the promo period expires, THUMP - $200 per month. I’d really rather be able to find out the regular price, not the promo price.
Now, during the past week, they are promoting this new system. It can record six shows at once, and store one thousand! Wow! Do I need that?
Oh, wait! This new system individualizes your show selection! It gets to know you! It knows what you like and what you want, and it o◊ers you more stu◊like you have watched before!
In the background of the TV ad, you hear this guy yelling out - “It Knows Me! It Knows Me!” and everybody seems to berejoicing! Whoa! Whoa!
What’s wrong with me? I don’t think I like the idea of my TV provider saving a record of the stu◊I watch, and giving me lists of more stu◊he thinks is what I like! What gives with all this private information recording these days?
Some months ago, I bought from Amazon.
com a book on plowless farming. Since then, I have received no telling how many ads for other books about farming. I’m thinking - people, I wanted that one book. I ordered the one book that I wanted. That was the one and only book that I want from you now!
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Editor’s note: Jerry Nichols, a native of Pea Ridge, is an award-winning columnist, a retired Methodist minister with a passion for history. He is vice president of the Pea Ridge Historical Society. He can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected], or call 621-1621.
Community, Pages 5 on 11/06/2013