Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It seems to me that the ability to live mostly "tech-free" is drawing to a very rapid close. More and more people are assuming that everyone has a Smartphone with various apps, that everyone has Uber service available to them and having a car for individual use is selfish and wasteful, that anyone who does not subscribe to modern urban leftist beliefs is an idiot, and that expecting good service in restaurants is silly and unrealistic. In addition to this, brick and mortar stores are rapidly disappearing or in financial trouble, and Kindles have mostly replaced old-fashioned books -- and now the latest (so far as I know) is that Best Buy will stop selling DVDs because so many people subscribe to a streaming service. CDs (compact discs) are also becoming more obsolete, from what I have read-- but what is funny to me is that I have noticed that vinyl LPs have made a return in popularity.
So, if you do agree that our way of life is going the way of the dinosaur, how much longer do you think those of us who prefer a simple and mostly tech-free environment will be able to resist and refrain from joining the 21st century?
And, yes, I know the above is something of a rant, but -- of course -- feel free to post your own rants!
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,816 posts, read 58,384,592 times
Reputation: 46332
It's tough to live these days (or for past 30 yrs) without decent internet access (which plenty of rural USA does not have).
Two device authentication adds another level of complexity (no cell signal in rural areas)
Those developing software, applications and security must be doing it from systems tied to a network with dependable connectivity, as it doesn't work that way in 'real life' of a typical user.
brick and mortar stores are rapidly disappearing or in financial trouble, and Kindles have mostly replaced old-fashioned books -- and now the latest (so far as I know) is that Best Buy will stop selling DVDs because so many people subscribe to a streaming service. CDs (compact discs) are also becoming more obsolete
I hear you. My sister-in-law voices the same to us We had these discussions with her:
Brick and mortar are going away because stock is lousy and customer service is non-existent.
Also, many have to shop online. I WISH I did not have to rely on the internet for clothing, but stores do not carry things in the inseams and sleeve lengths for tall people anymore.
Libraries, at least in my area, are still going strong, checking out books (and lots of other things). I don't know too many people who have Kindles. That said, DH and I are huge fans os e-books with all their useful features.
When was the last time you were in a Best Buy? DVDs are not selling for them, so of course it makes sense that they stop. Other places still sell them though. We got rid of all our DVDs when we downsized. We tired of watching things for the umpteenth time. Got rid of the player too.
I still have my CDs, but never use them anymore. My 2015 vehicle does not have a CD player, and I use its Sirius XM to play in the house. Amazon Prime has a music option also. Since I already pay for those, it makes no sense to buy CDs.
Digital tickets seem to be a concern for many, myself included. I don't trust 'the system', even though I use it. Server crashes, and no one gets into a show. Poor WiFi and you cannot pull up the tickets... Make sure your phone is charged before you go!... etc.
Paper tickets in hand was simpler, but I guess things will improve with use.
Progress, especially in technology, has been ongoing for centuries. People adapt.
Last edited by Pitt Chick; 10-16-2023 at 07:04 AM..
It seems to me that the ability to live mostly "tech-free" is drawing to a very rapid close. More and more people are assuming that everyone has a Smartphone with various apps, that everyone has Uber service available to them and having a car for individual use is selfish and wasteful, that anyone who does not subscribe to modern urban leftist beliefs is an idiot, and that expecting good service in restaurants is silly and unrealistic. In addition to this, brick and mortar stores are rapidly disappearing or in financial trouble, and Kindles have mostly replaced old-fashioned books -- and now the latest (so far as I know) is that Best Buy will stop selling DVDs because so many people subscribe to a streaming service. CDs (compact discs) are also becoming more obsolete, from what I have read-- but what is funny to me is that I have noticed that vinyl LPs have made a return in popularity.
So, if you do agree that our way of life is going the way of the dinosaur, how much longer do you think those of us who prefer a simple and mostly tech-free environment will be able to resist and refrain from joining the 21st century?
And, yes, I know the above is something of a rant, but -- of course -- feel free to post your own rants!
Who says that having an individual car is selfish and wasteful? I'm sure somebody out there DID say that, but it's certainly not a overwhelmingly popular outlook, given the volume of vehicles on the road and the jacked-up prices of used cars.
Also, I was just in Barnes & Noble a couple of weeks ago. I resolved not to buy anything, and I did very well--walked out only having purchased three books. But there are plenty of books made out of paper with words printed on them, brand new ones being churned out just like always.
It's more like "in addition to", not "instead of". I have a print book, a kindle (on my tablet) book, and an audiobook all in progress right now.
DVDs replaced VHS tapes. Did you get upset when you could no longer use your VHR? And in turn, the VHS tapes made it possible to watch movies at home instead of having to go to a theater and gave access to choices we didn't have before. Streaming is just the next generation of what came before.
I suspect DVDs will still be available through secondhand shops, yard and church and rummage sales, for a long time to come. I still have a DVD player and some DVDs I intend to get around to watching.
By the way, DVDs ARE technology, so you wouldn't be tech-free anyway unless you give up your car, your phone, your TV, the computer you typed this post on...
One of human's best abilities is that of adaptation. If we don't change with the times we will be left behind. There will always be those who live the old-fashioned way, and some of those ways are better, without a doubt, but some of the new ways are better too. It's up to each person to find their own mix of what technologies will improve their lives, and which just make things harder. I'm hoping for the day we all have free access to wifi nation-wide to ensure equal access. Personally, I love some newer technologies and they've enhanced my life immeasurably.
It's tough to live these days (or for past 30 yrs) without decent internet access (which plenty of rural USA does not have).
Two device authentication adds another level of complexity (no cell signal in rural areas)
Those developing software, applications and security must be doing it from systems tied to a network with dependable connectivity, as it doesn't work that way in 'real life' of a typical user.
We're toast.
Ha. I found that out when living in a rural area with only satellite Internet and on the northern side of the US-Canada border besides. To sign onto my credit union required entering a code that they would send to my phone. The problem is that I would not receive the text with the code until the next day, and they wanted you to use it within ten minutes. I had to call the credit union and speak to a human about how I could access my account without doing that.
It seems to me that the ability to live mostly "tech-free" is drawing to a very rapid close. More and more people are assuming that everyone has a Smartphone with various apps, that everyone has Uber service available to them and having a car for individual use is selfish and wasteful, that anyone who does not subscribe to modern urban leftist beliefs is an idiot, and that expecting good service in restaurants is silly and unrealistic. In addition to this, brick and mortar stores are rapidly disappearing or in financial trouble, and Kindles have mostly replaced old-fashioned books -- and now the latest (so far as I know) is that Best Buy will stop selling DVDs because so many people subscribe to a streaming service. CDs (compact discs) are also becoming more obsolete, from what I have read-- but what is funny to me is that I have noticed that vinyl LPs have made a return in popularity.
So, if you do agree that our way of life is going the way of the dinosaur, how much longer do you think those of us who prefer a simple and mostly tech-free environment will be able to resist and refrain from joining the 21st century?
And, yes, I know the above is something of a rant, but -- of course -- feel free to post your own rants!
You can go tech free, but you will lose the conveniences they provide. It's a personal choice.
1. I've heard no one say having a personal car is selfish. If I lived in a big city, Uber would probably make sense and be more cost effective. We just used them on a family trip in a big city. We don't have to worry about having to drive in the wrong side of the road, in rain, at night, and we could have all the cocktails we wanted.
2. Politics. Just no.
3. I've heard no one say that good customer service is not expected. Everyone I know (I just spent a 10 day trip with 30 year olds), and good service is expected if one wants our continued business.
4. Brick and mortar stores are disappearing for a variety of reasons (like bad customer service). I'm rural, so there a trillion things I need that cannot be found locally. Ever tried calling and asking a store if they have something? Sure, I could wait on the phone for 30mins and be given bad information, or I can hand pick a product online and be done in 5 mins.
5. I have never seen a shortage of paper books online, or in stores. That said, I have a kindle because I can have hundreds of books with me at all times, for a lighter/smaller version of a paperback. Plus, I can watch movies, etc.
6. Good news for you, you can go to a thrift store and buy all the CDs you want for less money. Yeah, we stream. Any and all music is a tap away on our phone.
And guess who may go brick and mortar? Netflix.
__________________ ____________________________________________
My posts as a Mod will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS
And check this out: FAQ
Moderator: Relationships Forum / Hawaii Forum / Dogs / Pets / Current Events
Various governments are pilot testing digital money so eventually everyone will have to have a smartphone.
Of course there will be a transition phase and who knows how long that will last.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/curr...es-2023-06-28/
A total of 130 countries representing 98% of the global economy are now exploring digital versions of their currencies, with almost half in advanced development, pilot or launch stages, a closely-followed study shows.
The thing with the DVDs/BluRays is that even if you can find what you like on a streaming service, those services often cycles movies on and off.
Best Buy used to run very good specials on BluRays during Christmas shopping. I'd be a lot - rarely pay full price for them. I have a couple hundred of them, and probably 50 4K discs.
I like being able to pop in whatever old movie I like when I want to watch it.
I'm also this way with video games...to a point. Anything that came out prior to the mid-2000s, I'm fine with playing on my handheld gaming system. Anything newer, and I generally want to have a physical copy of it because I still own the original hardware.
The problem with video games is that digital storefronts for older systems are being taken offline or are unreliable. You could easily have bought something that the system no longer allows you to download.
I'm not that way with CDs. Lugging a bunch of them around is cumbersome. They're prone to scratching. An album is generally an hour or so - often change them on road trips. The phone is better for that.
I'll occasionally buy a physical magazine, but read most of them online. I only read newspaper online - talk about clutter having a lot of them around.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We had these discussions with her:
But there are plenty of books made out of paper with words printed on them, brand new ones being churned out just like always. 