Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME If I lost my (Android) smartphone today, I would pay a premium price to replace it. I've become pretty reliant on my phone - I use it to take notes, keep to-do lists and maintain my calendar in addition to the normal email/internet/calling activities. Prior to owning a smartphone, it was actually a pretty big problem for me - I was always forgetting stuff and never knew when events were coming up. This is better for me. I could definitely live without it, though. I am under no illusions about it being a necessity - it is only a convenience. A damn nice convenience, but in the end, it's a luxury expense that I could do without if I needed to. My chief frustration with peoples' addiction to smartphones lies in the antisocial/rude behaviors that they develop. Look, I like my phone, too. Sometimes I have to use it in a public place. If I need to do that, though, I step to the side and make sure I'm not in the way. This whole walking-while-staring-at-your-phone thing (or obliviously standing in the way) drives me batty and I want to go around slapping peoples' phones out of their hands. Similarly, using the phone while engaged in conversation is obnoxious - I can forgive a quick occasional peek, because I understand that sometimes it might be something important, but if you're distractedly typing or reading during a conversation, I will be tempted to send your phone out the nearest window. Also, thus far I have been successful at breaking my coworkers and bosses of the idea that owning a smartphone means I will stay in touch with work at all hours. Eventually, though, I'm sure I will end up working for a boss that expects it.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME Focus: No smart phone and I'm not that attached to it, I leave it at home frequently (usually by accident, but I never turn around for it). I have an ipod touch which is just an iphone with no calling features and honestly I don't see the appeal of doing my social networking on it. Maybe because I'm at a desk all day and get my fill on the PC, but I hate typing on it and I'm not a fan of the way it looks on there, especially e-mail. Alt Focus: Honestly, despite never having one I think it is warranted. For many people that is the portal to all of their communication, I'm a laggard that still prefers to do everything on computer but you take my internet away for a day and I'll be bullshit.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME I thought I bricked my iPhone yesterday. It was acting up, so I powered it down, waited a minute, and turned it back on. The apple logo came up.... Still there.... Still there.... 35 minutes later, it finally booted all the way up. That was the worst 35 minutes in recent memory. Good thing I was slammed at work, or I might have been crying.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME Focus: Last year my phone was stolen and I used a very basic phone from January until June when I was eligible for an upgrade. It was fine for the most part. I primarily use my phone for texting, but since I got my new phone I've begun to utilize its features a lot more: uploading photos, checking in on fantasy football, checking sports scores, checking movie times, etc. I feel that I could go back to a rather basic phone if I had to, but only for a while. I would definitely have to have SOME kind of phone though. I don't believe I could make it using just landlines and the occasional pay phone (which is less common than visiting the blacksmith nowadays). Alt Focus: I agree with the antisocial behavior that smartphones encourage. You see plenty of groups of people at a bar of restaurant, all staring at their phones, particularly in DC. My biggest complaint is the effect on dating though. First, it seems like text messages have supplanted actually dialing up someone and asking them out. Now granted, I HATE talking on the phone, but a text message seems so impersonal. And yet, some people (both men and women) feel that making an actual call seems too forward these days. Sigh. These are probably the same people who wind up getting shocked because their sig. other dumps them via text as well. Next, honestly my biggest peeve now is when I am on a date and a girl and she keeps texting or messing around on her phone. It just makes them look so unattractive. Yes, I am incredibly boring, but please give me the common courtesy of not tuning me out right to my face. You need to communicate or do something with it, excuse yourself for a moment. Don't just whip it out and leave me out in the cold like that.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME I just made the switch to a "smart phone" last year and I have to have it. Just this morning I realized I left my BB at home and spent 20 minutes pulling an illegal U turn to go back and get it. I would have been late to work if necessary. Like most people, my phone is my only point of contact with friends/family/work and I don't feel comfortable without it. Exception: I generally shut if off if I'm out drinking heavily with friends, nothing good is coming out of me texting or replying to emails drunk. I have a two beer rule for anything work related.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME I'm likely one of few people here who have two smart phones; one is my work phone that I use strictly for work purposes and one is my personal phone. I don't pay for the work phone and my personal phone bill is only 15 bucks a months through a corporate discount (equivalent of a 90/month normal fee); so, I'm not out much money for something that allows me to split my work/personal lives contact point. That said, I didn't even notice that BBM was out of service until you pointed it out, that's how reliant I am on it's services. I have a Blackberry for work and an iPhone for personal. If either of them went out, it's not a problem for me. If I cannot use my phone, I'll go old school and worry about it when I get home (fuck it; if it's important, they'll call me back later or I'll get my emails on my computer). It's ironic that the more I'm connected to everything and everyone, the less I use it; my data usage has likely gone down in the last six months. It really ganks my goat when people use their phone while I'm talking too them. If you're waiting on an important call or message, then that's cool; excuse yourself so you can deal with it and come back when you're good. If I'm talking to you and you suddenly pull out your phone like it's your life line and completely ignore me, then we've got a problem. I've always set a rule for myself that I won't let my phone (unless it's a call) distract me from what I am doing. My GF goes nuts sometimes, when I get a couple text messages while I'm at her place; I usually ignore them until she gives me a subtle hint to check them; otherwise, they might sit for a couple hours.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME I have a sidekick style phone I got for free on my plan 3 or so years ago when I switched to Verizon. It now doesn't hold a charge well. I can't get a free upgrade until December. My Aunt got me my first Motorola brick in 2003. Until switching plans I went from used phone to used phone, switching sim cards along the way. Ive never had internet or 3G on my phones. Just never put too much into whole cell phone thing.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME Focus: While I like my phone (Android) very much and, for the most part, use it as a laptop replacement, I could definitely live without it. Everything I use it for could easily be replaced by accessing a computer every now and then and keeping a pen and notepad in my pocket. While I love that it's given me the ability to carry my computer in my pocket and get to anything I need at anytime, it also allows people to reach me in numerous ways any time they need to--which can sometimes be a huge pain in the ass. However, I just opened an account with Chuck Schwab and I'll be able to remotely deposit checks by taking a front/back picture with my phone. So I guess that's a big asterisk for my above statement. Alt. Focus: I have to agree with how annoying it is that people are so utterly dependent on text messages, to the point where they opt against making a phone call. My girlfriend does this and it drives me nuts. Case in point: We're supposed to meet up with her friends for some drinks, but haven't decided when or where yet. Rather than call them and figure everything out in 30 seconds and be done, she prefers to go on a 45 minute text adventure while I'm sitting there, ready to leave. On the radio the other day, they had this caller survey where they asked if people would rather give up their iPhone or their significant other. Either an alarming number of women have a terrible taste in men, or they've really utilized the vibration setting on the phone (or both), because roughly 85% of the female callers opted to keep the iPhone and ditch the guy. Retarded.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME I got a new phone 2 1/2 years ago when my wife and I went to the same account. It was only my 3rd cell phone in my life. When I went to the Verizon store, the conversation went as such: Verizon Dude: So what are you looking for in a phone? Me: A phone VD: Yes, but what features do you want? Me: I want a phone. VD: (confused) Yes, I understand that, but do you want 3G (or however many Gs it was back then), internet access, camera phone . . . Which features are you looking for? Me: I want a fucking phone. I want do punch 10 numbers and talk to someone. I would also like it not to break. That is all. Can you help me with that? Needless to say, I find people with their noses buried in their phones extremely annoying.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME I don't know what my phone is, but it's Motorola and I've had it since 2007. It just started to lose its charge after 24 hours. With the exception of my father who gives even less of a shit about having an awesome phone, I am the only person in my family who does not have a smartphone. My phone doesn't accept picture texts, I can't download any new ringtones, and texting one sentence takes five minutes. I see these all as positives, because people don't expect much from me when they try to get in touch with me through my cell. Although, that might also be because I am constantly leaving the house without my cellphone. I could care less if people NEED to talk to me immediately.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME I could easily live without my phone. I was a late entry to the cell phone world to begin with. It's main service is to play my pandora radio while driving/exercising. Otherwise, I use it mostly for calls and emails. My last phone crapped out a few months ago and they sent me an "upgrade" for free. I was pissed as hell when I discovered that it didn't have a LED indicator for messages. Basically, if I miss the original notification then the phone will never notify me again. I tried apps to circumvent this problem but in the end I just couldn't give a shit anymore. That missing feature has basically set me free from always glancing at the phone to see if a new message has arrived.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME I'm on a blackberry, having already sampled the iPhone 3g and Samsung Galaxy S Captivate. I've found the Berry to have the most reliable software device-side, which is completely nulled out by the service going down like this. I also really missed having a keyboard Today has proven that I don't know if things are happening if I don't get my phone notification. Actually meaningfully checking my email, twitter, or facebook has stopped in lieu of waiting for a device notification.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME I am super curmudgeony about smart phones. I have one of those LG phones with the slide out keyboard, and if it just worked a little better I would be perfectly happy with it. What I most want that I don't have but a Smartphone would give me are maps/the ability to get directions, but I got an iPod Touch earlier this year, and if I load the map of the area I'll be in before I leave, it works fine. Sure, sometimes I wish I could Google something or check my email RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE, and I like how they look better, but for the most part I consider the Smartphone mania to be really overrated. I'm on my computer all day long when I'm at home. When I leave the house I find it's a relief to not be sitting around, looking at the internet. I don't want to be connected to it all day, every day. I can find other ways to entertain myself during my commutes and downtime when I'm out. And I'm another one for hating how prevalent they are in my social life. It is so fucking obnoxious to be talking to someone while they're looking down in the lap at their phone the whole damn time. And I just think it's ridiculous that I'll be out and see a group of friends who are supposed to be hanging out together and they're all separately looking at their phones, barely talking. Now get off my lawn.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME I've met a few people like this and I just don't get it. What annoys you about it? I'd think people sitting quietly is the LEAST annoying thing ever. Focus: I've had a smartphone for about a year now. I love it, especially during longer trips, but I could live without it if need be. There's nothing it can do that is absolutely crucial to me, but the conveniences it adds are astounding. Aside from the usual stuff, the camera and microphone help immensely in classes (recording lectures, taking blackboard photos), I'm much more organized thanks to all the alarm/calendar/email/etc features and the damned thing also doubles as a remote for my PC, TV and media player. I'm actually planning on getting some of those network capable power sockets so I can turn shit on and off from my phone, just because I can.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME Fuck a smartphone. It's been 9 months since I dumped my old Razr for a newer LG model (touchscreen + slide out keyboard). I really can't justify a data plan, since I own a laptop if I want to surf the web. My current model does voice recording, has a decent camera, the touch interface is well thought out, and it cost like $10.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME For me, it depends on situation, if you're sitting around and not talking, go for it. If you're out to dinner with friends who are having a conversation and you are playing angry birds it's annoying. I also get annoyed if I'm talking to someone, they get a text or e-mail and pull out the phone in the middle of the conversation just to read it. Now if you're waiting to hear back from something important I understand, otherwise you can wait thirty fucking seconds.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME Could I live without my phone? I would love to be able to not have my phone. I hate it. It's a constatnt nuisance and now I have no exuse for when I'm flat out ignoring people. They know I have it and I'm just being a dick, and there's really no plausible reason for me to not get back to them in timely fashion, other then I just don't want to.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME It's fucking annoying as hell when you're trying to carry out any type of social interaction with them. When you try to ask them a question and they're too busy checking facebook that they either don't know you're talking to them or they give you the "just a second" finger, it warrants a slap upside the head. That's what's annoying.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME I've got an Android Nexus One. I would murder transients if I didn't have a smartphone. Due to my job, I need to be connected to my email all the time. Plus, being able to read everything the internet has to offer while you're taking a dump is the greatest thing ever.
Re: My BBM is down, WHAT THE FUCKKK. I'm staying HOME I have a blackberry and because verizon coverage extends to every lake and hunting area I frequent it has made made outdoor pursuits more frequent as I am able to take care of business while out and about. (they need to put a few towers in the pacific and I will have it made) I am very dependent on my blackberry and feel unsettled and anxious if I am ever without it, it is my office when I am not in my office and I would not do well if I was not to have it.