Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:21:44 -0500
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Technology & Society, or will the landline join the buggy whip?
From: Michael Walsh <walshmichaelj at gmail.com>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Cc: WSFA Official List <wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

On Fri, Dec 28, 2012 at 1:44 PM,  <whitroth at 5-cent.us> wrote:
> Michael Walsh wrote:
>> "The long slow death of the landline"
>>
>> "The CDC reports that more than one third of American homes are now
>> landline-free, with six in ten adults aged under 30 living in
>> households with only wireless phones."
>>
>> http://boingboing.net/2012/12/28/the-long-slow-death-of-the-lan.html
>>
> With any luck, it won't be near gone before I am. I *hate* cell phones.
> Esp. since I'm one of the rapidly decreasing population, apparently, who
> actually MAKE PHONE CALLS and want to TALK TO PEOPLE.
>
> A couple years ago, I heard a report on the current/new crop of cell
> phones. At the end of the `10 or more minute piece, crowing over all the
> Wonderful Features, they said, "and how about voice quality". The respons=
e
> was that one wan't bad, one was mediocre, and the rest were *terrible*.
>
> So the next person who even *thinks* about talking to me about the Wonder=
s
> of their New Phone, unless the first thing you tell me is "voice quality
> is better than landlines 90 years ago", and "you can talk on it without
> entertaining the entire Metro car", I'll tell you that you're paying *way=
*
> too much money for a piece of crap that some PR type told you was k3wl,
> and let's just skip the actual conversation.

Something to ponder:

Matt dug a candy bar out of his pouch, split it and gave half to
Jarman, who accepted it gratefully. 'You're a pal, Matt, I've been
living off of my own fat ever since breakfast =96and that's risky. Say,
your telephone is sounding.'
'Oh!' Matt fumbled in his pouch and got out his phone. 'Hello?'
'That you son?' came his father's voice.
'Yes, dad.'
'Did you get there all right?'
'Sure, I'm about to report in.'
'How's your leg?'
'Leg's all right, Dad.' His answer was not frank; his right leg, fresh
from a corrective operation for a short achilles tendon, was aching as
he spoke.
'That's good. Now see here Matt =96if it should work out that you aren't
selected, don't let it get you down. You call me at once and =96'
'Sure, sure, Dad,' Matt broke in. 'I'll have to sign off =96I'm in a
crowd. Good-bye. Thanks for calling.'
'Good-bye son. Good luck.'
Tex Jarman looked at him understandingly. 'Your folks always worry,
don't they? I fooled mine =96packed my phone in my bag.'

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