Just the last straw, IMO. Thoreau (of course) saw where it was all heading 150 years ago: "We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate."
>A cell phone is pretty essential for anyone who dates/clubs/etc., in
>any way is into meeting people in that kind of context. The subtle
>art of flirting via text message should not be ignored. :)
Long-married and at the age of 57, I live in a galaxy far, far away.
My formative encounter with cellular tech (at a time I was already middle-aged) was definitely in an Orwellian context, not that of Eros. I.e., years ago I realized my involvement with the corporate world was headed for a rocky road when I made it clear to office associates that I had no intention of getting a cell phone, period. It was like a convict instructing the court: "No thanks, your honor. I see no need for me to wear that electronic ankle bracelet." Rule #1 of New Age business survival -- You Must Be Findable and Ready To Work on a Moment’s Notice Anytime Anywhere, Day or Night.
>Also the camera/video phones that are standard now allow people to
>record events that might otherwise go unreported - like that recent
>event in a library where a student of color was assaulted by
>University Cops.
You got me there. E.g., seeing Michael Richards torch himself was pretty amazing.
BTW, kudos to Jordan Hayes for his eminently wise "cell phone recommendations." Obviously, cellular is here to stay, and these appear to be excellent pointers for minimizing the medium's pain and maximizing its gain.
Carl
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