Posted: 5/13/2015 10:55:29 PM EDT
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Anyone who experienced the turn of the millennium (2000) as a teen or adult was privileged to experience a monumental societal transition. That was the mainstream introduction and use of both the cell phone and the internet. Both appeared on the scene at roughly the same time (late 80's / early 90's) but at the time of their introduction were more of a novelty than the necessity they have become. It wasn't until the late 90's / early 2000's that they really established themselves into society and started to become common and mainstream. They are now entrenched in people's lives and it's almost difficult to imagine life without them, though those of us who lived it, know what it was like both before and after.
My question is this. To those of you who have lived through the transition, WHICH of these two technological marvels do you think is / was more important to you? If you could only choose one and had to give up the other. And I'm talking CELL phones, not smart phones that are basically computers with internet themselves. IF you had to choose between keeping internet (PC based no wifi) and a basic NON smart cell phone with txting (and I'll even throw in camera / picture capability for good measure), which would it be and why? I think for me, I would have to choose internet over the cell phone. As important and convenient as cell phones are, the internet is even more so IMHO. In fact, I had internet for quite a while before I even got my first cell phone (got internet in the late 90s and my first cell around 05). Cell phones are definitely a major convenience item, though. In the pre cell phone world, their most pressing utility that I remember hearing at the time was the ability to keep one in your car in case you broke down. However, nowadays, most people would panic if they even left their house without one. Who remembers having to try to reach people when both you and them happened to both be at home? ...and then having to set plans ahead of time at a certain locale at a certain date and time? Plans could not be fluid like they are now. If someone didn't show up for whatever reason, speculation would fly, and it would be a debate as to whether to wait for the person, or move on, etc. Were they just running late? Did something happen to them? Did they decide to just blow you off? Do you wait, and if so for how long? No one would know, and there was no way to find out. Such was the dynamics of life pre cell phone age. How about having to wait at home because you were "expecting" a call? You didn't want to leave because if you left, you would miss the call (doubly true before voicemail). Memorizing numbers, having to find a landline to call (if you had the number), hoping the person you were calling was there, etc. I would still take internet over the cell phone though! |
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Ironic posting! Quoted:
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Easy choice...internet. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Ironic posting! Quoted:
Internet. I had a pager and payphones were everywhere. Eh, I should have banned pagers too! When did those come out? I remember when very few people, except maybe Doctors, etc even had those! |
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I make VERY few telephone calls. Like 1-2 a month.
I spend anywhere from a couple hours a day to ALL day, every day doing something on-line. Bottom line, when I buy a new "phone" what I am really buying is a pocket computer The fact that it makes phone calls means nothing g to me |
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Jokes on your poll newb, internet and iPad/applicable tablet. Not much larger than most cell phones these days anyway. I find it comical that someone with a join date 5 years later than mine is calling me a newb! Obama '08 panic much? Banned under the "no smart phones no wifi" clause! Dumb phone (mobile) or terminal tethered intenet. |
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I find it comical that someone with a join date 5 years later than mine is calling me a newb! Obama '08 panic much? Banned under the "no smart phones no wifi" clause! Dumb phone (mobile) or terminal tethered intenet. Quoted:
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Jokes on your poll newb, internet and iPad/applicable tablet. Not much larger than most cell phones these days anyway. I find it comical that someone with a join date 5 years later than mine is calling me a newb! Obama '08 panic much? Banned under the "no smart phones no wifi" clause! Dumb phone (mobile) or terminal tethered intenet. If you could take it a little more personally that would be great. 
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I would pick a cell phone. It's really nice to be Crappie fishing during a two hour conference call. ETA: May have missed it in the OP, but am I choosing which one exists or which one I have access to? |
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Cell phone for sure. I work from remote locations (like the oilfield) where I am lucky to have 4G or even 3G service at all some days. I need to be able to call customers and have customers call me so I know what I need to do. I can e-mail them, but a lot of times they would rather just call me. Especially when I am trying to figure out what is wrong so I can bring what I need with. I could live without the internet, even the cell phone, but the cell phone is much more important to me. |
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Quoted: Cell phone for sure. I work from remote locations (like the oilfield) where I am lucky to have 4G or even 3G service at all some days. I need to be able to call customers and have customers call me so I know what I need to do. I can e-mail them, but a lot of times they would rather just call me. Especially when I am trying to figure out what is wrong so I can bring what I need with. I could live without the internet, even the cell phone, but the cell phone is much more important to me. |
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I still remember the days of trying to conduct business without a cell phone but th internet has transformed how business is conducted and how customers find services. I remember conducting business by mail. Snail mail. Internet changed the speed of things and I don't think anybody has a problem with that. What I find amusing is that when a shopper shows up trying to get me to price match something that they have pulled up on the tablet/ipad they are carrying and I tell them I cannot match it. "do you want it now ? " is what I always ask. "YES" is always the answer. " how much is your time worth ? " is always my rebuttal. " but I can get it for THIS MUCH " usually with a flustered look on the face. " well then go get it , let me know when it arrives and if it is exactly what you ordered with no damage" " BRAHHHGGHHHH you fucking salesman asshole, I do all my shopping online, you must match this price !!! " " where do you shop online ? My grocery bill has been getting pretty high and I want to save some money, can you get a good deal on fresh chicken wings ?" " WTF are you talking about ???" " I'm talking about you going to every dealership in town trying to save 87 cents on a 30 thousand dollar vehicle that you have never seen anything but an online brochure and you have no intentions of buying until your price demands are met. Then you get into the vehicle and drive it and say you don't like it. Go buy your Disneyland fantasy from Disneyland. We are not Disneyland, neither is the internet and you should research more. " 
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Quoted: The internet has much more effect on your life than your email or looking at arfcom Quoted: Quoted: Cell phone for sure. I work from remote locations (like the oilfield) where I am lucky to have 4G or even 3G service at all some days. I need to be able to call customers and have customers call me so I know what I need to do. I can e-mail them, but a lot of times they would rather just call me. Especially when I am trying to figure out what is wrong so I can bring what I need with. I could live without the internet, even the cell phone, but the cell phone is much more important to me. Oh, I know but I was thinking this was more of a "you get one or the other" not "society gets one or the other". If it was me personally, I'd go with the cell phone. As far as only one being available today, internet for sure. |
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Internet, hands down no question. I have no need to talk on the computer I carry in my pocket.
email and text messages are 90% of what I use it for anyhow. To be honest if everyone had a email box in there pocket and used it that way I would have no need a for a phone. |
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Assuming that I couldn't cheat and have a cellphone without cell service but WiFi and make calls through Tango, etc? I would pick a cell phone. It's really nice to be Crappie fishing during a two hour conference call. ETA: May have missed it in the OP, but am I choosing which one exists or which one I have access to? Which one exists. |
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Eh, I should have banned pagers too! When did those come out? I remember when very few people, except maybe Doctors, etc even had those! Quoted:
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Internet. I had a pager and payphones were everywhere. Eh, I should have banned pagers too! When did those come out? I remember when very few people, except maybe Doctors, etc even had those! 
Not sure when they came out, but holy hell was it a pain in the ass having to keep a pocket full of change. |
