Thread Drift

[Crankin]

So now I will have to get rid of Outlook for my personal email, to get my contacts back. Just because my work got rid of Outlook, Google is assuming lots of things. I had my laptop set up differently before I got this job, so I have options. The contacts are still there (don't know how DH accessed them), but are not showing up in my email. I had to do some emailing for my volunteer work for AMC, which is when I discovered it. This is not a crisis, but just an example of the annoying things that have piled up in the past few weeks.

[emily_in_nc]

Planned Obsolescence.

I watched an amazing video from "The Story of Stuff" a few years ago all about this, and it does make me crazy. Manufactured "needs" and all that. And yet, the "simplification" movement is huge. How is all this crap simplifying our lives?

I used to be the computer guru in our family (Windows not Apple) and helped all my family members with their systems, networks, etc., but now it is all moving past me. I am on Windows 8.1 and have no desire whatsoever to upgrade to Windows 10. I am sure I will at some point because I'll be forced to, but I am not enthusiastic about it. And my stepdad has a wifi printer he can't get machines on his mixed Windows network to "see" and wants my help, and I am so dreading it b/c I have almost no clue about it other than I am good at researching and trying things and being more patient trying different solutions than he is.

Don't even get me started about my Android tablet...very little about it is intuitive to me. Like how the he*l do I copy/paste text? I am so used to Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V on my Windows PCs that it's very hard to train my hands to do otherwise.

Crankin (and others), I share your frustration. I fear this makes us "old dogs".

[Crankin]

Yes, DH sees having all of this stuff (like Nest) as a way to simplify, while I just see it as one more thing to learn. A thing I don't want or need to learn, like algebra! He gets excited about gadgets. Nest will now know when I am heading home and raise/lower the temperature accordingly because it's synched with my I Phone. The test will come one day when I want to shut off the heat and open the windows, or worse, put the AC on.
Funny, my kids are a bit Luddite for their generation.

[emily_in_nc]

Yes, DH sees having all of this stuff (like Nest) as a way to simplify, while I just see it as one more thing to learn. A thing I don't want or need to learn, like algebra! He gets excited about gadgets. Nest will now know when I am heading home and raise/lower the temperature accordingly because it's synched with my I Phone. The test will come one day when I want to shut off the heat and open the windows, or worse, put the AC on.
Funny, my kids are a bit Luddite for their generation.

I wouldn't have even known what you were talking about w/ "Nest" except that we happened to be in Home Depot and Lowe's this week buying stuff for the RV, and I saw it there. Otherwise, I've been so out of the loop on the latest in home improvements for the past few years while we've been traveling and living in foreign countries. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

Talk about Luddites, we don't even have Smartphones, only dumb little flip phones to make calls on. I take photos with a digital camera and use my Asus Transformerbook (laptop/tablet hybrid, Windows 8.1) for the internet. I do have the Android tablet as well, but it's an old one (Galaxy Tab 2) and very lightly used. I mainly want to use it for reading e-books and have the Kindle app, but I'm confounded now because the silly Axis 360 app that I am required to use by the library I'm a member of says I already have it registered on six devices (not so, only three; I don't even own six devices), so it won't let me me open a book. (I have submitted a question to them about this but have not received a response yet, hoping Easter weekend has something to do with that....)

SMH...

[shootingstar]

I work for govn't and was disturbed that they decided to make a service only electronic for citizens to log in and submit some info. It pisses me off when at work, some tech evangelist is touting electronic only.

I've had and use my home computer for past 20 years and have gone through 3 computers. My career entails working heavily content management and group training.

What is disturbing that all of us will be required to use technology as the only way to deal with govn't in terms of submitting info. and the cost of technology /changes in use goes up, not down. THis is the last thing we should have to worry about in the last 2 decades or last decade of life.

My partner bought an iPhone a month ago because he was requested to for his subcontract job. I haven't got one yet..there's no point as long as we can Skype one another daily. So I still enjoy using by digital pocket camera (I'm onto my 3rd one since they don't make them last beyond 3-4 yrs. I do take thousands of photos.)

I just blog and that's enough in addition to email for me.

It amuses me when I read about people unplugging for vacation, etc. I'm happy just checking email once a day when I'm on vacation.That's all that's necessary.

[Crankin]

Well, given my dad was not able to learn to use a computer (the mouse confounded him), I think Shooting Star's point is well taken. I have a client, just a few years younger than me, who is a true Luddite, mostly because she has lived a sheltered life in one small town, and done the type of work that did not require any tech skills. She has been increasingly frustrated by things you can only do on-line, including signing up for Mass Health and other government things.
On another note, we got a call last night that my exchange student son and his wife had a baby boy early Saturday morning! They are all fine, we heard the baby cry over the phone (we were in the car), but she had a difficult time, ending up in a c section. So happy for them and waiting for pictures.

[smilingcat]

You might want to remind the techies that NO COUNTRY in the world is 100% wired! Not even in France where ISP is the government.

Older people are left behind in the fast pace world of tech. I'm not that old and have no interest in Pininterest, facebook, twitter, or what ever else that may be around. Just don't have idle time. And surprise not everyone owns a computer or know how to use them. Someone suggested to go to a library to use the free computer. Not everyone even in the gen-X know how to use it.

ANOTHER BETTER REASON: Every time someone in government suggest go 100% digital, I remind them what about those below the poverty line. They are deciding whether to heat the house in the winter time, buy warm clothing or food. THEY DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF OWNING A COMPUTER AND SOMETIMES NOT EVEN A CELL PHONE!! Let these techies survive for a month or two on the wages of those in poverty and see when they will ditch their computers and cell phones.

Things like this makes me angry. Forgetting about those who are less fortunate, those in poverty etc.

[shootingstar]

My partner retired about 15 yrs. ago in his late 50's. He has gone through 3 computers - 1 desktop, 1 laptop and now iPad. This is not even his iPhone and yea, he has a 5 yr. old Garmin ..which is now, god-send for this contract job of his for required GIS information.

It's pretty scary in terms of high tech investments..in ADDITION to health care costs..which by the way, even Canada's public health care system doesn't cover 100% (it never did). ie. dental, specialized drugs needed for many years, etc.

We have in our municipality some low income discounted municipal services after an application review (based on income, etc.) ie. transit, recreational services...but nowhere is there non computer information submission.

For me to breathe poverty in my workplace..I would be viewed as a renegade, Luddite (which already I don't want ageism working against me at this time in my career).. I'm not in a decision-making, management role at work. Already some people at work, know that I don't have a cellphone. HOnest, I keep this fact low-key.

Dumb as it may seem, it is small reason why I do blog outside of work....just 1 signal that I DO use social media and do interact with others. I do blog for more meaningful personal reasons which I won't bore people here on TE forum.

I wish I could retire and not play these little games to maintain my "progressive" shiny façade to the working world, in my line of work. But that is reality of remaining job relevant to a major employer.