Comments on: Mobiles http://virtualstoa.net/2007/03/19/mobiles/ Chris Brooke's Weblog Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:36:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Jim Bliss http://virtualstoa.net/2007/03/19/mobiles/#comment-62362 Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:03:15 +0000 http://virtualstoa.net/2007/03/19/mobiles/#comment-62362 I've had a mobile phone since receiving one as a Christmas gift (in 2005). It came with €50 of "free" credit. A year and a quarter later and I have yet to "top it up" (in the parlance of our times). That said, I've no objection to having it. It's switched off and pretty much forgotten at the bottom of my rucksack. But it's come in very useful on the three occasions I've used it (twice phoning for cabs after missing the last bus and once sending a text message to someone to explain that I was going to be late for our appointment). Only a handful of people have the number, and they all know that it's rarely switched on. So it's not been an intrusion. I’ve had a mobile phone since receiving one as a Christmas gift (in 2005). It came with €50 of “free” credit. A year and a quarter later and I have yet to “top it up” (in the parlance of our times).

That said, I’ve no objection to having it. It’s switched off and pretty much forgotten at the bottom of my rucksack. But it’s come in very useful on the three occasions I’ve used it (twice phoning for cabs after missing the last bus and once sending a text message to someone to explain that I was going to be late for our appointment).

Only a handful of people have the number, and they all know that it’s rarely switched on. So it’s not been an intrusion.

]]> by: Debs http://virtualstoa.net/2007/03/19/mobiles/#comment-50166 Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:59:34 +0000 http://virtualstoa.net/2007/03/19/mobiles/#comment-50166 Atop an ivory tower perhaps? Just winding you up, I'm actually full of admiration. One does sometimes get the sense that communication is far too easy these days. Atop an ivory tower perhaps?

Just winding you up, I’m actually full of admiration. One does sometimes get the sense that communication is far too easy these days.

]]> by: Chris Brooke http://virtualstoa.net/2007/03/19/mobiles/#comment-49517 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 23:06:04 +0000 http://virtualstoa.net/2007/03/19/mobiles/#comment-49517 Josh: So the telephone in the 1950s was what email became in the 1990s... Debs: a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stylites" rel="nofollow">stylite</a>? Josh: So the telephone in the 1950s was what email became in the 1990s…

Debs: a stylite?

]]> by: Debs http://virtualstoa.net/2007/03/19/mobiles/#comment-49505 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 18:33:01 +0000 http://virtualstoa.net/2007/03/19/mobiles/#comment-49505 hermit! hermit!

]]> by: josh http://virtualstoa.net/2007/03/19/mobiles/#comment-49501 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 18:07:27 +0000 http://virtualstoa.net/2007/03/19/mobiles/#comment-49501 This reminds me, somehow, of the story of how in the 1950s Isaiah Berlin fought an epic battle to get All Souls to install a private phone line installed in his room -- and then, once this was accomplished, tried to de-activate it, because he was receiving too many calls, and not getting any work done. This reminds me, somehow, of the story of how in the 1950s Isaiah Berlin fought an epic battle to get All Souls to install a private phone line installed in his room — and then, once this was accomplished, tried to de-activate it, because he was receiving too many calls, and not getting any work done.

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