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I have. A long time ago. The smartphone let me move to a virtual bank. Haven't been inside a bank (or a bank drive-thru) in a decade.
Who has gone full digital?
- Thread starter F4phantom
- Start date
Bozz10mm
US Veteran
Bought an LG smart phone from Amazon for $49. Tracfone service for 1000 minutes voice and data and texts costs $15 a month. They have unlimited talk, text, and data for about $30 a month. Why would anyone pay more?
I still have a land line and DSL internet, but it is costing me a fortune.
I still have a land line and DSL internet, but it is costing me a fortune.
Jon651
Member
The only reason why we have a landline in the house is because it came with our cable-internet-home phone bundle and it was actually cheaper to get it than not. Since the home phone has voicemail included, I got rid of our home answering machine several years ago.
Other than that we are completely digital - smart phones, tablets, wi-fi throughout the house via a MoCa network, digital cable TV, and five Amazon Echoes. I have a storage unit attached to my router where I keep movies and important files, and our laser printer is on the network so we can print from almost any device. I even read books on a Kindle. Nothing we have is the most recent generation, but I have taken care to ensure that everything works together well.
Other than that we are completely digital - smart phones, tablets, wi-fi throughout the house via a MoCa network, digital cable TV, and five Amazon Echoes. I have a storage unit attached to my router where I keep movies and important files, and our laser printer is on the network so we can print from almost any device. I even read books on a Kindle. Nothing we have is the most recent generation, but I have taken care to ensure that everything works together well.
Jon651
Member
Sorry but that info is out-of-date as well. The process you describe is simply accessing the phone companies number/address database and dates back to the 1980s. A modern 911 call center has about a half-dozen ways to determine your location that don't include using a landline. With most cellphones, they can determine your location using any combination of cellular network, wi-fi network, GPS, and even Bluetooth connections to other internet connected devices.
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Jason Demond
Member
What does full digital even mean?
Are we talking just phones, computers, tablets, and media?
I have a modern smart phone, and no house phone. I use a second phone for internet. I listen to music via MP3, streaming, but yet I still buy cds now and again. I will stream videos, but the stuff I like, I buy on disc. Same with gaming. I have the capacity to play digital downloaded games, yet I want hard copy media on hand.
Around 2008 or 2009 I found a couple bikers down at 2:30AM on US1 on my way home from work.
All I had was a flip phone, there wasn't any landmarks by me to give them directions. A minute later she said she found me, and sent the people out to help.
I've always had a land line.
I've heard you can dial 911 on an old flip or smart phone even if it doesn't have a sim card in it.
Never tried it to see.
Never tried it to see.
BLACKHAWKNJ
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I went to a flip phone after 3 failed service calls to get my landline fixed-wrong address, junction box inaccessible, a no show.
I find it hilarious that people are worried about the government listening in on their cell phone conversations so they use a land line. Government can listen in on land lines easier than cell phones and no need of a bug. Land lines go through a central router that can be monitored just like a cell. As my one buddy says "Think about it"
Tracking. Tracking only tells the world where my phone is. Not me. I can leave my cell phone at home just like I used to leave my landline. Or I could simply stick my phone in a cheap Faraday bag (2 for $10 on Ebay) and no signal in or out possible.
Here is another thing. The average person now spends over 3 hours a day on a cellular device. Unbelievable. I know. Lets say that is true for just 160 million in the US. That is 480 million hours to monitor per day. Suppose the artificial "intelligence" weeds out 99.9% that leaves 480,000 hours per day for humans to check. If each said government employed human does an actual 6 hours a day (LOL) that means you would need 71,000 humans every day. With with Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and vacation time lets make it at least 100,000 people for them to begin any amount of real eves dropping on phones. Now lets add in all the computer time and probably near double those numbers. Just .01% of calls drops it to a more possible 10,000 people. Then the odds of them actually listening to you cal are still 1 in 10,000. Are you really of that much interest??
Story. Back in the 1980s, A group of the constitutionalist, American Freeman, met at my house very week. This was very close to where the big Freeman "standoff" deal with the FBI occurred in eastern Montana during the mid 90s. I knew those guys, one of which was convicted of "terrorism". Yet, when my step sons went into the Navy in the later 90s. both received security clearances. One went to and graduated from nuke power school and the other served 6 years on a missile sub. Thats how much "interest and suspicion" the government had on me and mine. If they would have asked very many questions in that little community some one would have told me. For example when those meeting were happening a cop told me the Feds had them monitoring car plates that were there. Their relation ship to me never tripped any triggers and I later got a government ID to work around an open international port.
Besides my conversations, text and emails are way to boring to trip AI logic. Plus, the gov knows the really smart guys are not going to use their own traceable phones or computers. Kind of like ballistic testing all the guns. Looks good on paper, but in reality its pretty worthless. Big waste of lot of resources to do that much "listening" to Joe Blows. If they are checking on you most likely you tripped a trigger somewhere besides you phone.
Paranoid much??
Tracking. Tracking only tells the world where my phone is. Not me. I can leave my cell phone at home just like I used to leave my landline. Or I could simply stick my phone in a cheap Faraday bag (2 for $10 on Ebay) and no signal in or out possible.
Here is another thing. The average person now spends over 3 hours a day on a cellular device. Unbelievable. I know. Lets say that is true for just 160 million in the US. That is 480 million hours to monitor per day. Suppose the artificial "intelligence" weeds out 99.9% that leaves 480,000 hours per day for humans to check. If each said government employed human does an actual 6 hours a day (LOL) that means you would need 71,000 humans every day. With with Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and vacation time lets make it at least 100,000 people for them to begin any amount of real eves dropping on phones. Now lets add in all the computer time and probably near double those numbers. Just .01% of calls drops it to a more possible 10,000 people. Then the odds of them actually listening to you cal are still 1 in 10,000. Are you really of that much interest??
Story. Back in the 1980s, A group of the constitutionalist, American Freeman, met at my house very week. This was very close to where the big Freeman "standoff" deal with the FBI occurred in eastern Montana during the mid 90s. I knew those guys, one of which was convicted of "terrorism". Yet, when my step sons went into the Navy in the later 90s. both received security clearances. One went to and graduated from nuke power school and the other served 6 years on a missile sub. Thats how much "interest and suspicion" the government had on me and mine. If they would have asked very many questions in that little community some one would have told me. For example when those meeting were happening a cop told me the Feds had them monitoring car plates that were there. Their relation ship to me never tripped any triggers and I later got a government ID to work around an open international port.
Besides my conversations, text and emails are way to boring to trip AI logic. Plus, the gov knows the really smart guys are not going to use their own traceable phones or computers. Kind of like ballistic testing all the guns. Looks good on paper, but in reality its pretty worthless. Big waste of lot of resources to do that much "listening" to Joe Blows. If they are checking on you most likely you tripped a trigger somewhere besides you phone.
Paranoid much??
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We have a land line, but.....
..it's not really a 'land line'. It's part of the ATT Uverse network. I get nothing but **** calls on it so it will probably go soon. We keep it off the hook much of the time.
I have an android phone that comes in handy. I don't like to text, but everybody else does. I'd rather talk, except to say, "I'm on my way home" or something like that.
We don't have cable but we use the inet a lot. But I still have an analog antenna on my TV, just in case.
..it's not really a 'land line'. It's part of the ATT Uverse network. I get nothing but **** calls on it so it will probably go soon. We keep it off the hook much of the time.
I have an android phone that comes in handy. I don't like to text, but everybody else does. I'd rather talk, except to say, "I'm on my way home" or something like that.
We don't have cable but we use the inet a lot. But I still have an analog antenna on my TV, just in case.
My wife and I went to cell phone only at least 10 years ago. Our land line stopped working and the phone company was unable to even give an approximate date for coming out and diagnosing the issue, which I confirmed to be outside of my house.
I went from a flip phone with an external antenna to an iPhone just last year. My flip phone was 19 years old when I retired it, I could no longer get replacement batteries and it was an analog phone with digital capability. It had previously been great at getting a signal, but in the final year that I used it, it was no longer getting a reliable signal.
I went from a flip phone with an external antenna to an iPhone just last year. My flip phone was 19 years old when I retired it, I could no longer get replacement batteries and it was an analog phone with digital capability. It had previously been great at getting a signal, but in the final year that I used it, it was no longer getting a reliable signal.
mmb617
Member
It's not so much that I'm against technology as I had a home computer before anyone else I know back in the early 80's, but I don't feel compelled to always have the latest and greatest. Right now I'm using an 8 year old computer running Win8.1 and as long as it works I see no reason to upgrade.
I haven't had a landline in years but only got my first cell phone in 2002 because the company I worked for issued me one. I'm not at all enthused about cell phones and use mine for talk and text and that's about it. My current phone is a Galaxy 4 so that tells you how old it is. Again I see no need to upgrade and when it stops working I'm sure I'll buy another old model rather than spend a fortune to have the latest. I can't understand how people surf the web on a tiny phone screen. If I'm online I'm looking at my 31" monitor and can see what I'm looking at without endless scrolling.
I hate all the **** they put on new vehicles so the newest vehicle I own is a 2003, and even that has features I'd do without if I could.
I haven't had a landline in years but only got my first cell phone in 2002 because the company I worked for issued me one. I'm not at all enthused about cell phones and use mine for talk and text and that's about it. My current phone is a Galaxy 4 so that tells you how old it is. Again I see no need to upgrade and when it stops working I'm sure I'll buy another old model rather than spend a fortune to have the latest. I can't understand how people surf the web on a tiny phone screen. If I'm online I'm looking at my 31" monitor and can see what I'm looking at without endless scrolling.
I hate all the **** they put on new vehicles so the newest vehicle I own is a 2003, and even that has features I'd do without if I could.
I remember when I was working as a title insurance agent that one of our underwriters sent out a bulletin about its new whiz-bang phone mail system. No more relying on someone to take paper messages for someone who wasn't at their desk. The line I really remember from that bulletin was "employees will not be allowed to hide behind their voicemail." In the intervening time, that line seems to have gone into the dumper.
A digital business system is great when answering inquiries that fit into neat little boxes and do not require any judgment or discretion. Where frustration comes about, from my own experience and observation, is when a customer/client has a problem that doesn't fit in a pre-programmed response or the perceived constrained authority of an employee. The customer/client gets bounced from extension/employee to extension/employee before reaching someone with the willingness, perceived authority and knowledge to resolve the customer/client's issue or inquiry.
On my last job, I was the utility man off the bench for doing some of the collection work. On my first day, one of the debtors told me he wanted to make good on his debt and try to work out a payment plan, but he just got bounced around from person to person when he called the lender. As a result, the debtor had to take time to come to court. I told this story to my boss and I'm happy to say that he took what I told him very seriously. The next day he told me that if any debtor wanted to make a deal for a payment plan on his debt, I was to refer the debtor to two designated persons in our office. The call still had to do through the switchboard, but at least the debtor would have named persons to ask for. Yes, it required action with a real person instead of a machine, and live people cost money, but my feeling was if somebody wanted to give you money, you make it as easy as possible for them.
A digital business system is great when answering inquiries that fit into neat little boxes and do not require any judgment or discretion. Where frustration comes about, from my own experience and observation, is when a customer/client has a problem that doesn't fit in a pre-programmed response or the perceived constrained authority of an employee. The customer/client gets bounced from extension/employee to extension/employee before reaching someone with the willingness, perceived authority and knowledge to resolve the customer/client's issue or inquiry.
On my last job, I was the utility man off the bench for doing some of the collection work. On my first day, one of the debtors told me he wanted to make good on his debt and try to work out a payment plan, but he just got bounced around from person to person when he called the lender. As a result, the debtor had to take time to come to court. I told this story to my boss and I'm happy to say that he took what I told him very seriously. The next day he told me that if any debtor wanted to make a deal for a payment plan on his debt, I was to refer the debtor to two designated persons in our office. The call still had to do through the switchboard, but at least the debtor would have named persons to ask for. Yes, it required action with a real person instead of a machine, and live people cost money, but my feeling was if somebody wanted to give you money, you make it as easy as possible for them.
crankyoldlady
Member
I had a flu shot in 1976. It worked.
"Yes I am a pirate
200 years too late
Cannons don't thunder
Nothing to plunder
(Way) over 40 victim of fate"......Joe
200 years too late
Cannons don't thunder
Nothing to plunder
(Way) over 40 victim of fate"......Joe
cmore
Member
You guys with the old flip phones might want to look at this:
When are mobile carriers shutting down 3G networks in the US? - PhoneArena
Seems like 3g is going fast.
When are mobile carriers shutting down 3G networks in the US? - PhoneArena
Seems like 3g is going fast.
In 2000 we bought a RV, sold the home, and left. I had a cel phone and it sometimes had signal. When we built our AZ home in 2010,we added a land line for internet, but have switched that to airnet, so no land line.
TB
TB
GypsmJim
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We have a landline and probably always will. It's in a package with internet and when we went to wifi it was the best option. I could get internet with cable, but I refuse to have them put wires all down the side of my house, thru my mancave, etc., which is what they would have to do. Dish internet isn't in my future either.
I had a company cell and was on call 24/7/365. The 3 AM calls when I was on vacation were the most annoying. Now, I must admit that I was paid handsomely to provide that service, but when I retired I happily went off the grid. Until last year....
Mercury Marine had a sale on computer engine monitors, so I bought 2 for my 2 boats. It required a smartphone app, so I broke down and bought one. Now, my phone sits on a mount on my dashboard and I can read speed, fuel flow, water pressure, etc. right off the engine's computer. Actually, it saved me the first time out because it identified a slight malfunction and I corrected it right away.
However, Don't call me when I'm fishing or shooting cause I won't answer.
I had a company cell and was on call 24/7/365. The 3 AM calls when I was on vacation were the most annoying. Now, I must admit that I was paid handsomely to provide that service, but when I retired I happily went off the grid. Until last year....
Mercury Marine had a sale on computer engine monitors, so I bought 2 for my 2 boats. It required a smartphone app, so I broke down and bought one. Now, my phone sits on a mount on my dashboard and I can read speed, fuel flow, water pressure, etc. right off the engine's computer. Actually, it saved me the first time out because it identified a slight malfunction and I corrected it right away.
However, Don't call me when I'm fishing or shooting cause I won't answer.
crsides
US Veteran, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
What's a land line?
