[Closed] Boring Old Fart blathers on about something everybody under 40 takes for granted

Bloody right! I've recently got a new phone (Moto G 4G after reading reviews on here) and a sound bar for me telly.

The 2 connect by bluetooth! So I can play spotify through the soundbar, no cables or anything! Its ace!

If my google fooo was strong I'd have a Simpsons video playing below;

'Look, an old man's talking. Let's gather round and see what he has to say'

I live in Ramsbottom, but tonight I'm going to a pub in Bury. Amazing!!

I'm sat at home working, 160 miles from my office.

I'm talking to a bunch of complete strangers on one screen, who are spread across the entire globe; and connected to my office PC where I'm doing (some) work on the other screen.

JonEdwards, you are a witch. Time you died a good Christian death!!

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I was amazed when my phone works out the route to meetings in my calendar and then reminds me when I need to leave the office, showing me the route I need to take.

I'm under 40 but to be honest, a lot of this technology does my head in. I'm constantly trying to 'opt out' and disconnect. I'm pretty sure I'm on my own here, and I guess it makes me 'a boring old fart' I liked it best about ten years ago, before arsebook, ****ter and smartphones. Phones were just phones, and the internet [i]just worked[/i] without trying to connect your bank account to your fridge.

And Facebook really weirds me out, it's funny how people used to worry about a Orwellian power watching over everyone and knowing everything; but the way it's turned out you couldn't make it up... everyone posting up everything about themselves [i]willingly[/i], and for what, I'm not sure? Vanity maybe. Plus, I think knowing everything about everyone takes a lot of the mystery and fun out of life...

Hope that helps,

Anne Oldman

A couple of weeks ago I was trying to remember how I used to go about booking hotels etc. before the internet. How did it ever get done?

I do remember scouring the back pages of Time Out for cheap RTW tickets from bucket shops though!

The 2 connect by bluetooth! So I can play spotify through the soundbar, no cables or anything! Its ace!

I can trump that...I've a similar setup, but I can control it all with my ruddy watch!!

DrP

the other day i wanted to show my folks some pictures off my camera.

so i took my phone charger cable (USB) and used it to plug my camera into the telly.

it was a charger cable for a phone! that could also connect a telly and a camera! that's how technology was supposed to work! (i was also able to browse the phone with the remote control) 😮

i also have a drawer full of early 2000's proprietary phone chargers and camera cables, natch 😆

And Facebook really weirds me out, it's funny how people used to worry about a Orwellian power watching over everyone and knowing everything

To be fair, Big Brother (from the book, not the TV show) is nothing like facebook. We choose what we post on FB and we can turn it off if we choose. Plus, FB simply show me different adverts based on what I share with them, rather than sent round the secret police to torture me. Just a subtle difference I know but I thought it worth pointing out 🙂

I live in Ramsbottom, but tonight I'm going to a pub in Bury. Amazing!!

Make sure to take the tin cans on the extra long string so you can call home when you want a lift back.

FB simply show me different adverts based on what I share with them, rather than sent round the secret police to torture me. Just a subtle difference I know but I thought it worth pointing out

😀

You're right of course. I was just having a whinge. Still think it sucks the mystery out of social life though. Especially when I go to a club to blow the cobwebs away, and it's full of weapons standing in rows pointing their smartphones at the DJ.

Plus, FB simply show me different adverts based on what I share with them, rather than sent round the secret police to torture me

Have you read the small print in their latest terms and conditions?

Er no.. perhaps I will later - there's someone at the door. Back in a minute..

jambourgie + 1 (to your original post).

Went out in London, meeting my OH for dinner.

Being a Northerner, the Tube is a mystery to me. No bother, run the Tube Map app and it tells me which trains to take, where to change and when the next one is due.

Get out, need to find the OH. Fire up Google Maps, I have a route to where she is. En route I needed a large Boots to pick up something. There's a couple nearby, I don't know which will carry what I need so with Google Street view I can look at the store fronts and work out which one is a big store rather than a corner shop.

Meet up with the OH, need to find a decent restaurant. Google again, find a few likely suspects. No idea if they're any good, so on to the Trip Advisor app. Find that the nearest has really bad reviews, but the next one looks good. Hit a button in-app and it auto-dials them so I can see if I need a reservation.

On the way, my phone works out where I'm going, and I get a discount voucher for 10% off the meal.

I love living in the future.

jambourgie is my younger brother* and I claim my £10.

FB has been told it should have alerted the secret police re the Lee Rigby killers which does add a twist to the Big Brother comparisons.

*that I didn't know I had.

That communicator thing on the pc gets me.
One click, I'm sharing my CAD screen with a colleague on the other side of the world.

My smartphone also.
Google maps never ceases to amaze me.
The traffic layer...it's ace.

Finally, as a Scout leader, recently started using Online Scout Manager.
Wow. Takes away so much admin work.

The place is in Andalucia, they are in Cyprus right now and I'm in London.

anyway bikes that are light and don't snap - amazballs

In the last month I have flown several thousand miles, worked remotely with people on 3 continents, transferred files that it would have been faster posting CD's a few years back and much more. I still remember making sure I had 10p to call home though.

Ironically some mad woman came round with a petition a year ago to get a phone box installed in the area as she thought it was bad there wasn't one and how would the kids be able to make calls....

My insulin pump really has changed my life

Technology is ace

'nuff said

I've just watched a film in the bath on the Ipad and the sound comes from the bluetooth speaker... all wireless!

It is unbelievable how far we've come in the last 20 years or so. 7 years ago i was a complete technophobe but decided to embrace the new fandangled stuff.

I hardly ever use FB, it's mostly made up shit to let my mum know I'm not in prison or hospital.

I luv the way tech will let me navigate round a city I don't know, find a restaurant, or a gig, a hotel if I need it.

😳 yeah, uummmm what Coug said 😳

I'm not 40 yet but remaining a pretty thorough technophobe

Feeling very hard done by because my laptap needs replacing - the computer itself is fine by the pivot (between the screen and keyboard) is broken and will probably break the on/off switch soon

To be fair, i bought it in 2008

However, maybe i could just take it apart and fix it. Imagine that hey!

I've got a 'smart phone'. Its a 4 year old Blackberry - it send emails

I also have a Ipod. Probably 7 years old - nothing new added in 4 years. Full of more great music than i'll ever listen to

I love mountain bikes - they make me happy and keep me fit. They all have 26" wheels and 10 gears

Technology - great but i'll let other people pay & prototype it 🙂
Thats modern 🙂

If your blown away booking a holiday watch this equally old fart explain how things are going to change when Internet of things makes facebook look like race fax machine.

My favourite bit of tech is google maps traffic data. It just works. Got me out of the shite on more that occasion.

Face time amazes me. My grandad was right out can see people on a telephone.
I still don't want my bike to have more than one pivot though.

Technology is great. I've just bought a bike that only has one gear. How long have we been waiting for the tyranny of 20 or 24 speed bikes to be overthrown.

Don't do Facebook or Twitter, this forum and a little bikerader are the only social media I partake in.
But I hate being with out my phone, not for gassing but think when I don't have it I might breakdown or find my self in a situation where I will need to call an emergency service.

It's completely irrational but since the mobile phone phone boxes are dying out.

A couple of weeks ago I was trying to remember how I used to go about booking hotels etc. before the internet. How did it ever get done?

I'm with you there. How did I get 30 odd people to my stag do from Laarnden to Shrewsbury about 20 years ago without having to send about 8 million emails? We all met in a pub, shared cars, and arrived on time - shamazing.......

That happened if you were lucky.

Usually, with me, you'd arrange to meet someone somewhere and they wouldn't be there. So you wait around, give it half an hour, find a phone box, ring their home - not in, so you wait, then you go home.

Me and my sister would go to Hereford with my parents and go off on our own having arranged to meet them at M&S at 1pm. Come back at 1pm, no-one there. Wait for ages, then decided to go back to the car and wait for their eventual return. Turns out they were IN M&S rather than outside it, they start looking for us all over town.. etc etc.. it was bollocks, frankly. Phones are a HUGE IMPROVEMENT!

However, maybe i could just take it apart and fix it. Imagine that hey!

Just fixed my 2009 laptop last night 🙂

Technology's great until it starts impacting on our ability to communicate with others on a human level.

It won't. All this FB and texting new fangled nonsense - that IS communicating with others. My FB friends are actually real people, who are actually my friends - and thanks to FB they are in my life daily rather than at the other end of the country/world. My life is definitely richer.

No need for any of that tech. You could simply have asked passers-by/locals. There's enough people in London!

And they're all known for their patience and kindness to strangers. I'm a Northerner, in London; the last time I tried asking a local for directions I got told to eff off back where I came from.

Technology's great until it starts impacting on our ability to communicate with others on a human level. Those self-serve checkouts at supermarkets are a perfect example; destroying the opportunity for human interaction. De-humanising, de-personalising everything. Supermarkets are soulless enough without removing what little humanity remains.

We've got scan-as-you-go now. You get a little hand-held scanner to zap stuff as you walk round and put it straight in your bag. Pay, leave. It's [i]fantastic.[/i] Who on earth wants to spend minutes of their life discussing the weather with some bored teenager on a checkout?

Thank God for Technology.

Erm...

Usually, with me, you'd arrange to meet someone somewhere and they wouldn't be there. So you wait around, give it half an hour, find a phone box, ring their home - not in, so you wait, then you go home.

That used to happen sometimes, but mostly it didn't. People also used to talk to each other rather than posting pictures of their dinner.

It'll never catch on.

People also used to talk to each other rather than posting pictures of their dinner.

Last time I went out to eat the restaurant was pretty noisy, full of people talking to each other.

You are imagining it you old fart.

I like the idea of technology doing more to make our lives easier, rather than entertainment as a lot of the cool stuff is at the moment.

Remote vacuum cleaners to clean up when we are out
Wifi fridge and rfid's so the occado man knows when I need stuff without me placing an order.
Smarter phones that learn behaviour so it knows I commute on the M1 on a Monday morning and gives me a traffic update without me checking for it. My heating system and lights coming on when I get near home, my car de-icing and warming up so it is ready for me in the morning.
Cardless and cashless payments in shops

Some of this stuff is out there already, just not widely used and needs improving. Improving battery technology would go a long way too.

For those commenting on facebook, twitter and big brother. I don't buy this arguement, you choose to sign up and you choose what to share. I will get worried when newborns are given a facebook account by default and it auto updates every 5 minutes without your input 😉

We've got scan-as-you-go now. You get a little hand-held scanner to zap stuff as you walk round and put it straight in your bag. Pay, leave. It's fantastic. Who on earth wants to spend minutes of their life discussing the weather with some bored teenager on a checkout?

Why don't you want to interact with a 'bored teenager' ?

Last time I went out to eat the restaurant was pretty noisy, full of people talking to each other.

You are imagining it you old fart.

If I was imagining it there wouldn't be pictures of people's dinner on Facebook.

Technology is mostly great, but I do think we've lost something as a society.

There are no pictures of dinner on my facebook, so that's not all it does.

And remember it takes about 60 seconds to post a picture of your dinner, and you might be in the restaurant for an hour and on the rest of your evening for another five.

Also, the posting of the dinner is a form of reaching out to your friends for more conversation. Social media generates MORE social interaction not less.

Sorry to be all arguey but as a social media user old fogeys ranting about the death of social interaction because of social media really annoys me. Nicely ironic when they do it on social media though!

Sorry to be all arguey but as a social media user old fogeys ranting about the death of social interaction because of social media really annoys me. Nicely ironic when they do it on social media though!

Narcissitic self-promotion is communication of sorts, but not a form I wish to participate in. Each to their own.

Last night in a restaurant the GF and I, during a very tangential converstation, realised we didn't actually know how Cockrings worked. Within just a few minutes we were educated due to a very thorough and sincere blog on YouTube*.

*Other online video sources of information on Cockrings are avialable but perhaps best not consulted in public.

Narcissitic self-promotion is communication of sorts, but not a form I wish to participate in. Each to their own.

Hardly restricted to social media though is it? Narcissists have been talking about themselves to anyone who'll listen for millenia!

Why don't you want to interact with a 'bored teenager' ?

They have cooties.

If I was imagining it there wouldn't be pictures of people's dinner on Facebook.

The problem there isn't the medium, it's your lack of quality control in who you've "friended."

They have cooties.

All of 'em? Must be an epidemic then!

Scientific fact.

Hardly restricted to social media though is it? Narcissists have been talking about themselves to anyone who'll listen for millenia!

And now they have a much bigger audience.

he problem there isn't the medium, it's your lack of quality control in who you've "friended."

I don't use Facebook.

Scientific fact.

Source please!

And in 15C Europe [i]"That bluddy Gutenberg. He's killed conversation stone dead"[/i]

And now they have a much bigger audience.

But that audience has a choice. They can select 'don't show me any more posts like this' in the drop-down.

I don't use Facebook.

Surely you're not slagging off something you don't actually know about?

But that audience has a choice. They can select 'don't show me any more posts like this' in the drop-down.

You can filter out pictures of people's dinners? Wow.

Surely you're not slagging off something you don't actually know about?

I haven't slagged anything off. My wife uses facebook, and gives me the highlights, presumably for the purpose of winding me up. Surely you're not using ridiculous hyperbole to mis-describe an online conversation?

I luv scan and go. no ratty old missus judging my shopping basket.

err yes, that is a massive tub of greek yoghurt and a family sized galaxy, problem with that?

I'll bet there were Roman's telling themselves that things were better in their day!!

There were, of course. Someone please dig out that quote about the youth of today by some Greek in 300BC please.

I haven't slagged anything off.

You might not have intended to, but you have. Or at least you appear to have done.

You might not have intended to, but you have. Or at least you appear to have done.

No, I really haven't. You might think otherwise if you have trouble with the meaning of simple words.

I think your tone was very disparaging (and it still is). you appeared to be criticising social media, and now you appear to be insulting me..? Perhaps you're the one who should look at how your posts come across?

I think your tone was very disparaging (and it still is). you appeared to be criticising social media, and now you appear to be insulting me..? Perhaps you're the one who should look at how your posts come across?

I criticised a specific aspect of social media that I dislike. If you think that constitutes "slagging off" then I suggest you are reducing a nuanced discussion to a binary state for no apparent purpose.

BTW, your opening post to me contained an insult. Perhaps you should treat people how you wish to be treated?

I don't use Facebook.

So how are you in any way qualified to pass judgement?

Nevertheless, I shall reword my original viewpoint. To wit:

The problem there isn't the medium, it's your [b]wife's[/b] lack of quality control in who [s]you've[/s] [b]she's[/b] "friended."

Guy I play(ed) GTAV online with on PS3 got a PS4 the other week.

I got a whatsapp from him, and instead of the gloating I was expecting it was a link.

I clicked the link and it took me to a site where I could watch him playing, in (almost) real time. So I was watching him playing GTAV on his PS4 on my phone! Brilliant.

I criticised a specific aspect of social media that I dislike. If you think that constitutes "slagging off" then I suggest you are reducing a nuanced discussion to a binary state for no apparent purpose.

I suggest in return that the context and manner of your post was rather insulting to those of us who do use social media. You know what you meant when you wrote that, I did not - I only had the words to go on. To those who did not know your original intention the words came across as insulting.

I further suggest that you you should bear in mind that your words might not be being interpreted how you wish and modify them, rather than blaming the audience...! I am generally a nice bloke, I don't throw insults around for no reason.

Btw is this argument better or worse than a picture of someone's dinner? 🙂

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Binners & Ransos have some toast - everyone loves toast

I suggest in return that the context and manner of your post was rather insulting to those of us who do use social media. You know what you meant when you wrote that, I did not - I only had the words to go on. To those who did not know your original intention the words came across as insulting.

The words you had to go on were a description of a specific aspect of social media I dislike. If you find that insulting then you must spend a lot of your time feeling insulted.

I further suggest that you you should bear in mind that your words might not be being interpreted how you wish and modify them, rather than blaming the audience...! I am generally a nice bloke, I don't throw insults around for no reason.

If you're going to attribute an opinion to me that I do not hold, from words I haven't written, then there is very little I can do about that. Again I suggest to you that if you wish to complain about being insulted, then don't insult people - it makes you look like a hypocrite, which I'm sure you're not.

So how are you in any way qualified to pass judgement?

Nevertheless, I shall reword my original viewpoint. To wit:

I'm qualified because I've seen enough Facebook content to form an opinion. I take it that you're only friends with people you approve of and agree with in every respect?

The words you had to go on were a description of a specific aspect of social media I dislike

You didn't make that clear.

If you're going to attribute an opinion to me that I do not hold, from words I haven't written

I based my opinion on the words you DID write, of course, because I had nothing else on which to go. I think it's the words you didn't write that would have helped the situation.

You didn't make that clear.

Yes I did. If you chose to misinterpret it as having a wider meaning, that's not my fault.

I based my opinion on the words you DID write, of course, because I had nothing else on which to go. I think it's the words you didn't write that would have helped the situation.

No, you're basing your opinion on a misinterpretation.

As I said earlier, it's a pity that you're reducing the discussion to a binary state. I'm on record upthread as liking technology, so it does appear that you're creating an argument for no purpose.

(Get a room you two).

Some technology is great - but I do think there are significant risks to privacy, and people aren't generally aware of these risks.

For example, everyone laughed at me for covering up my webcam:

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/russian-hacked-webcam-website-creator-refuses-apologise-site-shut-down-1476472

And do you really, really want Google, Facebook, any number of apps written by a couple of students at Aston University, knowing where you are all the time ?

I have a phone for email, internet, but never have location data on, and for navigation rely on a combination of boring old planning and preparation, and maps. Won't let me down when the network crashes.

I liked the old days, when you used to be able to phone people in pubs. We always used to ask for Elvis Reefer, then the group would nominate somebody to take the call. Worked fine.

I can remember buying tickets for Glastonbury, with cash from a record store. It sold vinyl and the odd tape.

They never sold out, and just tore them out of a book they had to sell.

They did have a hologram on them after a while, so they were like really secure and stuff.

Pretty much that entire experience is now obsolete..
Not convinced the current setup is an improvement!

I like people who post pictures of their meals on Facebook in the same way as I like people who repost Britain First crap.

It helps me with my insecurity problems by giving a fleeting (and illusory) sense of superiority.

I take it that you're only friends with people you approve of and agree with in every respect?

You're friends with people you disapprove of and don't agree with? How odd.

Seriously, I'm not trying to be argumentative, but your criticism is baseless. You're founding your opinion on second-hand information which, by your own admission, is given to you to intentionally wind you up. For a start off that's hardly going to give you a representative view of the website now, is it.

Next, you don't use Facebook, so you can't appreciate the tools that are available. You expressed surprise that you can filter out posts you don't want to see; the answer to "You can filter out pictures of people's dinners? Wow" is, in fact, "yes you can." I, for example, no longer get a stream full of "$footballTeam are tossers" every Saturday.

And finally, as I suggested right back at the start, you choose who to "friend" or "follow", you can exercise some quality control. If people are posting racist propaganda, pictures of their lunch, or reports that they've just gone for a big shit, you can un-friend them or mute their output. If your friends are arseholes, you don't need to ragequit the Internet, you need better friends. People are the problem here, not the medium.

I'm no particular fan of Facebook myself (I much prefer Twitter), but sitting there making blasé inaccurate comments about something that plenty of people [i]do[/i] like when you've actually no idea what you're talking about is going to get folk's backs up I'm afraid. Sorry.

I have a remote sender from my Sky+ box to my telly upstairs and control the whole thing from my phone.

Whats next, blinking to change channels.....?

So I was watching him playing GTAV on his PS4 on my phone! Brilliant

Why is this brilliant? Watching someone else playing a computer game?? Watch a movie - it'll be better

Facebook - I get it - it has a place in society and people have the choice about its impact of their life

However - I am [b]SO GLAD[/b] it was not around 15 years ago whilst I was at Uni and my behaviour was at its most despicable

Imagine waking up and finding some 'friend' had posted the video of you doing something illegal/wrong/dangerous/childish/revolting - which can be seen by all of your 'friends' as well as many others

I can recall several instances of [i]things[/i] done in front of big groups which would make my cringe if viewed on youtube the next day....

I tend to avoid those self-service machines in the supermarket. I actually [i]do[/i] prefer to use a normal person. Plus, won't they get sacked if there's no use for them? Don't get me wrong, they're handy when it's busy, but the only thing I like about them is the ability to offload your entire 1 & 2p coin collection in one go 😀

You're friends with people you disapprove of and don't agree with? How odd.

You're only friends with people you approve of and agree with in every single respect? How odd.

Seriously, I'm not trying to be argumentative, but your criticism is baseless. You're founding your opinion on second-hand information which, by your own admission, is given to you to intentionally wind you up. For a start off that's hardly going to give you a representative view of the website now, is it.

Next, you don't use Facebook, so you can't appreciate the tools that are available. You expressed surprise that you can filter out posts you don't want to see; the answer to "You can filter out pictures of people's dinners? Wow" is, in fact, "yes you can." I, for example, no longer get a stream full of "$footballTeam are tossers" every Saturday.

And finally, as I suggested right back at the start, you choose who to "friend" or "follow", you can exercise some quality control. If people are posting racist propaganda, pictures of their lunch, or reports that they've just gone for a big shit, you can un-friend them or mute their output. If your friends are arseholes, you don't need to ragequit the Internet, you need better friends. People are the problem here, not the medium

I don't think posting a picutre of one's dinner makes one an arsehole per se. What was that I was saying about reducing this discussion to a binary state?

I'm no particular fan of Facebook myself (I much prefer Twitter), but sitting there making blasé inaccurate comments about something that plenty of people do like when you've actually no idea what you're talking about is going to get folk's backs up I'm afraid. Sorry.

I have seen pictures of peoples dinner on Facebook. Despite having made no steps to prevent them, it's probably less that 1% of the posts I've seen on there.

I find that a sufficient level for it not to prevent my enjoyment of its other benefits.

I find that a sufficient level for it not to prevent my enjoyment of its other benefits.

So you're saying that you use it because you like most aspects of it?

I think that's what I was saying earlier wan't it? Technology is mostly a force for good, but there are some negative aspects to it. For me, people sitting across from each other at dinner, furiously tapping on their phones is a depressing thing to see, and of the Facebook content I've seen, enough of it is stuff I couldn't care less about that I choose to not use it. But Facebook is only one aspect of modern communications...

For me; I don't live where I grew up, or where I went to uni, and I have friends and relatives in other countries. Without Facebook I would receive, at most, a 3 line update on their lives in an xmas card.
Even with the friends I have locally, I might go for weeks without seeing them.

Being able to have a steady stream of the significant and inane events in their lives (probably mostly the latter) is invaluable.

For the former group, seeing which ones have turned into rabid eejits over the years also benefits me in that I know not to bother seeking out their company when I'm next around them 😀

So people don't post pictures of their dinner? Perhaps I imagined it.

...is not what I said. Here it is again, with the important bit bolded.

You're founding your opinion on second-hand information which, by your own admission, is given to you to intentionally wind you up. For a start off [b]that's hardly going to give you a representative view[/b] of the website now, is it.

People post whatever they want, some of which may or may not be interesting, and therefore some of which may of course be their culinary creations. But if your wife is cherry-picking stuff to show you which she knows irritates you, you're never seeing the other 99% of the site that doesn't fall into that category. To wit, your experience of Facebook is [b]not representative [/b]of the site as a whole.

So Facebook can identify that a picture is of someone's dinner, and prevent you from seeing it?

There's a 'don't show me this' option which I thought did exactly that, yes. However in hindsight I may be mistaken as to how it works. I'm not a big FB user. Nonetheless, you can definitely hide stuff and tailor your feed.

I don't think posting a picutre of one's dinner makes one an arsehole per se. What was that I was saying about reducing this discussion to a binary state?

I didn't say it did. See that word "if" back there, after a bunch of other sentences?

You and Molgrips seem intent on refuting some wider point I haven't made.

All I'm refuting is that Facebook is how you think it is based on what you've said. Those wider points are just that, wider points; ie, it's not all about you. I'm presenting my point of view and taking part in a discussion, not trying to have an argument with you. I can only apologise if that wasn't clear.