Nostr Web Client

Ok, seriously time for a rant.

Your cell phone is no longer a phone. It is a tracking device, with lots of things to distract you from the things you should be doing. It's a fucking fidget spinner that also just happens to tell anyone who really wants to know exactly where you are and what you are doing. It is a digital collar, at the end of a wireless leash.

What happens when someone tries to call my phone number? Nothing. most times the bloody thing doesn't notify me, and the call goes to voice mail, where a computer records a message. Then I get an email that I have a message. So why the fuck am I carrying around a phone that is always powered on? So I might get a notification that I have a fucking email, that someone might have tried to make contact with me?

My wife really doesn't understand this. Her normie self thinks it is fucking normal to be available and interruptible all day and night. That is complete bullshit.

So why do I even carry my phone around at all? It is a fucking game-boy. I can do a crossword puzzle on it while taking a shit, instead of fucking around with a newspaper and finding a pen. It plays music in my car, and has maps. On my motorcycle, it shows my speed and RPMs, because the displays on the motorcycle itself are down by my nuts, and I don't ride around on my motorcycle looking at my own sack. On my boat, it displays nautical charts, GPS positioning and plotting, and speed. I can also check tide charts. In the grocery store, it keeps my store coupons organized and actually saves me money, but I question this a bit. And yeah, when I'm pretending to sit around and watch TV, I can play Mah-jongg, read shit on Nostr, and shitpost.

Are any of those purposes necessary? Nope. Not one. But some are really fucking handy. Probably the most handy are the maps and charts, MC displays, and maybe the coupons. The shittier part of this is the handy stuff is also the stuff that relies on mobile data and GPS, so going to WiFi only isn't a great option.

Does turning off my phone make sense? Not really. Just more bother turning it back on when I want to do something with it. I think I'll continue to just leave it behind more and more. That way the excuse "I didn't have my phone on me" rings true, because I rarely will have my phone on me. If I need it for something, I'll know where to find it.

But you know what I won't be needing it for? Phone calls. I'll see whatever came of those when I check my email next, which might be a few hours, maybe even a day or more. If you need something more urgently, come find me, or find someone else.

a source familiar with the matter 2y ago

My precautions:

Taped over cameras

Faraday bag for travel/driving

Leave phone at home when walking/cycling

Keep cellular data off at home (using wifi)

Use Firefox configured for privacy rather than chrome

But what do I actually use the phone for?

2nd laptop (YouTube, email, nostr, etc)

Text (could do through laptop)

Voice (could do through laptop)

Android apps (could do through laptop)

Navigation (on occasion)

Photos (either at social events or just as an emergency device in case of car accident or the like)

So if I wanted to get rid of my cell phone I'd need a GPS (or just road maps and some more preparation) and camera (maybe disposable physical film camera if they still make & develop them, maybe a digital camera which must be quite cheap these days).

I would have some minor decrease in convenience in coordinating social meetings, comparison shopping, and voice calls, but these all seem quite minimal.

Honestly I'm tempted to ditch the cell phone after reviewing this in detail. I think I'll try enabling my text & voice to go to my laptop and see how that goes.

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Discussion

Sedj 2y ago

Fair, but why?

As you mention, the cellphone for you is essentially a second laptop. There are certainly reasons why having the utility of a laptop in a smaller form factor is a good thing - mostly portability. I actually rarely use a laptop, and never really got used to using a tablet, although I tried one for a little bit. For me, I can either use my desktop, or use my cell phone. My wife has managed to skip the home laptop/desktop altogether, and ONLY uses her phone. This works for her 99% of the time.

So why not ditch the laptop and keep the phone? Or fuck it, keep both? Maybe ditch the carrier service? It's really tricky, once you start actually thinking it through. We apparently are still expected, as human adults in America, to be able to provide a ten-digit number where we can be notified. This is stupid, but true. Ditching the carrier service means paying someone else for a 10 digit number. Yes, you can get them for free, but when you do, what are you giving up? Also, I have had my 10 digit number for 25 years. I'm a little attached to it, because that means that 25 years worth of personal and professional contacts have associated those 10 digits with me. Maybe I don't want to disappear from them, should they want to reach out.

All worth considering though. I wouldn't tell anyone here what to do, because my use cases, preferences, experiences, etc. are not anyone else's. The only thing I believe we should be doing is actually considering these kinds of things more carefully.

a source familiar with the matter 2y ago

My motivation is a combination of security, cost, and the obvious behavior change of having a device always at hand versus deliberately choosing to check voicemail

I don't currently own a desktop

My carrier also operates a web phone service - I should be able to switch from my number from phone to laptop pretty easily if I want to, and I think doing so would save some money (at least in the long run)