Just put it on vibrate!

[HYHYBT]

I'm a big fan of "silent" mode as well: no noise, no vibration, but Caller ID still works and you can use other functions like calculator, etc. Except....

The one thing I hate about my current phone is the buttons on the cover. They're right below the outside screen, and make it play music. They can be set off by having things in the same pocket as the phone, even, once, my wallet, which you'd think would be far too large and flat to do any such thing. And not only can the buttons not be disabled, they are unaffected by Silent mode.

Partly by good luck, the first thing it plays when that happens is Wheel of Fortune's "new puzzle" chime. Which not only is a relatively non-annoying sound, but a familiar enough one in exactly one context to most people that I have a shot at getting it stopped while they're still wondering where there's a TV on

[smileyeagle1021]

I will admit that I keep my phone on vibrate when I'm in class, because it's a habit I developed from when my mom was being treated for cancer, because I had a standing arrangement with both my boss and my professors, my phone rang and the caller ID was from the hospital, I was gone. Now, I just check the number and silence the vibrating, but at least I have a decent reason for being in the habit for leaving it on rather than just lack of consideration for others.

[McDreidel09]

I will admit that I keep my phone on vibrate when I'm in class, because it's a habit I developed from when my mom was being treated for cancer, because I had a standing arrangement with both my boss and my professors, my phone rang and the caller ID was from the hospital, I was gone. Now, I just check the number and silence the vibrating, but at least I have a decent reason for being in the habit for leaving it on rather than just lack of consideration for others.

See, that doesn't bug me. That was a circumstance where you need to be reached right away. It's the people who have to text in class. They just can't put it away for an hour or two and give the prof the respect of paying attention.

And I don't mean to put anyone down, but why do you need to have your cellphone on as a calculator or a planner? What's wrong with an actual calculator or a paper planner?

I understand that some people forget to turn off their phone. I'm not talking about those people.

[the_std]

And I don't mean to put anyone down, but why do you need to have your cellphone on as a calculator or a planner? What's wrong with an actual calculator or a paper planner?

Simple answer: more shit to carry around. When I was a student, I was already lugging around a 30lb backpack every day - more like 40 when I had to bring art supplies with me. I don't need to have more stuff hanging around. As much as I could condense, I did.

[HYHYBT]

And I don't mean to put anyone down, but why do you need to have your cellphone on as a calculator or a planner? What's wrong with an actual calculator or a paper planner?

Simple answer: more shit to carry around. When I was a student, I was already lugging around a 30lb backpack every day - more like 40 when I had to bring art supplies with me. I don't need to have more stuff hanging around. As much as I could condense, I did.

Exactly. What's wrong with carrying one device rather than three or four?

[ArenaBoy]

I had a professor who probably had the best solution for cell phones. He said that if anyone's phone were to ring during class he would have a member of the opposite sex answer it. Nobody's phone ever went off in the class. I actually wished it happened just because of the pure entertainment value that could have been had.

[Peppergirl]

And I don't mean to put anyone down, but why do you need to have your cellphone on as a calculator or a planner? What's wrong with an actual calculator or a paper planner?

I understand that some people forget to turn off their phone. I'm not talking about those people.

I'm not taking it that way, but since you asked...

My Blackberry has been a godsend to me. I am probably one of the most disorganized people on the planet, thanks to my late-in-life diagnosed A.D.D. When I had paper calendars, address books and calculators/notes, I had shit EVERYWHERE and never where it was supposed to be.

I no longer miss appointments, or have to dig through papers, wondering where things are. I love it soooo much.

Also, count me in as one of those who also silences her phone in places where it's inappropriate to have it on.

[Racket_Man]

I will admit that I keep my phone on vibrate when I'm in class, because it's a habit I developed from when my mom was being treated for cancer, because I had a standing arrangement with both my boss and my professors, my phone rang and the caller ID was from the hospital, I was gone. Now, I just check the number and silence the vibrating, but at least I have a decent reason for being in the habit for leaving it on rather than just lack of consideration for others.

this happened with me over this last summer.

in May my Mom took a real turn for the worst. at 93 her health started to seriously fail. It became a matter of WHEN WHEN not IF.

during the intital series of health problems I alerted the managers at my work to my situation. IF I was talking on my cellpone AT work it was most likely SERIOUS stuff and not me being the stereo-typical phone yakker/texter. I ALWAYS have my phone on/near me and during working hours it is on vibrate. the managers were cool with my sitiuation. it did last a little longer than anticipated cause Mom got to be the the Energizer Bunny's standin for most of the summer. she would have a bad episode then rebound/rally have another episode and rebound. but with each rebound the "rebound" was not as good as the last one.

fortuneately the "final" call came around midnight on Saturday (one of my regualr nights off). BUT I still had to make/receive calls for the next couple of days when the funeral/memorial service was being arranged and scheduled. most of the time I could only be reached in the evening (cause that is the shift I normally work AND I am asleep during most of the morning and early afternoon time). and my cell phone is the ONLY way I can be reached as I do not have a landline anymore.

[Boozy]

My Blackberry has been a godsend to me. I am probably one of the most disorganized people on the planet, thanks to my late-in-life diagnosed A.D.D. When I had paper calendars, address books and calculators/notes, I had shit EVERYWHERE and never where it was supposed to be.

I know exactly what you mean.

Paper planners are not even in the same league as a smart phone/PDA for the truly disorganized.

Now that I use my iPhone, I never forget to pick up milk, call my friends on their birthdays, or miss an appointment. It's all there in my phone, on my hip, with reminders buzzing at me.

[McDreidel09]

Thanks for those clarifications I guess I just don't understand what it's like to be disorganized because I am a super organized person.

[Plaidman]

With the huge amount of single parents, (Both fathers and mothers), the fact several of us have jobs and or are self support, and various other means, everyone is allowed to have cell phones in during class. They are to be on vibrate if you must have it on. Most teachers don't even care if you text during class, as long as it silent during lecture. Not during testing, and with how small the classrooms are, the teachers spot those that text during test, and they get an automatic failure. No ifs and or buts. Only people they hurt by texting during class is themselves. They pay for the class. They want to ignroe the teacher and have it show on the test, then they can only blame themselves.

The calcalator on cell phones are a godsend. Again, alot of low support people, and alot of them can't even spare the dollar for a dollar calacator at dollar stores. Why force them the expense (Yeah, I know, a whole dollar) but I've been to these people homes and I know what it means when they are litarlly hanging on to every penny they can get, including collecting cans for bus fare and such.

I don't think it's fair to force them to not use that calacator, simply because a student or two goes nuts because they themselves can't stop but pay attention to the lone student or two far form them that have a cell phone and text sometimes. Teachers know I text sometimes. It's on silent. Not even vibrate. It lits up in my lap. Only I can see it. Whipee doo.

And vibrate in pants rarely makes THAT much noise. Sure, some have them that make /jenny/ happy, especally add that if they keep the phone on a table, it can make some racket.

Don't pay attention to it. Ignore it. People ignore normal stuff all the time. Train yourself. don't fixate on it. Problems solve.

[aurelemsrealm]

Count me in among those who struggle to stay organized. I'm one of those people who seems to have multiple streams of thought going at once about all of the time. I'm not totally disorganized, but I have my periods of forgetting where I put things if I'm not intentional about my habits. For instance, I try to keep all my homework and study materials in binders, but I'm always taking things out for reference and forgetting to put them back. I also have a bad habit of looking for things I can't find only to have them right in plain sight when I eventually give up hunting.

God, right now, I have printouts of PowerPoint lectures and other pages of notes strung out on my desk because I've been working on a project for one of my classes. I think my attention span gets shorter and shorter as I get older unless I really get into a project, then everything else falls by the wayside until I finish the project or snap out of it.