Refusing to get with the times- phone trees, really!?

[blas87]

I'm sorry, that was a dumb question.

[guywithashovel]

I can sympathize somewhat with feeling overwhelmed by the changes that technology has made to people's lives. Heck, just ten years ago the Internet was still a trendy thing, and having access to it at home could still count as a status symbol. Now, it's so much more ubiquitious, and many people can access it from their mobile phones. Not only that, it's now possible to do things with mobile phones that were science fiction ten or fifteen years ago. Some people just haven't had time to fully adjust.

I have a slight tendency to "live in the past," myself. When I was growing up (in the 90s), I often wished I could have "come of age" during the sixties or seventies. For some reason, that just seemed like a cool time to have grown up in. Also, I sometimes look at the way things were done years ago and think it would be better if we still did those things. However, it is much easier to rely on online communication methods for events like this. It is much less time consuming to just post an announcement online instead of calling a dozen or so people to inform them that the event has changed. Likewise, it's much less hectic to count on people to check such announcements than dealing with a dozen phone calls asking the same question.

[Ipecac Drano]

I'm sorry, that was a dumb question.

No, it wasn't! You've just never heard it phrased that way.

[blas87]

Thanks You're right, I've never heard it called that before. But I get it. Makes sense to me.

As far as my own dealio with technology.....I refuse to get a GPS because I have my own personal one, my dad. He can tell me where just about any highway, any backroad, any landmark in the state of Wisconsin is, because of his job. I don't really rely upon the internet, but if Dad can't tell me, I try to Mapquest it and see if it makes sense to me, and relay what road it is, and he can usually figure it out from there. Mapquest doesn't always update to newer highways or blocked off roads.

[AdminAssistant]

I prefer Google Maps to Mapquest, but yeah, I don't want a GPS either. I'll be driving a group of friends to KC, and one will INSIST on bringing her GPS, despite the fact that I lived there and probably know how to get there faster without driving through scary neighborhoods.

[blas87]

Then you have people like my bf's father, who just argues with the GPS unit. "NO, that CAN'T be right! That CANNOT be the way!"

That is how we got lost in Tomah, Wisconsin. Only about an hour and a half, maybe a tad more, from home. We had left the Dells and stopped at a casino, his parents were adament on stopping at this particular restaurant right outside of Tomah, but his dad would NOT listen to the GPS and was adament that it was on THIS highway or THIS exit......and of course, the GPS was right.

[telecom_goddess]

I'm sorry, that was a dumb question.

not a dumb question at all but it proves the point that that method of informing people is maybe a bit antiquated.

[Ipecac Drano]

and of course, the GPS was right.

Of course...

However, I had a customer call my place of business to ask exactly where my store was. I asked him where he was. He described the surroundings and I knew exactly where he was. I told him my store was in the plaza on the other side of the highway. He told me that his Mapquest placed our store over there, to which I replied that I hear that alot.

I don't remember what he exactly said, but he wasn't convinced that I was across the road from him and that I was in the same area he was. Finally, he asked if I was sure. I asked him, "How's circling the same three streets over and over working out for you? Turn toward the stoplight, cross the road, and go to the first building on the right." Three minutes later, he walked in.

[smileyeagle1021]

While we're talking about navigation technology, I want to thank Google Maps for sending me into the middle of a field in Toelle (my cell phone GPS saved me on that one).
Now with technology in general, I will admit that I still like using the phone for a lot of things. I prefer to use the phone for ordering food rather than ordering online, prefer it for making reservations as well. I still keep a landline (okay, so a magicjack) because I find using a cell phone uncomfortable (it gets too hot) and I enjoy the better sound quality that is provided by a physical connection. That in no way means though that I don't use facebook and email and all the other internet options there are out there when they are more adventagous... people who refuse to keep up will get left behind and get what they deserve.

[telecom_goddess]

Let's see....I haven't had a physical phone book in many years.....I haven't ordered pizza by phone in many years...been doing all that online. Pay bills online...I haven't mailed a payment in to anywhere for years and years. I do have a land line and yeah the sound quality is still better on that.

[Ree]

Then you have people like my bf's father, who just argues with the GPS unit. "NO, that CAN'T be right! That CANNOT be the way!"

OMG!!! My soon to be ex-BIL does that.
Last year, he and my little sister and I were driving to my older sister's house 4 hours away to attend a baby shower.

He's a very high-strung guy to begin with, but it's worse when he's driving. My little sister is nervous driving, and we had to travel through Toronto.

He had a GPS, but I didn't know that, so I had brought mine.

Just for the heck of it, I turned mine on.

Both GPS units were telling him to turn at a certain point, and he sat there arguing with them, saying they were wrong.
He didn't turn, and we went miles out of our way, arriving close to an hour later then we should have, but he's still convinced that he was right because we got there.
To this day, he still tells people that GPS units are not reliable because one time, when he was in Toronto, he had 2 of them saying he was supposed to turn at a certain road, and there was no way he was supposed to turn there, so they were both wrong.

[HYHYBT]

Well, sometimes they *do* pick less-than-optimal routes.... it's possible to get from here to my brother's house in 5 1/2 hours, but depending on which route the GPS picks it may be 6 1/2 to 8, because it will either send me down the interstate almost to Valdosta before letting me come east again, or else send me all the way east to Savannah before turning south. The quick way is to ignore the interstates entirely and drive almost due south.

[Eisa]

Oh, that reminds me when I used Google Maps to find the way to the Greyhound station. The directions included "turn left on *certain street*." Only problem? It was a one-way street. Such as I COULDN'T turn left. Yeah, that was fun circling around.

[Racket_Man]

try being a delivery driver these days and wanting to use a GPS to make/route deliveries.

now most of the drivers at my store have either been born and raised in my town (unlike me who is a tranplant) or been here long enough to a the very least know all of the major streets.

if you do this job for longer than 2 months, just by osmosis (meaning driving to most deliveries) you should be able to pick up most of the minor streets. yes there are some obscure one block streets, name variations (like Pilgram Way and Pisgram St in each in 2 seperate towns) ones with more than 2 designations such as Smith LANE Smith Court, Smith WAY, Smith Place, etc. yes there are a few of those in my area but they tend to be bunched together and the close but not the same name like Braberry, Branberry and Bradberry (all in the same town/village but far enough away from each other)

If I have to go somewhere I have never been before I will use Mapquest with turn by turn directions BUT I will print out an area map so if I get side tracked by construction, one way streets (which usually does not happen with Mapquest) or closures, I can at least find an alternate route.

[Bright Star]

Tell her to get a pre-paid cell phone like Straight Talk that has internet access. That's what I have. works great & it's affordable.