[at-l] Keep Me Connected, part 1

[Jim Bullard]

I'm not opposed to cell phones as such but I don't appreciate what I call
'cell phone abuse' which is the dependence on constantly "in touch" that
Mags refers to. I've had a cell phone for years and have carried it on hikes
as a potential emergency communication device. I'd like to emphasize the
word "potential" here because there are many places in the woods where a
cell phone will not work and I do not in any way advocate changing that.
There is a certain amount of risk in going out into the wild that one should
accept for the woods to remain wild.

We could argue about carrying a CP or not and whether its mere presence is a
violation of "wild". Jim O and I have in the past without either of us
changing our opinion so I don't intend to belabor that point but a recent
development in CP technology does bother me. I recently got a new phone when
our old contract expired and we renewed it. After getting it I discovered
that the new phone *cannot be turned off*. My old CP had an on/off switch. I
only turned it on when I actually wanted to make a call. This saved the
battery (good when you are several days between places where you can
recharge it) and kept me disconnected except when I chose not to be.
Somewhere in this Culture of Connectivity the phone engineers decided we did
not need to turn off our phones and to that extent I share Mags' concern
about where this is leading. It has truly become a cultural expectation that
we can be reached 24/7. A cell phone is nice but I'd like my off switch back
thank you.

On a lighter technological note yesterday I was traveling in the ADKs and
ran onto some High Tech Beavers. Chech out the link <
http://jims-ramblings.blogspot.com/> for a photo. It is a joke of course. At
least I hope so.

-- 
Jim Bullard
http://jims-ramblings.blogspot.com/
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