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| Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 4:10:32 AM #12493 |
 Toasty SysOp Level 40 Posts: 7,388 Submissions: 227  | Burns, blisters, and chaps my ass. Think about the early days of the "phone" system, simply transmitted through Morse code over telegraph lines (wire wrapped in oily paper as a dielectric), at which a reception center (like western union) would grab the code, and then hand deliver it. Transmission and receiving lines were not multiplexed, which means you needed one wire for each "conversation" at any given time, while the second wire was the earth as ground. Should somebody else try to use this same wire at the same time as you were, the receiver had two problems: - No way to tell where signals were coming from (no caller id, ladies and gents) - Two conversations at once mean at best that it would be a ton of letters, and at worst would mean that nothing was sent at all. Reason being? Well, most letters of the Morse code are made up of several key presses. Some are short (dit) some are long (dah). To say "SOS", you say (dit dit dit dah dah dah dit dit dit), or ...---... Now imagine somebody saying "HI" in another line, that would be: dit dit dit dit (pause) dit dit -OR- .... .. So, attempting to multiplex this conversation could look like this: .....-..-.-.-- Roughly Translated: "HRAAW" ___________ As you can see, this was extremely inefficient. But for the time, more efficient that horse and carriage. Later down the line, when humans invented what is known as a "Spark Gap Transmitter" and the "coherers" which is the receiver, people can send these signals wirelessly...However not over great spans like with wires. Another problem with this method, since we're still talking using Morse code, just without telegraph wires, is that spark gap transmitters could NOT be set to any particular frequency. This means that only one transmitter could be used at a time to send to different receivers. Obviously a problem. _________ Jumping again forward, we get crystal oscillators, learn more about the ionosphere, and more about broadcasting. We learn ways of multiplexing transmissions, and develop better cabling technologies like coaxial cable to prevent interference, twisted bundles to prevent interference (and allow several transmissions at one), we develop fiber optic systems that have near lossless qualities with no interference, lose vacuum tubes and go to transistors, then integrated circuits. Somewhere in the middle of this (say mid-70s), to make a phone call, you had to call an operator, who took your "audio line" (looks like a headphone jack on your iPod, but bigger), and swapped it to a different part of the panel depending on who you were calling. There was no voicemail or answering machines. Then AT&T came out with analog switching systems (some of you may have heard about the 2600Hz tone for phreaking), and not much later switched to fully digital switching landline systems. This avoids the trunk switching exploits of the phone system that were around in the past, and allows better call quality and more multiplexing of the phone system. Not far there after, cellular systems arrived -- while primitive compared to today's technology, this took communications convenience and ran with it. Now it is rare to know somebody without their own personal phone, and land lines are disappearing only to reappear as a cell phone. All of this advancement in the world of communication to allow humans to watch movies, listen to music, speak live over a phone, and so on, and people still choose to use text messaging...Why? To me texting is about as efficient as a telegraph. It is stateless, emotionless, and usually filled with nonintellectuals who can't spell half of their message. Same problems that plagued the telegraph. Example: Person A sends a text to person B saying "Want to hang out", B begins their response with "I don't care" and it gets sent, at the same time A is sending another message "My Mom died". Person A gets pretty pissed when person B's message comes through in that shitty order, which then starts a big chain of texting to clarify what they meant. Inefficient? I think so. Over a phone, this conversation, and the clarification wouldn't even need to occur, because you can tell emotions over a voice, and even in circumstances where you can't, talking IS NOT stateless, so you can correct yourself immediately. The point? Don't text me, just call. I'll die one day, and be pissed I wasted time texting when I could have just talked. |
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| Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 4:14:20 AM #12495 |
 Bezerk Member 'I Speak The Truth.' Level 27 Posts: 1,717 Submissions: 82 | Wow man, epic, just epic. But I agree with you. |
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| Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 2:03:15 PM #12509 |
 DeadLazyBum Site Admin '♥' Level 33 Posts: 2,962 Submissions: 137 | I actually like texting, and can spell all of my words! I use it because its more convenient for me to text someone than to wonder if they are in an area where they can answer their phone (school). Plus, I hate talking on the phone in front of other people, I don't know why, it just makes me uncomfortable, but texting is fine for me, because I know no one else can listen into my conversation. |
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| Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 3:08:05 PM #12513 |
 Indy Member 'Garburator' Level 45 Posts: 1,935 Submissions: 95 | I think you got your point across, but I agree, I see people in class at least 15 of the people in my class texting, it bugs the shit out of me. |
Deny! Deny! Deny! |
| Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 7:28:53 PM #12518 |
| DarkestAngel Removed Account | Seeing as how you wrote this while you were talking to me, wouldnt it have been a hell of a lot easier to just say hey, I don't feel like talking right now? Especially when texting is the only way to get the hell of a hold of you, since you don't pick up your damn phone anymore? |
| Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 8:34:33 PM #12530 |
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Toasty SysOp Level 40 Posts: 7,388 Submissions: 227 | ^The thing is "right now" is an underexgeration. I don't like the phone period. I'll talk on it when I have nothing to do, and only by myself, because like DLB, I hate talking around people as well. If there is something to talk about that is of substance, I don't mind the phone...but when it is dragged on ________________________________ __________________________________, that's when it gets annoying, especially when it interferes with other things. If phones had keyboards like a computer, then I would like texting, but the fact that I have to type this: 44334340231234889430345823458093458023489582345093245028345 Just to say "Hello" kinda pisses me off. Every time I have to press a button more than once, it's like saying dit or dah. I don't pick up my phone when I'm not around it, which the more it goes off, the more I leave it in "isolation". A good example was earlier when you asked me about a good antivirus, I have several recommendations in the Software & Apps forum (iLike&iH8) including AVG and Avira, and Google would turn up even more results. I understand that you wanted my opinion, but because the phone wasn't near me, you probably didn't get a timely response. I don't know what it is, I'm anti-social...I used to be the "party guy", now people just annoy the shit out of me. |
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| Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 8:39:33 PM #12534 |
| DarkestAngel Removed Account | I read it all but, Quote: now people just annoy the shit out of me.Thanks doll, love you too. |
| Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 8:49:51 PM #12538 |
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Toasty SysOp Level 40 Posts: 7,388 Submissions: 227 | ^Instead of feeling bad, consider my wording. Person:  People:  |
Post last edited by ragdoll on Monday, January 1, 2001 at 1:01:01 AM |
| Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 8:58:37 PM #12543 |
| DarkestAngel Removed Account | Haha yeah I caught the wording. I had to have an emo moment and cry. Only time I text you is when you n me are working and I have no privacy at home. Wouldnt want him thinkin I'm sleeping with you... |
| Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 9:00:24 PM #12544 |
| DarkestAngel Removed Account | Altho I do agree with your valid points, somtimes for privacy reasons or simply noise reasons, texting is convenient. Especially since as much as texting chaps your ass, me telling you to hold on for 5 minutes every 3 minutes chaps your ass worse. |
| Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 11:20:22 PM #12559 |
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DeadLazyBum Site Admin '♥' Level 33 Posts: 2,962 Submissions: 137 | Quote: If phones had keyboards like a computer, A lot of the newer phones have keyboards on them. Quote: now people just annoy the shit out of me.Me too, except I was never a party guy. People just annoy the shit out of me, thats why I stick with the friends I already have. |
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| Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 11:26:06 PM #12560 |
 ecko Member 'MMA Expert' Level 27 Posts: 1,782 Submissions: 66 | I like texting, cause when I'm bored... It's almost just like a forum. Same thing basically. |
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| Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 1:09:47 AM #12561 |
 MR2Junkie Member 'Cunning Linguist' Level 21 Posts: 1,709 Submissions: 74 | I'm not a big fan of cell phones period; and I rarely answer mine when I'm driving. Texting for me isn't so bad if it's kept short and the situation warrants it (i.e. if I'm at work and need to tell someone something without being on the phone with them and getting raped by Johnson) |
"Ah that's one thing about our Harry, doesn't play any favorites! Harry hates everybody: Limeys, Micks, Hebes, Fat Dagos, Niggers, Honkies, Chinks, you name it." |
| Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 1:19:45 AM #12563 |
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DeadLazyBum Site Admin '♥' Level 33 Posts: 2,962 Submissions: 137 | Quote: and I rarely answer mine when I'm driving.Thats not illegal where you live yet? Its illegal out here. |
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| Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 9:56:55 AM #12564 |
 Darkharbinger Member 'lord of teh lulz' Level 14 Posts: 3,047 Submissions: 16 | texting is overrated |
Don't EVER try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal. |
| Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 12:36:40 PM #12569 |
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Toasty SysOp Level 40 Posts: 7,388 Submissions: 227 | No, it's illegal in downtown Chicago to be on the phone if you're not using a headset, but in the rest of the state it is still legal. Can't wait for it to be illegal, that will be the day. I guess they're fighting to make headset use illegal as well. |
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| Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 2:10:32 PM #12572 |
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DeadLazyBum Site Admin '♥' Level 33 Posts: 2,962 Submissions: 137 | Quote: Can't wait for it to be illegal, that will be the day.It doesn't get followed, at least not out here. I still constantly see people on the phone while driving. Texting while driving is illegal out here now too, since Jan. 1st. |
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| Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 2:50:06 PM #12575 |
| DarkestAngel Removed Account | I use my headset when driving, or in rare cases speakerphone. My brother's car got t boned from some dumb bitch doin 50 in a 30 on a cramped city street, she was talkin on the phone and not paying attention, didn't see him til she hit him. Even after she broadsided him she STILL didn't get off the phone. |
| Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 2:51:14 PM #12576 |
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Darkharbinger Member 'lord of teh lulz' Level 14 Posts: 3,047 Submissions: 16 | thats some dedication |
Don't EVER try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal. |
| Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 3:30:03 PM #12580 |
| DarkestAngel Removed Account | She didnt even get off to call the police. She was on with her friend and was like, omg I just hit someone! And kept talkin |