WARNING: This product contains rants
It's possibly only those of you who've studied British history, and a handful of those who've lived in Britain, who'll know who the Luddites were. A short explanation is available here, and a more detailed one here.
In modern Britain, the term Luddite is used to describe people who refuse to except advances in technology or methods.
So anyway, I'm reading another blog, a few weeks ago, by a woman who's a tech support person, and she's (justifiably) complaining about users asking for tech support on their PDA's
Her point was entirely justifiable. Why should she have to support such things, they're not part of the corporate network. No, it was some of the comments left after it that got my back up.
Here's my comment:
Surely Palm PDA's are a personal thing, so why the fuck are execs calling your help desk about it? Or is it that they're forced to carry them by the company?
My suspicion is that they all bought them because they'd read in GQ that it was a cool and edgy thing to have, if you're a professional bullshitter... err.. I mean corporate executive, so they bought them without realising it said "Brain not included" on the box.
Personally, I love having a PDA. I have a memory like a seive and it has saved my ass on numerous occasions, reminding me that I have appointments across town, a whole hour before I'm due there.
As for these sanctimonious Luddites, who harp on about "ooh well I have a pen and paper, and it works just fine", screw you, you pious fuckers! I don't want to hear about it. You were quite happy to accept the electric light, and hot running water in your homes, so get over yourselves and quit looking so bloody self-righteous.
Sure, I used to have a paper-based organiser. It grew to be the size of a couple of house-bricks, such was the amount of extra paper I needed to add to accommodate all the information I needed. But then the PDA came on the market, and was the size of a packet of cigars, but held the same amount of information (as the Filofax, not the cigar packet).
I have nearly 300 names and addresses in my PDA, and there's no fucking way I'd want to have to leaf through page after page of notebook, when I can just type their name, and the PDA finds all their details, and can dial the number for you.
Also, one of the biggest pains with paper organisers, is when people change their address or phone number, and you have to white-out or scribble over it. Much better to be able to just edit the record.
Hmmm... I think I feel a rant coming on.
And boy howdy did I!
During the last pledge drive, after being on-air for a couple of hours, I filled in a five-hour shift as Phone Supervisor. This is a fiddly little admin job mostly, but also involves supervising the volunteers answering the phones.
On my shift there was a woman who spent the entire time bleating on and on about how she didn't like this, and she didn't like that, and she doesn't believe in this, or indeed, that.
Ignoring the lengthy political grandstanding and preaching she was doing, her biggest gripe was with technology.
She gave myself and the other volunteers a sermon about how evil cell phones are, and went on to tirade against people who - get this - actually have the gaul to answer them when they ring in her presence.
I'm not talking about people she's having dinner with, breaking off to yack at length on the cell phones. No, she was bitching about complete strangers within earshot of her, daring to answer phone calls. Like we should all stop to accommodate her. Give me a break lady.
Of course, there's little or no chance of her reading this, because guess what? When it comes to computers she, "doesn't believe in them". Yes, apparently, they don't exist. They're just a figment of the imagination.
I think she's thinking of CompUSA's customer care.
It's like those people who, when interviewed, not only say, "I know nothing about computers.", but are proud of their ignorance. These are the same people who think they're being oh-so-fucking-amusing by claiming that they "don't even know how to program their video recorder".
No. You're not being amusing, you're just saying to the world, "I'm too stupid and/or pompous to be able to understand this gadget that 9 year-old children can easily operate."
Not amusing, just asinine.
What do you people expect? You think the rest of us are going to be in awe of your ardent resistance to technology? No. We're going to think you're a pompous dumb asshole, who thinks they can slime their way through life, above it all.
Maybe these people don't need a particular new gadget or technology, but what gives them the right to be so damn condescending about people who are less afraid of trying new things?
It's the "early adopters" who help iron out the flaws in systems. It's the "early adopters" that prove a technology on a mass level, and thus drive the price down.
So put the quill down, light another candle, and stop being so ungrateful to them, you assholes.
Posted by Max at November 20, 2002 09:07 AM