[flash]

it's bad enough that nobody answers their phone anymore and i have to deal with voicemail

it's bad enough that i have to have call waiting so as to not have to pick up voicemail and deal with computerized voices and messages and such

it's bad enough that i have to interrupt a call to pick up another call, but it's better than sending someone to voicemail

it's bad enough that we have cell phones, constantly ringing and interrupting each other

it's bad enough that they created this infernal "texting" service that allows people to annoy you at the drop of a hat with any inane thought they may have, and allow them to spit it out in some abbreviated poorly thought out fashion

it's bad enough that cox has decided to add caller ID on my television - like i wanted to interrupt my very limited relaxation time with a phone call banner - aren't the bugs and streaming trailers enough? how much of the screen do they want? just let me see the show

it's bad enough i have to go out of my way to delete these things that the service companies assume everyone wants

now some idiot, in their infinite 'wisdom" has added a truly annoying text to voice message service - recently i have been getting calls, often while on another call, that are an unintelligible computer voice attempting the reading of a message somebody didn't bother to deliver themselves - i can't tell who they are from, as i am on a call, and the caller ID doesn't pick up when i am, and i can't understand most of what the message is trying to say - very annoying

i find this incredibly rude - if you want my time, have the courtesy to spend yours

whatever happened to manners and personal attention? are we all that busy? i think i want my rotary phone back

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[ds968]

<!--quoteo(post=80539:date=Sep 23 2009, 09:44 AM:name=flash)-->QUOTE (flash @ Sep 23 2009, 09:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->it's bad enough that cox has decided to add caller ID on my television - like i wanted to interrupt my very limited relaxation time with a phone call banner - aren't the bugs and streaming trailers enough? how much of the screen do they want? just let me see the show<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Comcast just added that feature as well.. if they had to do this, they could have placed it in a corner of the screen, make it transparent and taking up a small space as well, but no, there's a friggin' conspicuous bar a third of the way from the bottom, with a solid background ( and contrasting color ID ) which blocks part of the picture in addition to the annoyance of it showing up in the first place.


Great, all you need when you're watching an adult feature, the bar appears and invariably covers the most critical part of of the action close-up, and then the caller ID shows your mom is calling you ! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif[/img]

Not me of course, just hypothetically speaking.. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img]

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[Darryl]

<!--quoteo(post=80539:date=Sep 23 2009, 12:44 PM:name=flash)-->QUOTE (flash @ Sep 23 2009, 12:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->i think i want my rotary phone back<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


I have one I can sell you. I think I have both desk style and hang on the wall style. You may want to check with your local phone company to see if you can still get pulse service... [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img]

On the serious side, I've often pondered the same things you mention. I do find the automated attendants the most annoying even though I understand why companies do it. I'll do everything possible not to have an automated attendant on my PBX.

The most annoying thing to me is the fact that you punch in all the requested info and then when a human being does pick up the phone, you've got to give them the same information verbally all over again. That's terribly frustrating. I've found that it's sometimes faster to not press any buttons and you get a person faster!

- Darryl

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[flash]

oh that makes me crazy

i know those voice tree things are just there to keep us busy - i often wonder if there is somebody sitting back and watching and laughing their butt off

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[flash]

i just hang up when i hear a computer voice on an incoming call, but it's still annoying

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[T-Bone]

All good stuff. For me, I live on text and email. With 50 sales people in the field, the technology is amazing for quick answers/responses.

However, the most annoying thing for me has nothing to do with technology. I want to know what the makes a restaurant or bar think that I need to have someone hand me a towel and than I should tip them for it!? GTFO with bathroom attendants!

Flash, great rant thread for the day!

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[flash]

i just don't find anything that urgent that it can't wait for me to get to a land line where i can focus my attention and give the person their due consideration - it makes me crazy when somebody tries to cram in a cell call, especially when they know full well they are in a bad cell spot, and even say so on the call - that's just being an idiot - they can wait until they can actually give me the time to have a proper call - my philosophy is that if it's not important enough for you to give me your time and undivided attention, it's certainly not important enough for me to give you mine

lol - to answer the bathroom question, it was probably the same guy that decided they needed to remind people to wash their hands afterward by having a guy there holding a towel

as a side note, i used to love some of the clubs i would go to that had attendants - there were cologne selections, mints, and the guy was actually more like your personal valet for a few minutes as he helped prep you to go back out there - was a nice little confidence booster - it felt like you had somebody behind you in support

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[94SilverCab]

You can just ignore it all. At home, I do not feel compelled to answer the phone (cell or landline). I unplugged the caller ID, I do not have call waiting. I check my e-mail at my leisure and reply in the same timeframe.

If this stuff is bugging you because you are allowing it to intrude in your life, you need to unplug and breathe....

JMHO,

Jay

PS, The Garmin is the BEST piece of technology ever invented! I'm never stressed about being lost anymore, and my wife and I have an agreement that Garmin gives the directions...

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[flash]

yeah - i am doing that more and more - of course, the downside is that i then get to explain to people why i didn't pick up the phone, as they assume i am there,and often assume it is my cell - unlike most people, almost nobody gets my cell number - if that thing rings, it had better be important

not ruining my life, but it's just one more annoyance i have to figure a way around

were it not for business, i would likely not answer the phone at all

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[Cloud9...68]

They say we're a deeply divided nation, policically and idealogically, and I'm sure "they're" right. But I can't think of anything that can bring as universal and utterly unanimous agreement as the sheer hatred for voice mail trees. AArrghhhh!!!! The only people who could possibly tolerate these affronts to humanity are the people who developed them. And a pox on all their houses!

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[rhudeboye]

Ahhh, the Rude Rants are spreading.

Dont see how anyone can not like the convenience of texting. Im not one to go crazy with it but sometimes you just want to convey a simple thought w/ out the dialing and ringing and all the pleasantries to follow when the phone is answered. ie- text to wife- going by Costco on the way hm. She replies- get XYZ.
And there it is stored in my phone so I dont pick up only X&Z.

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[flash]

she and i both have fairly private numbers (only a hand full of people have them) - when it rings, it's important, and somebody we want to hear from - with cell technology the way it is, a text may or may not get through anyway - we certainly don't want to get "hey - what's up?" texts, and with no way to filter them to all but specific numbers, we choose to insist that it be a completed call

i don't even allow voice mail on my cell phone

if and when they set it up so that you can only accept messages from specific numbers, and block specific numbers, then maybe i'll add the services - i can see the uses, but the disadvantages outweigh the advantages

clearly i am getting crankier and crankier as i get older, but i am now valuing my time more and more - i am choosing to limit my interactions on the phone, and definitely electronically

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[968Syncro]

I'd like to suggest a couple of alternatives [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

   
   

Comment: I really hate the occasional rudeness as well. I canceled voice mail on the home phone, let them call back.

The larger problem is the amount of time all this stuff takes. People are forever emailing, texting --- and of course configuring and maintaining their devices. Let alone that all work stops when these devices fail, people don't know how to work on paper anymore. There is a remaining question if all this technology actually makes work more efficient or not.

But also get frustrated the other way, since my parents have no cell phone nor computer / email! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif[/img]

Roland

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[flash]

lol - yeah - what happens when the satellites go down?

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[rhudeboye]

<!--quoteo(post=80571:date=Sep 23 2009, 01:20 PM:name=968Syncro)-->QUOTE (968Syncro @ Sep 23 2009, 01:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I'd like to suggest a couple of alternatives [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

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[T-Bone]

Actually, what is interesting to me is that I find myself always checking my iphone. It's almost to the point that I'm not as creative as I used to be because I'm constantly reacting to VM's, texts, emails, IM's, etc. If you submerge yourself in the technology, it's extremely easy to be sucked in to the point of simply jumping from one demand to the next, always accomplishing someone else's agenda.

I certainly find that in my daily life. Like Flash, I am to the point where I'm not looking for more things to do, just more time to do the things that "I" want to do...

T

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[Chris Vais]

I have a number of twenty-somethings that work for me. Their primary communication mode is by texting, follwed by cell phone. The texting thing has gotten so bad that I've observed them to be reading and responding to text messages in the middle of technical meetings. One young woman, who I called into my office after such an episode in the middle of a safety meeting, apologized profusely, but then told me that texting for her was like an addiction. She actually experiences a mild anxiety if she goes without receiving a message to respond to every 15 to 20 minutes. I told her if I caught her doing it again I was going to send her to rehab.

Between texting, social network websites, twitter, etc. I can just see productivity going to hell in a hand cart once the next generation is in the driver seat. ( Probably the same reaction our parents had about us, but I digress.).

My staff insists that I should more accessible to them by responding to text messages, making my private phone numbers available to them, so they can call whenever they need something. My arguement is that, if I'm available to deal with every single problem they encounter, they'll never learn to think for themselves or take the initiative to solve a problem.

Maybe I'm just getting old.

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[flash]

the next generation is already in the driver seat..................texting

by the way, i fired two guys off of one of my crews last year for texting while working

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[ds968]

<!--quoteo(post=80582:date=Sep 23 2009, 03:11 PM:name=Chris Vais)-->QUOTE (Chris Vais @ Sep 23 2009, 03:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Between texting, social network websites, twitter, etc. I can just see productivity going to hell in a hand cart once the next generation is in the driver seat. ( Probably the same reaction our parents had about us, but I digress.).<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

A few of these social networking sites are merging - Youtube, Facebook and Twitter will be forming a site soon to be known as " You-twit-face ! "


We lost all social graces and personal interaction skills - I'm getting occasional emails and texts from my son who happens to be in another room of the house at the time.. I told him next time he does that instead of walking ten feet to talk to me he'll have to figure out a way to extract an iPhone from his butt, 'cause not sure if we can afford a hospital removing it .

And while we're at it, when I call any given voice option tree, why do I have to dial 1 for English ?! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

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[gryphon]

If you have a son in college, texting may be the only practical way to communicate with him. He often will not answer my call but will respond to a text. I suspect this may be, in part, because being overhead talking to Dad is embarrassing.

Sigh........

Tom

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