Just a very long moment of silence
We’ve had a good 143 years with phones since their invention. Going back to the old crank up boxes, the rotary dial, the portable handsets and the smart phones they’ve been a blessing. Social and business relationships have been very well served by phone conversation. It will be a sad good-by.
Last week I was unable to call my two sisters. Later I asked them “What’s going on?”
“We get so many robot calls that we no longer answer any more.” they replied.
As I think about it, I keep my land line, but only for the burglar alarm and FAX machine. We never answer the devise either. People leave messages and we try to get back, but who wants to download a box full of 75 credit card solicitations, insurance salesmen and condo time share opportunities? It’s not what Alexander Graham Bell or Guglielmo Marconi had in mind. It was so simple when they gave us this magic gift of connection. Alexander and Guglielmo just wanted people to be able to talk to each other at a distance.
I will miss this Golden Era of Communication and the ability to ring up my sister or my wife for a cheerful word. Doctor’s appointments, reservations were so convenient on the phone.
Now we are entering a new era, something like the post apocalyptic film Pyun’s Cyborg Trilogy where two cyborg monsters battled each other to the death. But this is not a movie, it’s occurring in our own homes. On one side of the contest is human friendly servant Mr. Phone System. He’s made up of poles, cell towers, WiFi and satellites. Mr. Phone is being torn apart by the murderous marauder “Doom Machine”, aka “Robotic Dialing Telemarketer”. Mr. Phone is fighting back with caller ID, No Call Lists and legislation. I don’t want to give away the ending of this film, but Doom Cyborg is in the lead.
If Robotic Dialing Telemarketer is victorious, it will be a major loss. The phone era should get a fitting burial and memorial. That could come in the form of one very long moment of silence.