Ten polite things people just don't seem to do anymore
(E.g. 2 of them: writing thank you notes; giving your undivided attention to your company, rather than your phone.)
Does the digital era herald the end of history?
"But anyone who's seen their photo or music collections wiped out, knows how easily digital files can be lost".
"And in an increasingly networked digital world, the same catastrophic result could be achieved by a particularly virulent piece of malware or through state-sponsored cyber-warfare. The loss of this data could plunge the world into a "digital dark age", warns "father of the internet" Vint Cerf - one of the inventors of the net's language and architecture."
Although all are worthy of mention, the seventh is the one that annoys me the most, simply because it's so prevalent. "No problem" is not an appropriate response -- ever. This is a millennial catchphrase that I typically respond with, "You're welcome, also." Some get the point; most don't.
ReplyDeleteAh, the number of times that I've lost important data and software, due to computer crashes! Two astrological software programs were lost and couldn't be replaced, because they were out-dated and the original CDs were one-time only or not readable with upgraded operating system...I could only upgrade from the companies for a hefty fee. Many photos lost, but I should have printed them or sent them digitally to my local drugstore and had them professionally printed. All of my losses could have been prevented had I planned for such an occurrence. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the "10 Polite Things" article and I could add a few:
Cash registers for the past several decades indicate how much money to return to the customer and the cashier always forks it over in a handful of money, never counting it out. There isn't enough time for the customer to count it. I've been shorted a few times. Once in a great while, a cashier will actually count it backward and it shocks me, but I greatly like that, eg I give the cashier $10 for a $4.50 purchase and I'm given the first quarter as $4.75, the second quarter to make $5.00, then a five dollar bill to make $10.
I don't like people using their cell phones, particularly blue-tooth devices, when in public places. I've had the misfortune of thinking someone is talking to me, when they are actually talking on their ear-mounted phone. Or the noisy one-sided chatter of a shopper on their cell phone going down each aisle of the supermarket. Spare me.
The advertising bombardment on websites, particularly the instant-loading videos. Concomitantly, the advertisements that are presented just for me, because I had looked at something similar twenty days ago on some non-related website.
Digital toys offer a distinctive ego gratification and immediacy for the users. Many users inflate their profiles to suit their needs. Comments and replies are all too often mean-spirited and not even an appropriate response to the original communication. Commenters become caught in a war amongst themselves (sometimes those are fun to purview).
Truth is anything one wants to state without basis. My neighbor became upset with the Baltimore-Freddy Gray incident. She KNEW Gray was guilty and did something criminal to have the police stop him. I told her that wasn't the case and it was confirmed on the news that night and "Nightline" that he did nothing wrong. She became angry and asked whether I believed everything I heard and read on the news. I asked where she received her information and she said it was from her friends on Facebook.
I'll stop here...LOL.
Oh, one more! There is a commercial currently airing with a father sitting on the sofa with two daughters, one on each side of him. The two daughters are busily texting one another. I've been in a roomful of people and have actually witnessed people in that room texting one another. WTF!!!
ReplyDeleteJefferson's Guardian ~ Agreed. The "no problem" response does seem to be most popular with a certain age group. It's not something I've ever said, or would even consider saying. Doesn't make much sense in the context it's usually used. It appears to be implying, somehow, that the responder is far more important than the humble enquirer.
ReplyDeletemike ~ A few of the 10 lost politenesses possibly apply more to urban areas than rural or semi-rural, small/medium town life in the US. Misguided as OK's politics are, Okies themselves, on the whole, are a kindly and polite bunch. As we have no public transport at all, the problem of giving up seats doesn't arise. The wearing of hats indoors happens all the time around here, in chain restaurants and suchlike - custom and practice I guess. If dining in a more upscale eating place, or in someone's house, yes of course, hat removal is just essential good manners. It's gratifying to receive a thank you note, but a simple spoken "thank you" will suffice - even that is becoming ever more rare though.
ReplyDeleteThe cellphone and digital lifestyle in general seems ever more "foreign" to me, apart from my desk-top computer whose language I can just about speak (sometimes).
I often think how much would be lost if the internet were ever destroyed (by whatever means). Civilisation in most western countries would simply crumble because we have discarded any safety net or "paper back-up" as far as I know. I suppose it'll take a partial disaster to bring this home completely to the Powers That Be....though you'd expect them to be savvy enough to get it - if we lesser mortals do!
(again) ~ Texting taken to the level of absurdity! Humans simply do not know when to stop.
Off topic - Have you discovered the PBS "Short Films"? They are FREE! Use your Roku to access the PBS channel and scroll down to "Featured Programs", then find "Film School Shorts"...these are from previous years. For 2014, go back to PBS' main page and scroll way down to find "Originals", then find "Watch Us Surprise You/Online Film Festival". I selected the San Antonio PBS station when I first set-up my Roku PBS account, so it may not be the same. The 2015 season starts soon. I can only find the 2014 season online through the PBS website...youtube has some of the older seasons, too. A favorite short of mine is "Josephine and the Roach". I hope you can find-access them, as there are some good ones.
ReplyDeletehttp://video.pbs.org/program/pbs-online-film-festival/episodes/?page=1
If for some reason you can't access these through the Roku PBS channel, you can watch them on your Roku Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pbs+online+film+festival
mike (again) ~ No, we haven't seen any of those - but will have a look around PBS and sample a few via Roku later.
ReplyDeleteI've watched a handful of very short ones just now (on YouTube):
"Boundless" (liked this one); and one about children painting artwork on the Mexican Border Fence (good idea!); and "Injunuity: Buried" - about the removal of Native American burial site to build shopping mall in Northern California; also "Yellow Wallpaper" - strange one, a bit creepy, based on a 19th century short story.
Will investigate further on TV when we switch on tonight. Thanks for the tip. :-)
mike (again) ~ didn't have chance to investigate the PBS shorts further last night - TCM channel(Turner Classic Movies) were having a time travel themed night so we simply had to watch Berkeley Square; Time After Time; and La Jetée; then about 15 mins of an old Dr Who film with Peter Cushing before having to head to bed. :-)
ReplyDeleteI viewed more last night..."My Dear Americans", "Penny Dreadful", "The Doctor", and "Sorry About Tomorrow" were standouts! None is bad.
ReplyDeletemike (again) ~ Thanks - I've made a note of those. I visited YouTube PBS shorts again a while ago and found the "blank on blank" series - mostly 5 mins-ish or less interviews with well-known characters + cartoony line sketches. I especially liked Ray Bradbury's of the handful I watched. I had difficulty with the accents/sound on a couple of others - possibly due not my "not being from around here" :-)
ReplyDelete