Beep for my Beep…
I detest key beeps. I understand their function in life when touch-tone telephones are concerned, the keys have to make a tone in order to connect to the exchange. And then the tones are decoded and translated into a number, or something like that.
I do not, however, understand their primary function in modern mobile phones. I admit they do have their uses for people who are vision impaired, or those users that have touch screen phones (such as the iPhone), so that they know what they are typing. But for the rest of humanity what is the point? While there is a certain poetry in the fact that each text message you write is a brand-new composition in the world of mobile telephony, surely the novelty wears off after the second, maybe third text message you send.
And then there is the annoyance they create for the world at large; as it tends to be the people who are most oblivious to their surroundings, and who have lots of text-friends, which leave their key-beeps on. This means that the rest of society is aurally bombarded with a rapid succession of nonsense tones, whilst these people try and communicate with their acquaintances on the other end of the mobile network. And just as it is rude to talk loudly into a mobile phone on public transport (especially saying “Sorry, you’re breaking up” whilst inside a tunnel), I consider it equally so to message loudly on public transport. These people are a public menace, and ought to be dealt with as such.
March 8th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Some phones just make it so damn difficult to turn the beeps off… I’m blaming the manufacturer…
March 9th, 2007 at 5:55 am
I’v never really had a problem with it… I turn off all sound effects (minus ring tones outside of the office) and listen to music while riding public transit.
What I DO have a problem with is that inevitable loser who decides to CHANGE his or her ring tone while in a public situation… now that should demand some respect. In an age where it is nearly impossible to find a phone with decent manufacturer ringtones, please have some decency to avoid subjecting everyone to them.
March 9th, 2007 at 11:25 am
I realise that those of us with a social conscience turn off key beeps, but the annoyance for me comes from other people refusing to do so. It’s just plain rude.
Fair call Sach, those people who sit at train stations and methodically cycle through each and every built-in ringtone on their phone really grind my gears! If people need to experiment with ringtones, they should do it on their own time, in the privacy of their own homes, so they are only annoying their family/housemates.
March 9th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
is will ranting about GeM’s inability to type quietly… i know it grinds those gears buddy, but you know what really grinds my gears… people who read on the train and mouth/whisper the words… just loud enough to annoy you… I DON’T CARE FOR YOUR BOOKCLUB NOR YOUR TERRIBLE READING STANDARDS!!
oh and then there are those people who like use like the word like in like every second like word in their like freaken sentances…
oh and sach, you can throw me down stairs anytime you want
… however, the maple leaf/marijuana leaf does explain how quirky your part of planet earth can be… explains the slower internation of the american accent you guys copied and slapped an ‘ey’ on the end of each and every sentence. explains mounties. the french part of your country. why you all get very violent when it comes to hockey.
March 9th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Dave, that was almost naughty there for a second… and then the casual segue into the break down of the Canadian accent. I like to think that it is the most easily understood of the English accents. Maybe it because we speak more slowly… maybe it is because we enunciate and don’t try to cram 15 syllables into 5… eh?
March 9th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
no apparently the kiwi’s have the most clearly spoken english outta the whole lot of us, as well as being the closest to Queens or proper english. (royalty, not the band) just between you and i sach, i think it’s all the breeding with sheep that keeps their enuciation crystal clear, aaaaaayyyyy. whatdoyoureckonmate?
March 9th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
woohoo number 1000
March 9th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Sorry to burst your bubble dave, but at last count at least 305 of those comments were spam. But hey, I guess I should be flattered that I get so much spam!?
March 9th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
mmmmmmmmmm…. spam
March 10th, 2007 at 1:24 am
KIWI’S have the most clearly spoken English? Now that’s a load of crap if I ever heard one. I could see them being the closest to proper, but you’re not going to pull the wool over my eyes.