The key to working at a place like Ars Technica is solid news judgment. [eds note: tell that to Benj Edwards] I’m talking about the kind of news judgment that knows whether a pet peeve is merely a pet peeve or whether it is, instead, a meaningful example of the Ways that Technology is Changing our World.
The difference between the two is one of degree: A pet peeve may drive me nuts but does not appear to impact anyone else. A Ways that Technology is Changing our World story must be about something that drives a lot of people nuts.
“But where is the threshold?” I hear you asking plaintively. “It’s extremely important that I know when something crosses the line from pet peeve to important, chin-stroking journalism topic!”
Fortunately, the answer is simple. The threshold has been breached when your local public transit agency puts up a sign about the behavior in question.
Which brings me to the sign I saw yesterday in Philadelphia.
“Unless the tea is REALLY hot, keep the call off speaker,” it said.
(For those not in the US, “tea” in this context means gossip or news.)
I fucking hate speakerphone and don’t use it even in my van unless a photo or document is shared during the conversation that needs to be addressed.
So, I got an ultrasonic dog trainer. It actually effectively jammed microphones. So, you can look on Amazon for an ultrasonic dog trainer and use that in the presence of these people and just hold the button down and it will jam their microphone. Your mileage may vary. This might not be legal in all places, but basically it sounds like terrible static to the person on the other end. Best of luck.
They’re assholes. Why do you think the world is the way it is, so little consideration for others.
One time, my mother-in-law answered a phone on speaker in a bar. It was from her boss.
“I just killed someone” came out of that speaker in a voice that sounded like he was going to cry.
I don’t think she has put it on speaker since then.
Just use headphones, how hard is that?
I just start getting into their conversation. Answering both of them, and I don’t stop when I get the “wtf” eyes.
¡Advertir! I’m gigantic, so your mileage may vary.
Probably how children were raised to speak to people over the phone.
Until the iPhone, I can’t think of too many personal phones that could put the call on speaker. So, if families with kids called other family, it was usually a form of one on one calls where people handed the phone off between each other. Nowadays, the default option is to put the call on speaker so everyone can hear everyone else. That set an expectation to where calls are on speaker unless there is a need for privacy.
I’m pretty sure Nokias could also do it on the speaker, at least some of them.
But also I have calls on the speaker all the time for a different reason myself: I can walk around and do things with both hands. Sometimes I’ll cook on a call, etc. But what kind of a monster does that in public?
I’m taking about default behavior. 20+ years ago, the default phone call was pushing a piece of technology against an ear an next to your mouth. That hasn’t been the default for a while.
I blame the lack of a headphone jack.
Done get me wrong, boom boxes were a thing in the 80’s and 90’s, and there is the modern day equivalent of terrible Bluetooth speakers.
But without a convenient $5 tool to quiet your device it’s obvious most people will resort in speaker phones if they want to quickly hear something.
This is about calls though, not music.
Headphones are still the answer, but it doesn’t have to be a headphone jack. Bluetooth works great.
People use speakerphone in public because they want you to join in their public conversation.
I endorse this way to meet new friends both in person and “on line” at the same time
What irritates me most, people using speakerphone but holding it up right to their mouth. How fucking hard is it to just move your hand about 6 inches further and put the fucking thing next to your ear and use it like a normal fucking phone.
The Kardashians and any reality show that needs to showcase a phone call for the audience. That is exactly how this all got to the level it did. People who watched and were raised on that media learned to use a phone like that and do.
That’s my theory.
You’re making me feel very old. Reality TV was what permanently turned me off of linear programming. I gradually started learning about the Kardashians via memes in comments.
The future is now fellow old man (my joints hurt just typing this). If it helps, I remember the comforting noises of a 14.4k modem connecting me to the world wide web.
It’s just normal asshole main-character behavior. See ripples of that behavior across society these days.
Using speakerphone in public is acceptable in one scenario: your phone’s normal speaker/mic is broken, you don’t have headphones, and a loved one is calling you as they’re dying.
I can totally get behind speakerphone in that precise situation.
Because they are assholes who think the world exists for them
I almost punched a guy on the train this week for something similar. He had some music on speaker for a while, then asked „does anyone think this is too loud?“. I told him that actually yes, I think it is to which he replied „well I don’t care“ and turned it even louder.
Ive done this twice, but most recently,
I was in a doctor’s waiting room where an older fella is brainrot scrolling videos. I’m trying to read my book and ignore it, but the sounds are so annoying. So, I as politely as I can, turn to him and ask, “Sir, Im sorry to bother you, it’s a bit loud, do you think you can turn it down?” He snaps at me, “Ma’am”, he fucking ma’med me, “Ma’am, my volume is only at half, it’s fine”. I said, “Oh yeah? Bet, mine too” and hit play on the Suicide Silence (deathcore) I queued up.
The first time I did this, the person pulled out headphones immediately (maybt They Art is Murder works better), This guy kept going, so I placed my phone on the floor in front of me and pretended(tried) to read my book until I got called.
Fire with Fire
It was amusing in Star Trek IV, but that seems quaint now.
What was amusing in Star Trek was when Spock pinched that dickhead’s lights out.
For me, speakerphone goes on temporarily if I need multiple people to be able to both listen and speak to an existing conversation.
Otherwise, they join the call on their own devices.
I find holding a phone up to my cheek really annoying though; I could see secondary exceptions for people with wireless headphones whose batteries had just died.
I use speakerphone a lot in my own home too when no one is around. It’s just more comfortable to hold my phone in front of me instead of to my ear. Never in public unless specific other people need to hear it.
Many people do video calls too. I always get the urge to stand behind them and start doing funny faces
