I'm taking a stand...or am I?

[Anonymouse]

This is going to be a long one. I make no aplogies for this.

I arranged to meet a friend of mine - my best friend, incidentally - at 1:30pm to go to the cinema. I was a little over half an hour late, because the train that should have got me there at 1:34 didn't come at all. I got there just before she, understandably, decided to give up.

Afterward, as she often does when we go to see a film, she dragged me into a mobile phone shop to try to persuade me to buy one. But we have a difference of opinion as to the degree to which a mobile is essential to my escaping from my current (warehouse) job and becoming a programmer. She believes it's essential to the professional image, and she seemed rather annoyed with me when I held firm. I'll admit she had a point in that if I'd had one I could have let her know I was going to be late.

The problem here is that no-one, EVER, has convinced me that the damn things are essential to anything. I hate it when people, especially when they're 30+, say 'Ooh, I don't know how I'd manage without it'; my immediate thought, every time I hear this, is 'Then how the hell did you manage 10, 15, 20 years ago?!' When I'm walking through town and, it seems, every third person is sporting a mobile as if it's part of their ear, I don't think 'hey, I should get one' - it just annoys me. On the 'pet hates' thread I mentioned hating that 'I'm just getting on the bus' thing. The thought of joining that crowd makes me shiver.

But now I'm wondering:

Am I right and the (apparently vast) majority wrong, or is it the other way around?

Am I right in thinking mobiles are antisocial and intrusive, or am I behind the times?

Am I right in taking a stand against what I see as the worst social mistake of the 20th Century, or am I a rebel without a cause?

Am I right to think I'd just be joining the conformist herd, a thought that scares me, or am I being left behind? I am, in many respects, a misfit, though I quit apologising to the world for that when I hit 30 (BTW, I hit 40 last month!). I remain convinced that misfits are essential because without them 'normal' people would have no yardstick to judge their supposed normality, given that it's a wholly relative term. But am I overdoing it?

Hence the poll. I particularly want to hear comments from anyone here who is an IT professional, especially in programming-related fields. I want to hear from anyone who has a mobile and wishes they didn't. At this point, I confess, I know nothing whatsoever about using one; the only thing I do know is that they annoy the hell out of me and every fibre of my being screams in horror at the very thought of having one.

But is it possible that I'm sabotaging my chances of escaping from a job I hate? Would it really help that much?

I really need to know. Please vote.

[Russ]

I'd say they're essential items, if only for women who might feel vunerable if their car breaks down on a motorway etc.

[Chris W]

Personally, I have got used to having a mobile phone, and when i don't have it now (i frequently lose them) i have to change my lifestyle a little.

I don't think they are necessary, but for many can be extremely useful... for example- I travel a long way to work every morning, and if i am going to be late I need to let someone know so they can open up for me. I drive, so if i get stuck in traffic i couldn't get to a phone - hence mobile very handy (handsfree of course).

My dad has a mobile phone which he had since he was a software consultant- mainly because he spent a lot of time travelling and it provided him with a way to check in with the office, do business while travelling, get internet access on the move etc etc.

My mum has only had a mobile phone recently, and she has this just incase of emergencies. Normally it is turned off.

Different people use their phones for different things. One thing I do wonder though- is what annoys you about mobiles? I'm curious...

[bmxbandit]

you can get a basic phone on pay as you go for £20 now, so for emergency use, that's spot on!

they do have their uses, but being permanently and instantly contactable can be annoying. remember you can always turn it off or simply not anwer a call - the phone is for your convenience, not the callers!

[homealone]

for my:2cents: - and to declare my position, I don't own/use a mobile phone - but, if that was causing a problem between me and my partner, I would get one.

my excuse is that I am never, normally, more than 25 minutes from a land line.

I was a little tempted by the recent 'basic' models, i.e. more about useability than features, but price wise they seem comparitively expensive.

But back to the point - I think it is more about how your G/F perceives you, that is important here ;)

[Anonymouse]

One thing I do wonder though- is what annoys you about mobiles? I'm curious...
Mainly the fact that everyone who has one seems to be on the damn thing most of the time, and doesn't even think about the possibility that people around them - me, for instance - just don't want to hear private (and usually incredibly trivial) conversations. Private conversations should stay private. More than once I've heard one half of a couple arguing with the other half via mobile - eew!


I seem to recall there are also possible health risks. Okay, it hasn't been proven they're harmful...but by the same token, it hasn't been proven they're not. I want proof.

I also wonder what all these people aren't doing and should be doing while they're chatting/texting/whatever. While I was on the 2 - 10 shift, this used to really get on my wick, to see people messing about like this when there was work to be done.

Even if I were working as a programmer, I just don't like the idea that anyone from work would be able to call at any time - it seems to me to be too convenient for bosses to use this as a means of influencing workers to take work home with them, which is something else I object to on a fundamental level. We already work the longest hours in the EU; who wants to work even longer and not even get paid for it? No. We've all seen what happens on that road - and employers these days are so bloody demanding and ungrateful you won't get any thanks or recognition for working yourself into the ground.

Nor do I like the idea of using them to check in with work...that can work both ways. The whole thing just seems too intrusive.

Or, again, is it just me?

[Marge]

I really couldn't be without a mobile phone, in fact I have two. I live up north and t'other half lives down south so if I'm driving there and get stuck etc I can ring him and let him know so he's not worrying (one time I drove down there took me over 6 and half hours :erm: ) It gives me peace of mind that help, should I need it, is instantly available and not having to try to find help which has happened to me previously (late at night on the M60)

[Maggy]

No a mobile phone is not an essential..However in a world that does use them extensively some folk may find that by not having one they are limiting their chances of getting a job,or buying that house or report an accident just because they have to physically find a working landline.

I never wanted one but won one.I gave it to my then 15 year old daughter who thereafter used it to let me know when she was going to be late,needed picking up because she had missed the last bus and any changes in her plans without having to seek an unvandalised phone box and scrabble for change.

I also about this time was having to drive up the A32 to visit a sick family member and driving back home late at night.My car was having problems and the inevitable happened.Luckily I came to no harm but my husband(who also hates mobile phones) insisted that I have one so that if I ever broke down again I could get the RAC to me that much quicker.

Having seen the difference that refurbished mobile phones have had on the continent of Africa in making people who usually have great difficulty in communicating, able to run and organise their lives and businesses so much better because the great distances that they have to communicate across disappear when they have a mobile phone in their hand.Indeed there are entrepreneurs who have set up a small business where they charge a small amount for the use of their phone.If Africans find a mobile a good thing why can't you?.I only use mine to stay connected to my daughter and for emergencies when travelling.The rest of the time I don't bother with it.In fact my husband(who now possess his own),my son and daughter are the only one's who have been given my number.You can do the same thing and only give your number to those you wish to. ;)

[Stuart]

One thing I do wonder though- is what annoys you about mobiles? I'm curious...
Mainly the fact that everyone who has one seems to be on the damn thing most of the time, and doesn't even think about the possibility that people around them - me, for instance - just don't want to hear private (and usually incredibly trivial) conversations. Private conversations should stay private. More than once I've heard one half of a couple arguing with the other half via mobile - eew!


Owning a mobile does not mean you have to use it all the time. Even if you do use it all the time (or even regularly), you don't have to have trivial conversations on it. You don't have to be a member of the "I'm on the train" brigade.

I seem to recall there are also possible health risks. Okay, it hasn't been proven they're harmful...but by the same token, it hasn't been proven they're not. I want proof.

I can't offer proof, but I will say the following. Mobile phones have been around for 20 years now, has cancer increased?


I also wonder what all these people aren't doing and should be doing while they're chatting/texting/whatever. While I was on the 2 - 10 shift, this used to really get on my wick, to see people messing about like this when there was work to be done.


As long as they were doing it during break times, I don't see any problem. If they weren't, the management should do something.


Even if I were working as a programmer, I just don't like the idea that anyone from work would be able to call at any time - it seems to me to be too convenient for bosses to use this as a means of influencing workers to take work home with them, which is something else I object to on a fundamental level. We already work the longest hours in the EU; who wants to work even longer and not even get paid for it? No. We've all seen what happens on that road - and employers these days are so bloody demanding and ungrateful you won't get any thanks or recognition for working yourself into the ground.

Nor do I like the idea of using them to check in with work...that can work both ways. The whole thing just seems too intrusive.

Or, again, is it just me?
Sadly, programming is one of the careers where that is worst. Possibly because you are working against deadlines the whole time, and possibly because if a computer system fails due to a bug, then the company running that system may well fold.

Actually most jobs I know of where that kind of dedication is required, they pay an on-call supplement to the wages.

Also bear in mind that the law requires an 11 hour break between shifts.

Regarding whether to get a phone? I say it's up to you, but bear in mind that you don't have to use it regularly, you don't have to sit there texting for 8 hours a day (although some people seem to), you may not even need it switched on the whole time.

You might also find it helps if you are looking for a job. If the company or agency advertising the job want to talk to you, they can. If they can't, they'll give the job to somebody who they can talk to.

[tick]

If you had 3 children spread over the country you would be glad to have one.
Also if you have ever broken down in a car the same.;)

[bmxbandit]

Or, again, is it just me?
i do agree with a lot of what you're saying, but is it not people's (mis)use of mobile phones, not the phones themselves, that is the problem?

[Shaun]

I think I need a pee. Should I start a thread to ask CF if I should go or not? Afterall it's such a big decision. :erm:

[laptopsrd]

I've voted in the useful camp. Although personally I wish the things had never been invented, has caused me too much grief over the years with people (especially partners!) expecting me to be available to answer inane questions at the drop of a hat. As for is it preventing you from getting employment as a programmer... . Not that i can see! I have a team of 3 programmers and 2 techies and a Business Analyst. We all have mobiles, but I cant think of any times I've HAD to be in contact with them and insisted they have their phones to hand.

[handyman]

I would say that if your going for a job in programming your putting your self in a technological field . Whilst its very arguable that you don't see the need fo one maybe you would have thought the same had you been around when the telephone was invented or tv or the internet.

Speaking from a IT managers perspective, if you do become a programmer and I cannot reach you to fix a bug in a program you have written that's costing the company £10,000 an hour because your not by your landline phone and do not have a moblie then i'm not going to be very happy.

Get one I say, move with the times.

[Angua]

Remember this when you use "the latest" all singing all dancing phone, the more of these there are the more phone masts there will need to be; and all the different companies hate being made to share a mast or site and will avoid doing so wherever possible.

Personally I hate the wretched things and only have mine for emergencies (must be almost a year since I topped up the credit).

Why send texts at 4am? My friends bloke does. :fit:
It seems to have killed the art of conversation in the younger generation.

[Graham M]

It might have been mentioned but, i couldn't personally live without a computer now, now that I know what it can do and understand it. The same goes for mobile phones, if you buy one, it eats into your life and just becomes an everday used item. Yes they can be intrusive and antisocial; I work in a shop and if a customer is in the queue on their mobile phone, I refuse to serve them now until they have finished talking, it just seems rude IMO.

[fireman328]

You don't have to use it, you can keep it switched off or ignore calls, but wouldn't one have been useful today when the train didn't arrive ?

[patrickp]

I seem to recall there are also possible health risks. Okay, it hasn't been proven they're harmful...but by the same token, it hasn't been proven they're not. I want proof.

I can't offer proof, but I will say the following. Mobile phones have been around for 20 years now, has cancer increased?

Which is exactly the point. Mobile phone producers are doing exactly the same as the tobacco companies did - obscuring the probable real health risks by focussing people's attention on cancer. Cancer is not by any means the most serious health risk with either of these products.

[Graham M]

Which is exactly the point. Mobile phone producers are doing exactly the same as the tobacco companies did - obscuring the probable real health risks by focussing people's attention on cancer. Cancer is not by any means the most serious health risk with either of these products.

How could any health risk/disease be worse than cancer?

[Stuart]

How could any health risk/disease be worse than cancer?

I would like to know that as well..

[Pia]

I think he means you are not most likely to get cancer above any other illness using a mobile or tobacco.

[ntl customer]

Get a basic phone, I say but as said earlier, by getting one, it does not mean you have to join the "I'm on the train", "cycle through my ringtones" or more recently "play my heavily compressed MP3s through the phone's speaker which was not designed for music" brigades.

Also, set yourself boundaries. A mobile phone does not necessarily mean you should be available 24/7 and be around to read texts and listen to calls whenever the caller or texter contacts you (unless you need it for emergency use i.e. if you are on "call" as an the duty engineer or similar, but if you are in such a situation your work might issue you with a pager) Switch it off at night and let the calls to go voicemail, and do not let it interfere during your daily life.

If you go to the loo, leave it outside or ignore the call, do not pick it up and talk because not only is it not exactly pleasant for the caller on the other end, you risk doing the inevitable.

If you are at dinner, keep the phone away in your coat pocket or somewhere where it will not disturb. I find it particularly rude to have people playing with their phones at the table, and there has to be a balance you must strike between your work life and your home life.

If you are at the cinema, turn the f**ker off. And do not play with it during the film; do not text; do not call no matter how bored you are. And most certainly do not hold a full blown argument on it either. The amount of times I go to the cinema to be greeted with some crap rendition of a song blasting out as someone calls them and spoils the atmosphere of the scene, the amount of times I see the young 'uns play with their phones during the film, and text, forcing you to look at the glow of their screen shine in the dimmed auditorium and clicking of the keys is unbelievable.

If you have to take the call or send a text, then go outside the auditorium. It really p!sses me off to have people call/text/play with their phones whilst the film is in full swing and I have paid to see it. You know you're going to be in the cinema for a few hours, so why do you feel the need to be constantly on it?

Am I right and the (apparently vast) majority wrong, or is it the other way around?

Am I right in thinking mobiles are antisocial and intrusive, or am I behind the times?

Am I right in taking a stand against what I see as the worst social mistake of the 20th Century, or am I a rebel without a cause?
Well, it depends on the situation. I personally think it's not the fact that you have a mobile that makes you antisocial, it's the way you use it.

Sadly, many people in this society do not seem to grasp the concept of mobile phone etiquette. From the idiots who feel the need to bark into their handsets proclaiming they're on the train, to the pratts the feel the need to cycle through all their ringtones and play music through their handset and the ones that continue talking whilst on the phone when at a checkout, it p!sses me off that people are so rude and lack manners.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's my cut out and keep guide to mobile etiquette: -

1) If you're in a cinema/theatre, unless it is a matter of life and death or for on call purposes for your company, turn it off. If you cannot bear to be without your phone for whatever reason for 2 - 3 hours, then leave it on silent, but if you get texted or called, take the call or reply to the text outside. Do not text in the auditorium, and most certainly do not take a call in the auditorium. I have paid to see a film, not to see your glow of the screen and keypad or hear the click of your keys and ringtone.

2) If you are on a train/bus or any form of public transport then do not bark into your phone when you are talking to someone. There is no need to do so. And if someone calls you, answer your damn phone, and quick - just because you have set up the latest chart single to be your ringtone does not mean that it's appreciated by all and sundry that are around you. And have it on silent or vibrate if at all possible.

Most certainly, do not cycle through your tones or files on your phone. And if watching videos, turn the sound down so that only you and your immediate neighbour sharing the video can hear it. The whole train has no desire to hear the moaning in your home-made amateur porn video featuring yourself and your girl/boyfriend or some happy slap clip that has been passed to you by a friend. Or better, use headphones.

And if you have music on your phone you want to listen to, use headphones. Do not turn the speaker on and play it through that. Not only does it annoy others around you, who maybe not so appreciative of your musical taste, it sounds crap. Mobile phone speakers were never designed for music to play through them, and playing heavily compressed audio files through them does not help. If I want to listen to poor telephone quality music, then I'll ring my local Parcelforce depot at Mitcham, or even better, NTL.

3) If you are in a shop and you get a call near the till, do not blank the assistant and babble away uncontrollably on your phone. It is extremely rude to do so, and at least say hello or good morning/afternoon to them and attempt to engage in conversation. Tell the caller on the end of the line to hold for a bit whilst your goods are put through the till, or say you'll call back later.

4) If at a meeting, turn your phone off. There is nothing worse, like in a cinema to have a ringtone blast out mid sentence whilst your colleagues are speaking. Also, if you are doing the speaking at meeting or delivering a presentation, remind people to turn their phones off. And if one goes off after this, stop talking and wait for them to turn it off. Not only does it make them feel (rightly) embarrassed, it means you do not have to battle over some tinny ringtone to deliver your point.

5) Having a mobile does not mean you have to be tied to it 24/7 and on call. You do not have to read texts and answer calls at the drop of a hat, and do not feel obliged to answer the calls and reply to the texts instantaneously but only when you're ready to do so. This applies especially if it's at night/early morning whilst you're in bed or having some "me" time, such as when you're taking a sh*t, having a bath/shower or more importantly, copulating with your partner. There are times when you should be free of mobile phones - and those three examples are it.

That should also apply to family time as well - such as dinner times, or when you're with your kids. Keep temptation away and leave the phone away from the table. Set yourself a time to cut yourself off from work each night and have time to yourself, your family and/or your partner.

Again, only you can make the decision as to when and where it is appropriate to use your phone. If you are supposed to be the person "on call" ready to come in at a moment's notice if something goes wrong, then perhaps things might be different. But the general etiquette applies - if in a public place, do not bark into your phone, do not leave your ringtone on loud, and if you do answer it quickly. If you're in a shop, then do not blank them and a bit of politeness goes a long way.

Mobile phones can be useful tools in today's society, but when used by people with little etiquette, they can become items that people loathe with a passion and want to smash up, and quite rightly so. In addition, do not feel that because you have a mobile phone that you need to be tied to it and have it in your hands all the time, or have it clamped to your ear whilst walking down the street.

Apologise for rant-come-advice-come-general post. However, I hope this helps you, and also helps others who may not be so good on their mobile etiquette or feel the need to be with it all the time. And before anyone asks, yes, I do have a mobile, no I do not use it often, and no I do not have it permanently clamped to my ear or glued to my hands as I walk down the street. Hope this helps!! ;)

[Graham M]

wow thats quite some post NTL Customer, but I have to agree with all or most of it (didnt read it all i have to admit :D) But hint number 3 is one really close to my heart so all please take note!

[MikeyB]

I've been a programmer for the past 15 or so years, and never once in the 5 years that I've had a mobile has it been essential to my job.
And I'm currently writing programs for Windows smart phones, and Windows PDAs!

The only times I've used it for work is to tell them if I'm stuck in traffic on the way in.
And occasioannly get joke text messages from people at work, but other than that, has never been used in reguards to my work at all.
One of our team doesn't have a mobile phone, and he says he has no use for one, no problem with that.

I depends what sort of programming and what company you will work for as to if they will need to contact you urgently if you were on call, so a mobile would be of use then.

I do think that a mobile phone is a very handy thing to have. I do use mine a lot for keeping in touch with friends as I get free calls & text messages for a very low monthly line rental. It's also very useful for me as I drive a long way to work, and I have had to use it a couple of times when my old car broke down litterally in the middle of no where.
I don't carry my phone with me 24/7 and deffinately don't use it while driving, and it gets switched off when I go to bed, it can wait till the morning!
I don't have a new phone every 3 months because it's "better", I've had my current one for 3 years and only got that because I dropped the old one once too often.

I do have mates who "can't do" without their mobiles, they are the sort of people who must check their email after a Saturday night out on the town. One of them just can't leave it alone, always texting someone, very very annoying when you're all trying to watch a DVD you've rented and all you can here is tap-tap-tap.


While I was on the 2 - 10 shift, this used to really get on my wick, to see people messing about like this when there was work to be done. Where I work we aren't alowed to use our mobile phones during work time, unless it's an emergency call (but how you are meant to know that before you answer I'll never know), and at the same time we can't use the company phone for personal use. Which is all fair enough in my oppinion as you are there to work.


Stuart C came up with a very good point, if you do go for a job a mobile would be very useful so the company can contact you.

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

Ive gone the essential route. I am an IT professional, and more specifically a contractor. For me a mobile is essentia because it means I dont have to use the landline (which a lot of companies dont like contractors doing), and it means I can take/make calls from/to agencies privately. If i was a permie Id probably say they're useful, but as a contractor Id be lost wothoutr one

[orangebird]

I hate having a mobile, but if I ever do leave the house without it I feel a bit lost.

[quadplay]

Personally, I have got used to having a mobile phone, and when i don't have it now (i frequently lose them) i have to change my lifestyle a little.

I think "frequently" is an understatement! :p:

I actually have two mobiles - one personal, which is a 3G mobile (Nokia 6680 on Orange), and one business supplied by my employer (Siemens S65, also on Orange). This at least means I can leave the business mobile off at weekends and only be contactable by friends and family.

However, having two mobiles does get annoying as keeping both in your pocket is uncomfortable, and getting them out and putting them on the table when you sit down makes you look like a flash git!

Which I am, incidentally... ;)

[SMHarman]

However, having two mobiles does get annoying as keeping both in your pocket is uncomfortable, and getting them out and putting them on the table when you sit down makes you look like a flash git!

Which I am, incidentally... ;)Or a Taxi driver.

[quadplay]

Sorry guv, don't go sarf of da river past midnight ;)

[Chris]

I voted for the last option. The problem is, once most people have got them, society has changed to the point where everyone else has to have one. I got my first phone a little over 10 years ago and at the time nobody else I knew had one. I was roundly labelled 'flash git' by my friends. Now, everyone has one, and if I were to decide to go without, I would be labelled 'odd' or 'old fashioned'. Yet on the whole, having carried one around for a decade, I think I'd rather now go without. Sadly these days it's a work phone so I don't have that option!

I hate the fact that mobile phones force you to be on call effectively 24-7. It was bad enough when we only had landlines making us feel obliged to pick up and start a conversation when we perhaps didn't want to. At least the landline is only at home. Now, we carry the phone with us. And it has an answerphone, so you can't call screen very effectively, when accepting a message is tantamount to accepting you have to call the person back.

I try at least to keep holidays sacred, not carrying the phone with me and just checking to see if there's a message once or twice a day. I just can't understand why someone with a privately owned phone would take it away to Malaga or wherever with them. If you don't go on holiday to get away from it all, why go at all?

[Anonymouse]

But back to the point - I think it is more about how your G/F perceives you, that is important here ;)
Er...what G/F? That's news to me! :Yikes:

Despite my efforts in that direction in the past, she isn't my girlfriend and never will be; we settled that years ago and are just friends.

Right. Now to have a look at the poll...

Hmm. A bit inconclusive - 17% essential, 24% useful. Good points made pro and con - thanks, everybody. Zeph mentioned seeing a computer as indispensable; for me, though, the PC falls into the same category. I didn't even get one until 1998, I still regard it as a necessary evil, and I only got one so I could apply for jobs online...

Oh. Turning the argument around, getting a better job was the only reason I got a PC.


Okay, okay, I'll go get one! Everybody happy now? Is there such a thing as a 'white flag' smiley? :rolleyes:

[homealone]

Er...what G/F? That's news to me! :Yikes:

Despite my efforts in that direction in the past, she isn't my girlfriend and never will be; we settled that years ago and are just friends.


sorry for any misunderstanding :angel:

[Anonymouse]

sorry for any misunderstanding :angel:
De nada. That's just the way I'd have liked it to be - and, at times, I still do...except when she's nagging me to get a mobile. ;)

I'll have to email her and tell her she's won. I suppose resistance is futile. I have been assimilated. :(

[smicer07]

Just buy one, there's no shame in having one you know? Use it as and when you feel the need, it's just there for your security and job image that's all. You sound like my dad a few years ago, don't feel ashamed of moving with the times.

[etccarmageddon]

get a phone and then you can keep in closer touch with her - this might make her become your G/F if you get closer!

nb. a phone aint essential for the job, why are you still aspiring to be a programmer? are you in training or just have the skills but are not able to find the job?

[Anonymouse]

You sound like my dad a few years ago, don't feel ashamed of moving with the times.
It's not a question of shame, more of cynicism. New technology and moving with the times aren't all they're cracked up to be, IMO. The former is certainly not the answer to a variety of social problems...not the least of which is the rudeness and lack of consideration on the part of too many mobile users. If anything, technology can cause problems. I'm not against new tech, far from it; I just don't like this over-reliance on it. I can't help but feel that sooner or later it's going to bite back, hard.

To some extent, I agree with Palmer Joss (Contact).

---------- Post added at 06:46 ---------- Previous post was at 06:26 ----------

get a phone and then you can keep in closer touch with her - this might make her become your G/F if you get closer!
No, it won't. Not after 15 years. Thanks for the thought, though.
nb. a phone aint essential for the job, why are you still aspiring to be a programmer? are you in training or just have the skills but are not able to find the job?
Classic Catch-22. I can't get a programming job, despite a string of qualifications up to and including post-grad, because I don't have what IT employers define as "commercial experience" - even though some of the courses I've done were partly sponsored by industry and patterned after standard IT business practices. Since I don't have the experience, I can't get the job.

There are many like me. This is where the so-called skills shortage comes from. In fact, it doesn't exist. The jobs are there; the people who are qualified to do them are available. But because employers are so bloody greedy and picky these days, they want qualifications and experience, and so people like me are totally screwed. This is why I'm working in a bloody warehouse, walking literally miles every night, shifting stuff that in some cases weighs more than I do, and hating every nanosecond of it, even though I have an HND, a B.Sc., NVQ Level II and III, etc. I am the most highly-qualified member of staff on the entire site, management included. How sad is that?

Example: I did a post-grad course at Liverpool Uni in 1997. We were shown a job advert (not a made-up example, a real ad) for an analyst/programmer; they wanted an honours degree in an IT discipline and 5+ years' experience. Fair enough on the face of it...

...until you read that their required age bracket was 20 - 25. What's wrong with this picture?

They wonder why they can't fill high-class positions these days. Why? Because all the people who have experience and qualifications already have jobs and can't afford to leave them. As a result they're not available, and employers bleat all the more about the skills shortage...never realising that they are the problem.

I am in fact part-way through the MCAD course, but I'm starting to have severe doubts that it's going to be as much use as was claimed...and it's cost me nearly £3,000 so far. In the New Year I'm going to email the recruitment adviser and ask her to start sending out my CV on spec, in the forlorn hope that someone will consider me.

And yes, I'll put my mobile number on the damn thing once I've got one. :p:

[Slyder]

Depends on the circumstance. As said before, if a lady breaks down on the motoway it would be essential to have one.

In your instance, it would of been handy to have a mobile.

In either case, they are not life depending pieces of equipment, and it really ticks me of when people say they dont know how they could manage without them either.

[etccarmageddon]

have you considered relocating in order to get a better shot at job prospects or are you tied to Bolton?

[Stuart]

You sound like my dad a few years ago, don't feel ashamed of moving with the times.
It's not a question of shame, more of cynicism. New technology and moving with the times aren't all they're cracked up to be, IMO. The former is certainly not the answer to a variety of social problems...not the least of which is the rudeness and lack of consideration on the part of too many mobile users. If anything, technology can cause problems. I'm not against new tech, far from it; I just don't like this over-reliance on it. I can't help but feel that sooner or later it's going to bite back, hard.


I remember a quote from Jean Michel-Jarre who ,when asked about technology and a percieved lack of emotion in modern music, said "The emotion comes from the person playing the instrument, not from the instrument itself."

A bit of a wierd analogy, but the percieved rudeness in Modern society comes from the Mobile phone users, not the phones themselves.

Just 'cause you get a mobile phone, doesn't mean you have to be rude to people.

[AndyCambs]

Once you have a mobile phone, your definition of emergency changes.
At first - it's breaking down in the car, alone on a dark, isolated road.
After a while - emergency means "Do you want salted or unsalted butter?" whilst at the supermarket....