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Congratulations! If you've made it this far, you also looked at previous pages, visited the Gallery and are considering breaking free from your "leash". You are almost there!
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what is a cellphone OR smartphone ?
A smartphone is a pocket telephone and a pocket computer. It does not exist because it does things a telephone and a computer can't do. It exists because it provides the SAME functions, only more conveniently or more comfortably.
Similarily, smartwatches and tablets do not exist because they do things a smartphone can't do. They exist because they provide the SAME functions more conveniently (the watch) or more comfortably (the tablet) ...and many of you wanted the comfort and convenience.
Aldous Huxley spoke about technology being the enemy of Freedom. In 'Brave New World', he described a society in which people would trade their freedom for comfort.
Huxley's characters were addicted to a drug called "soma". Your cellphone is your "soma". As with drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, or abusive relationships, there is no half-measure, no middle ground, which is why you must quit completely. The prospect of letting it go is far worse than the actual event. Here's how to do it...
Similarily, smartwatches and tablets do not exist because they do things a smartphone can't do. They exist because they provide the SAME functions more conveniently (the watch) or more comfortably (the tablet) ...and many of you wanted the comfort and convenience.
Aldous Huxley spoke about technology being the enemy of Freedom. In 'Brave New World', he described a society in which people would trade their freedom for comfort.
Huxley's characters were addicted to a drug called "soma". Your cellphone is your "soma". As with drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, or abusive relationships, there is no half-measure, no middle ground, which is why you must quit completely. The prospect of letting it go is far worse than the actual event. Here's how to do it...
IT'S ONLY A "FIND AND REPLACE" exercise
Never mind if the holiday season or your birthday are over; it is undoubtedly urgent that we give ourselves a beautiful gift - that of the freedom to live!
The major functions being that of a telephone and a computer, let's start with your new corded telephone or landline; forget the image of the old-fashioned telephone, because corded phones have evolved quite well. I recommend a desktop telephone with a caller ID display, phonebook and answering machine. You can record a message saying that you are only available during specific hours. You can leave your house, take some fresh air, go to work, go shopping, go visit friends (if you're allowed!) - and listen to messages left on your answering machine when you come home. Just return the call to your contact, friend or relative then.
A computer for the internet is the second most essential item; the choice of a desktop or a laptop is entirely yours, but you need to visualise your landline and computer sitting together on a small table or a larger desk - a dedicated space for both of them - as they will become two 'inseparable friends'. They need to be both connected, ie. 'wired' to your internet router. The computer should be wired to the router via an ethernet cable, which is normally provided with your router; the Wifi from the router should be deactivated of course - this is often done online while setting up the router initially.
The major functions being that of a telephone and a computer, let's start with your new corded telephone or landline; forget the image of the old-fashioned telephone, because corded phones have evolved quite well. I recommend a desktop telephone with a caller ID display, phonebook and answering machine. You can record a message saying that you are only available during specific hours. You can leave your house, take some fresh air, go to work, go shopping, go visit friends (if you're allowed!) - and listen to messages left on your answering machine when you come home. Just return the call to your contact, friend or relative then.
A computer for the internet is the second most essential item; the choice of a desktop or a laptop is entirely yours, but you need to visualise your landline and computer sitting together on a small table or a larger desk - a dedicated space for both of them - as they will become two 'inseparable friends'. They need to be both connected, ie. 'wired' to your internet router. The computer should be wired to the router via an ethernet cable, which is normally provided with your router; the Wifi from the router should be deactivated of course - this is often done online while setting up the router initially.
old-fashioned telephone
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new desktop telephone
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ethernet cables
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IT IS WORTH IT
It may be that your internet 'broadband and telephone package' with your service provider will cost a fraction more than your mobile subscription - you might pay 50€/month instead of 30€/month - but it is worth it! Why? Because a PC or Personal Computer has offered as many things as a cellphone for approx 40 years and on a side-by-side basis still outstrips a cellphone for what it can do. If you are worried about losing all the 'apps' (applications) on your cellphone, remember that there is an equivalent for each 'app' on your PC - you will replace them by 'softwares', many of which are free - and you can also be on each and every social media platform online if you wish.
You will only lose the 'convenience' of walking around your house and garden or 'being mobile' as you will need to sit at your desk to make calls and surf the internet. But you will realise that it is not so dramatic to lose that convenience; in fact, many other benefits far outweigh the loss! For instance, do you find it convenient to have your access to travel and events restricted, to be tracked, or to live in a cashless society?
You will only lose the 'convenience' of walking around your house and garden or 'being mobile' as you will need to sit at your desk to make calls and surf the internet. But you will realise that it is not so dramatic to lose that convenience; in fact, many other benefits far outweigh the loss! For instance, do you find it convenient to have your access to travel and events restricted, to be tracked, or to live in a cashless society?
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1995
Now that we've covered the two essential functions of a smartphone, I recommend that you use the 'Time Machine' for the rest by imagining the way things were back in 1995. Get everything you need that this evil invention has replaced over time. It has never been wise to put all one's eggs in the same basket, which is exactly what you have done with your smarting phone ! Because if you lost the basket, you'd also loose your head!
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Take the list on your left. A calculator, calendar, clock, diary or organiser, map, newspaper, notepad, phone and address book, photo album or a radio and music player would not be essential to replace at first if you have a PC, except if you need to take them out with you or somewhere else around the house. Also, do you need to take all the items on the list with you? A compass of course! - or how would you know which side of the road to catch the bus? I am joking. Remember, you will not actually 'need' to carry a phone once you are equipped with these few things.
On the menu, I would personally recommend a camera and video recorder, a watch, a diary or organiser, a torchlight, books or magazines, and maybe a thermometer, playing cards and boardgames... whatever is essential for you, and I'm not the one who's going to make a list of "non-essentials"! Naturally, you don't have to carry all of these wherever you go - for instance heavy dictionaries and boardgames are better fun at home, but you can still get a pocket dictionary or a pocket magnetic game version. Try and get devices such as a digital camera on which bluetooth / Wifi can be deactivated. Basically, you just have to be organised before you leave home and plan your journeys; you can buy a road atlas, write down or print your itinerary, check the weather before you go out and pack the few items you will need in your bag. |
THINGS A CELLPHONE CAN'T DO
Compare your cellphone to a Swiss Army penknife. Of course there is a corkscrew included with the various blades on the penknife, but is it really what you would choose to open an expensive bottle of claret? Would you really use the personal organiser on your phone to record all your appointments, rather than the system on your desktop computer? And is that phone the natural place to record your innermost personal feelings, anxieties and pleasures? Would a secret diary not be safer?
There are things a smartphone can't do nearly as well as a paper based planner: an organiser diary won't delete, duplicate or 'swallow' your data overnight or run out of battery at a critical moment. Also, you can access your diary faster than a smartphone, in any given situation. Some come with a ruler or calculator and prices may vary greatly from €5 to €100 or more.
There are things a smartphone can't do nearly as well as a paper based planner: an organiser diary won't delete, duplicate or 'swallow' your data overnight or run out of battery at a critical moment. Also, you can access your diary faster than a smartphone, in any given situation. Some come with a ruler or calculator and prices may vary greatly from €5 to €100 or more.
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A MORE TRADITIONAL WAY
Take a more traditional way of doing things! Revive some hobbies and do all those things you used to love before your phone robbed you of your time. Get your guitar back out; start working on that book you've been thinking of writing; take those dancing lessons; spend more time with your loved ones - whatever it is, do it more. These kinds of activities will also help you combat the potential withdrawal symptoms from this "desirable object", an expression coined by the industry and manufacturers, in an effort to design and sell their product to you. (cf."The Language of Things: Understanding the World of Desirable Objects" by Deyan Sudjic - 2009)
What about emergencies?
Before cellphones, did any of us have any concerns about our safety or ability to keep in touch or find everything we wanted instantaneously? Of course not; Life went on, we all managed perfectly well, and if there was a crisis or emergency, we had ways of dealing with it. If the car broke down and you had engine trouble, you would get out and walk to the nearest house or building to politely ask for help and ring the nearest garage. We were more present to the risks we took and made decisions based on personal choice, without governments or corporations telling us how to behave.
What about emergencies?
Before cellphones, did any of us have any concerns about our safety or ability to keep in touch or find everything we wanted instantaneously? Of course not; Life went on, we all managed perfectly well, and if there was a crisis or emergency, we had ways of dealing with it. If the car broke down and you had engine trouble, you would get out and walk to the nearest house or building to politely ask for help and ring the nearest garage. We were more present to the risks we took and made decisions based on personal choice, without governments or corporations telling us how to behave.
NO GUILLOTINE NEEDED...
A HAMMER WILL DO
So now you did it, at last? You got rid of the damn thing, or you are about to do it? Well Done and Thank You! Do you feel strangely liberated? Now your time is your own. Your space is your own. You can manage your privacy. You can make your own choices. You can be human again. And finally allow us all together to reclaim our humanity. But you already wonder what you're going to do with this unwanted phone.
• Re-selling it on ebay? - No, this would not be ethical and moral, as you would only be passing on the poison to another human being!
• Recycling? - Yes, but first you will need a hammer, a handbrush, a plastic bag
(and a camera so you can send me a picture - see below).
While it is tempting to sell or recycle your old cellphone, the safest option is to completely destroy it.
• Re-selling it on ebay? - No, this would not be ethical and moral, as you would only be passing on the poison to another human being!
• Recycling? - Yes, but first you will need a hammer, a handbrush, a plastic bag
(and a camera so you can send me a picture - see below).
While it is tempting to sell or recycle your old cellphone, the safest option is to completely destroy it.
These ladies have got it
all figured out! |
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Of course, there are other methods...
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WHY IT NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED
There’s no such thing as a truly 'cleared' phone. Even if you have completely wiped your phone and performed a factory reset, it’s still possible for skilled hackers to find that information. When you reset your phone to factory settings, what’s really removed is the reference to the data, not the actual data itself. The data will remain on your cell phone, even if it’s difficult for the layman to find. The data stays there until it’s overwritten by something else. Therefore, unless the phone is then filled up again with random, unimportant data to replace the original one, it won’t really be cleared.
This is why it's also important to physically destroy it. Format your phone, erasing all content and settings. Remove the SIM card and any memory cards. Open your toolbox, grab a hammer... and let yourself go! Physically destroy the cards as well. Capture this moment by taking a photo, carefully sweep all pieces and debris, put them in a plastic bag, then bring it to your nearest recycling centre.
This is why it's also important to physically destroy it. Format your phone, erasing all content and settings. Remove the SIM card and any memory cards. Open your toolbox, grab a hammer... and let yourself go! Physically destroy the cards as well. Capture this moment by taking a photo, carefully sweep all pieces and debris, put them in a plastic bag, then bring it to your nearest recycling centre.
finally...
TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR SMASHED PHONE AND SEND IT TO : [email protected]
By doing this, you will encourage others to do the same and send everyone some hope.
Please provide the date at which you destroyed your phone, your first name only and your country of residence.
This glorious moment of liberation will be posted in Trophies, by country.
I will regularly update and publish the number of 'dead cellphones' or 'cases' that have been reported to me worldwide.
I will not share any other information anywhere or with anyone. You are also welcome to drop me a line and comments. Reported death cases of tablets, smart watches and other smart devices will also be noted.
Wishing you all the best and thanking you.
By doing this, you will encourage others to do the same and send everyone some hope.
Please provide the date at which you destroyed your phone, your first name only and your country of residence.
This glorious moment of liberation will be posted in Trophies, by country.
I will regularly update and publish the number of 'dead cellphones' or 'cases' that have been reported to me worldwide.
I will not share any other information anywhere or with anyone. You are also welcome to drop me a line and comments. Reported death cases of tablets, smart watches and other smart devices will also be noted.
Wishing you all the best and thanking you.
WHAT NEXT ?
SHARE THIS PAGE AND THESE
INFOS WITH YOUR CONTACTS
TO HELP CREATE
A NON-VIOLENT
WAVE OF LIBERATION
FROM
thE WIRELESS GULAG,
DIGITAL TYRANNY AND
TECHNO-SLAVERY !
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