Pre- mobiles and internet time, question for those who knew it

[ColinJ]

Don't you use the *0# message prefix?

I didn't know that one but I just sent a text to myself and it worked. That is 'star zero hash SPACE' for those who don't know the trick.

Hmm, I sent a test message to someone else. Either their phone is off/has no signal OR it isn't working to them. I'll find out eventually which it was!

PS I'm on Giffgaff - I don't know if it works on ALL networks?

 

[classic33]

I didn't know that one but I just sent a text to myself and it worked. That is 'star zero hash SPACE' for those who don't know the trick.

Hmm, I sent a test message to someone else. Either their phone is off/has no signal OR it isn't working to them. I'll find out eventually which it was!

PS I'm on Giffgaff - I don't know if it works on ALL networks?

I'm on Orange. Before them, BTCellnet and it worked.

It's been read then?

 

[ColinJ]

I'm on Orange. Before them, BTCellnet and it worked.

It's been read then?

The message that I sent to myself, yes. No notification yet from the other message.

I think it sends a notification that the message has been received by the other phone rather than that it has been read. I do tend to read my messages soon after receiving them if I have the phone with me and I am not out in traffic on my bike.

 

[mybike]

I turned mine off! And voicemail on my mobile ...

I prefer texts for short messages, emails for longer ones, or PMs here from you lot if it is something that you don't want the others to know. (Don't worry 'certain person', I won't mention the giant inflatable kangaroo! )

The only snag with texts is not knowing whether they have been received.

My stepdaughter sent me a text message yesterday evening asking if I wanted to see her today. I have been having phone reception problems and didn't receive it until 04:42 today. I know the exact time because the phone was about 6 inches from head and the notification woke me up. I didn't want to reply at that time in case I woke HER up and by the time I got up she was already out walking her dog somewhere without a phone signal.

Still, better to miss a few things here and there than be a slave to a phone ... Ha ha - and at that exact moment she replied to the message that I sent her earlier!

Even if you have good reception a SMS is not guaranteed delivery, let alone quick. I've had one take most of a weekend.

 

[ColinJ]

Actually, this is exactly the kind of problem that we didn't have in the old days ... We might have struggled to get in touch with people, but at least we knew when we HAD!

Unless it was by letter, in which case, we DIDN'T, unless they phoned or wrote back.

 

[mybike]

Actually, this is exactly the kind of problem that we didn't have in the old days ... We might have struggled to get in touch with people, but at least we knew when we HAD!

Unless it was by letter, in which case, we DIDN'T, unless they phoned or wrote back.

My parents were never sure if my letters home from school were communications.

 

[tyred]

The telephone was a great invention. It all went wrong after someone invented the answering machine.

It wasn't much use until he had invented the second telephone so he could call someone.

 

[classic33]

I didn't know that one but I just sent a text to myself and it worked. That is 'star zero hash SPACE' for those who don't know the trick.

Hmm, I sent a test message to someone else. Either their phone is off/has no signal OR it isn't working to them. I'll find out eventually which it was!

PS I'm on Giffgaff - I don't know if it works on ALL networks?

A bit like the number prefix(that hides/with-holdsboth SIM & handset IMEI number) from the network. Built-in to the system.

 

[raleighnut]

My old local the Magazine Hotel (known as 'The Mag' now sadly demolished) had a policy of if anyones mobile phone rang they had to put 10p in 'the dog'.
This was a charity box that was for 'Guide dogs for the blind' that was quite well supported to the point that we had 3 authentic photos from them of the dogs that this charity box had completely funded.

 

[Racing roadkill]

In semi-relation to the moaning about the modern world thread, which has been very interesting, I wanted to ask a question to those CC members who have been shuffling about a bit longer than me (I'm 23.)

I don't want to be guilty of viewing the past in a rose-tinted way, and putting aside various bad things about the sixties, seventies, eighties, etc.... there is one aspect of the pre-internet pre-mobile phones time that I find very appealing.

My basic question is for anyone who was a young person or adult in that time. Did you prefer the way social communication was back then?

Because I tend to think I'd prefer it- no Mobile Phone making you Constantly Available to everyone (for example some people get really offended if you don't get back to them within a couple of hours) no Facebook for people to get drama from (and I'm not on it so end up missing out on things sometimes, grrr), people actually having to stick to arrangements (for young people now, if you don't text someone to confirm your arrangement on the day, they'll often just assume it's off and not turn up, and I think mobiles encourage slackness and make people late more often).

You're just less available. So the quality of communication must have been better, right? If someone wanted to get hold of you, they'd have to try your landline, or knock on your door or write or something. When you were out you'd be untouchable. I know there were big downsides and everything is more convenient and easier now, but I just think it would have suited my personality better.

So what was it like? I'm really really interested to hear any thoughts, preferences, any relevant stories, how it was generally.

I will agree to add a poll if Accy requests it.

The trick is to try and not let the modern way control your life.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Even if you have good reception a SMS is not guaranteed delivery, let alone quick. I've had one take most of a weekend.

A few years ago my lad text me to say him and his Mum were at new street Birmingham can I drive down to Coventry station and pick them up. I never received the text and when I didn't respond he phoned the land line and I went and picked them up. The following day I finally got his text.

 

[jefmcg]

30 years ago [..]They didn't have a phone as they were only for posh people.

Really, it was not uncommon for people in the UK not to have landlines in 1987? Wow.

 

[Chris S]

The internet has made specilaist knowledge more accessible.

If you wanted to find out what your house was worth you had to ask an estate agent.
If you wanted to travel abroad you (usually) had to go to a travel agent.
If you wanted a better insurance deal you had to phone around various insurers.
If you wanted financial advice you'd have to ask a financial advisor.
If you had legal problems you had to pay a solicitor just to see if there was anything that you could do about it.

Now you just look on the internet.

 

[Gravity Aided]

If you wanted bicycle gear from mail order, you had to call, or in most cases in the 60's, send a letter. Showers Pass and Early Winters and Bike Nashbar all go back this far, IIRC. Books were a great source of cycling knowledge, and other people as well. We sort of had a cyclists table at lunch in high school.

 

[marinyork]

If you had legal problems you had to pay a solicitor just to see if there was anything that you could do about it.

Now you just look on the internet.

The internet could very easily have made trade union reps redundant. It hasn't though on the whole. I'm always amazed at the number of people that just look at gov.uk and no other source and then tell you how it is.