The mobile to serfdom...

Ok, there are too many posts in that blog already (someone, of whom will be written later on, mentioned this today). I admit, that I have read some books that hooked my mind and that I tend to be a copy cat sometimes. The title of this post is not entirely mine, just borrowed from Friedrich von Hayek's Road to Serfdom (Socialists watch out... ;) ). I don't believe him. Anyhow, this is not the point and I already can see that this post will go again weird.

I already mentioned that I took out a mobile contract. There was one offer where I got one and another for free. The friend of mine (it seems to be difficult to text for her as the mobile is not from a former paper and tyre company) saw it and asked if she could have it. I had the intention to give it to charity shops as they have the best use for it anyway. If the mobile is still of use it will go to developing countries. Some charities give them to older people who will be able to make emergency calls with them.
She was excited as well as feeling bad because now she has one of those shiny, fancy, technical gadgets. She uses it tho she isnt entirely happy with it. The last time I had to choose a mobile it was very hard to find one which could just phone and had a calendar. Since then times have changed. Now I cant even dare to think that there is a phone that just do calls and has calendar. They all have at least a camera and games on it. I dont really need these. I really just need a phone with an organizer. That's all. no tv. no internet access. no thingy telling me how the weather in south east asia is. no radio. It doesnt have to look pretty either. It just has to serve one specific purpose. I know that i dont get her point so far. i could have used my old mobile and not getting a new one at all. yes. but no new mobile no new contract. when i ordered the contract i was thinking i just could underlive the whole system and order the package with two mobiles and donate the second one to charity. basically letting the mobile company doing something good. im a bit annoyed now. i like the new one. but i exactly know that i will use roughly 5 percents of the functions it offers me. not one single percent more. and that makes me think why i use it then at all. i dont have an answer to be honest. maybe im a bit annoyed that i can only have 70 text messages on my old mobile. but this isnt a reason. i think i will use my old mobile a bit further. im not happy. I cant even find one single decent ring tone that is not like the one below. hence i prefer just vibriation. its annoying enough to hear others' choice of ringtones (and their failed attempt to make uniformity (around 60 percent of all mobiles handsets are from that paper and tire company) individual by using a ringtone they like (and others usually dont)). All ringtones, no matter which, sound strange in my ears. noisy. polluting.

And then she said something which made me think as well. she was like 'oh, there is an organizer in it. now i can save every single appointment i have (i could hear her ironic voice). and let the phone remind me of every single event. i will be a slave of that phone. grr. i like that.' she's right. i do the same. most of my appointments are in my phone so i wont forget them. and they are making sure that i wont forget them. all have a reminder and will do a little vibration so im reminded that i have something to do. im not a slave yet but sometimes i have the feeling that my mobile tells me where to go and what to do. maybe i should get rid of this as well. Maybe the whole point of this post is that we have things we dont need but which tell us what to do and not to do. And make ourselves slaves to something. Be it mobiles. Tv. Time. Supervisors. Weekdays. Traditions. Wishes. Rationality. Capitalism.

and now the worst of all. if this got to number one in a couple of billboard charts i think, we should really start to think when the enlighnment failed.



Advisory notice: Don't watch this video if you are not entirely drunk or otherwise intoxicated, and be sure that the way to the restroom is clear and short for throwing up!!!