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Okay, if we accept that landlines are thing of the past and cellular service is the phone alternative then we pretty much accept the smartphone is involved. There do remain legitimate reasons to have one despite all of the privacy-destroying negatives.

So here is an alternative which would maintain the modern phone system, maintain the useful aspects (2-Factor Authentication apps, mobile banking deposits, etc...), yet stop the abuse of privacy and roadblock future (maybe near term) Orwellian abuses, digital vaccine passport apps coming first in mind.

Leave the smartphone on the desk at home. It becomes the new landline. Text messages and voicemail become the new answering machine.

Could we start a movement to this effect? Yes, there are so many conveniences afforded now such as navigation and whatnot but I clearly remember living just fine before cell phones existed.

What does Poal think?

Okay, if we accept that landlines are thing of the past and cellular service is the phone alternative then we pretty much accept the smartphone is involved. There do remain legitimate reasons to have one despite all of the privacy-destroying negatives. So here is an alternative which would maintain the modern phone system, maintain the useful aspects (2-Factor Authentication apps, mobile banking deposits, etc...), yet stop the abuse of privacy and roadblock future (maybe near term) Orwellian abuses, digital vaccine passport apps coming first in mind. Leave the smartphone on the desk at home. It becomes the new landline. Text messages and voicemail become the new answering machine. Could we start a movement to this effect? Yes, there are so many conveniences afforded now such as navigation and whatnot but I clearly remember living just fine before cell phones existed. What does Poal think?

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[–] • 0 pt

Please explain more about how you deal with certain expected obligations of having a phone. I can see limiting use of it, but you have entirely forgone having one entirely? Please explain more.

[–] • 0 pt

Home phone. That's all. I just tell people I don't have a mobile. I can get around text 99% of the time by using an email but that too defeats the purpose so I usually tell people to send something by regular mail or leave a message on the home phone.