Why won't people use the phone?

[Basualdo]

In all seriousness some years ago BT tried to sell a product which took a text from you, converted it into speech then delivered the speech version.
Quite why anyone would bother to do that is beyond me.

It was for land-line phones, which are a little notorious for not being able to receive texts. I think they primarily marketed it to the elderly or those who, at the time, were not using mobiles yet.
This was just before everyone started ditching or just not using their land-line phones.
Tom Baker did the voice, I think.

[m4rkb]

In all seriousness some years ago BT tried to sell a product which took a text from you, converted it into speech then delivered the speech version.
Quite why anyone would bother to do that is beyond me.

It was for land-line phones, which are a little notorious for not being able to receive texts. I think they primarily marketed it to the elderly or those who, at the time, were not using mobiles yet.
This was just before everyone started ditching or just not using their land-line phones.
Tom Baker did the voice, I think.

Some fucker sent me one once to my home phone about two in the morning. It rang for long enough to piss me off while I lay there and though they'd sod off if I ignore it. Then every twenty minutes or so later it kept ringing. Anyone who really want to talk to me could phone my mobile. Eventually as it kept up , I though it must be something important so got up and answered it only to hear a robot voice on the other end try and read a text.

[henrycrs]

In all seriousness some years ago BT tried to sell a product which took a text from you, converted it into speech then delivered the speech version.
Quite why anyone would bother to do that is beyond me.

It was for land-line phones, which are a little notorious for not being able to receive texts. I think they primarily marketed it to the elderly or those who, at the time, were not using mobiles yet.
This was just before everyone started ditching or just not using their land-line phones.
Tom Baker did the voice, I think.

Some fucker sent me one once to my home phone about two in the morning. It rang for long enough to piss me off while I lay there and though they'd sod off if I ignore it. Then every twenty minutes or so later it kept ringing. Anyone who really want to talk to me could phone my mobile. Eventually as it kept up , I though it must be something important so got up and answered it only to hear a robot voice on the other end try and read a text.

It could have been me!

When we were younger (after a few beers) we went through a stage of doing that, normally when looking at the classified ads trying to buy a pool table at 2am

[Reg]

Probably all automated.

I don’t think most businesses have any humans these days.

No they're not, these are real people.

Holograms.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... TOUTS.html

[Royal24s]

That was so you could text a landline number which couldn't receive printed messages. I think it was free though

[mark]

This is really beginning to get on my tits - no fucker will actually ring you up anymore.

In so many cases it's because people wish to avoid the awkwardness of an interactive conversation. They don't want to fall into the traps of

• being wrong
• being put on the spot
• not being able to answser a question
• not getting the answer that they want when they ask a question

It's a similar situation where people in an office will send emails or messages rather than getting up, walking a few yards and speaking to a colleague.

And now in restaurants, mobile phone applications to send in an order rather than speaking to a waiter, waitress or cashier.

[m4rkb]

This is really beginning to get on my tits - no fucker will actually ring you up anymore.

In so many cases it's because people wish to avoid the awkwardness of an interactive conversation. They don't want to fall into the traps of

• being wrong
• being put on the spot
• not being able to answser a question
• not getting the answer that they want when they ask a question

It's a similar situation where people in an office will send emails or messages rather than getting up, walking a few yards and speaking to a colleague.

And now in restaurants, mobile phone applications to send in an order rather than speaking to a waiter, waitress or cashier.

What are the odds these people who are frightened of human interaction are the same ones who constantly lecture us on diversity, inclusion and how we should all 'integrate' - all while they do it online of course so they avoid actually meeting real people.

Sums that mindset up perfectly for me and I've spotted it for a long time.