tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post9173109346715192894..comments2024-02-24T03:34:18.060-05:00Comments on Stealing Commas: On poverty, internet, and cell phoneschris the cynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06872875475212333027noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-58480567678012149672013-12-22T14:56:07.557-05:002013-12-22T14:56:07.557-05:00Have the people who insist that "phones are a...Have the people who insist that "phones are an unnecessary luxury" got their knowledge of working class job seeking from Chaplins' shorts? And never updated it since dialogue in the movies? The total disconnect from reality would be hilarious if it weren't so actively perpet(r/u)ated.Rakkanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-63821919021435243422013-12-22T03:13:16.058-05:002013-12-22T03:13:16.058-05:00I am going to point out as someone without a car t...I am going to point out as someone without a car that Twitter can be useful for finding out what local transit routes are currently being detoured that aren't mentioned on the website because whatever happened wasn't something planned, e.g a tree taking out a power line for trolleys or a major accident on a bus route. Heck, that's the main reason I have it. Rhoadanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02375561352677522227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-1121974521774498132013-12-20T11:42:20.418-05:002013-12-20T11:42:20.418-05:00Having a good phone, good internet, really goes al...Having a good phone, good internet, really goes along with the excellent-yet-often impossible advice of "fake it til you make it/dress for the job you want to someday have." As a not-especially-poor person I kind of screwed this up. If I had a phone with internet and GPS, I would have been more valuable as a contractor, and gotten lost less on the way to interviews and job sites. A small investment of money and time could have really paid off. But I DID NOT HAVE the money, and making the time would have been extremely difficult, and would have meant sacrificing something else, maybe for a job I couldn't do with young kids... <br /><br />As Chris has mentioned elsewhere, keeping things like a place to live, utilities, a phone with at least some capabilities, etc. isn't super-challenging every month if your circumstances don't change drastically. But GETTING those things when you don't have them, or getting them back when you've lost them, is DAMN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE, because of all the upfront costs in money and effort.Lonesparkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16278753827545905559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-33473060386731161802013-12-20T10:48:40.979-05:002013-12-20T10:48:40.979-05:00It's easy to judge people based on their "...It's easy to judge people based on their "luxuries". How many times have you seen a poor person with the latest phone and thought "they would have more money if it weren't for their phone?". But we're wrong in thinking this way. Technologies, including advance internet and phones can actually help us out of poverty. They offer many benefits. For example, oil and gas companies are arguably one of the most profitable businesses. With the help of <a href="http://www.skycasters.com/oil-gas-mining/" rel="nofollow">satellite internet and other technologies, oil and gas communications can be improved</a> significantly. Improved communication will allow people to find new resources to further help them to make a profit.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13798540134587052839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-40489192810199786312013-12-20T09:12:44.885-05:002013-12-20T09:12:44.885-05:00It also lets you claim that anyone who has one eit...It also lets you claim that anyone who has one either isn't really poor or is responsible for their poverty because LOOK AT THAT LUXURY ITEM. It's not just about profit, it's very much about rationalizing a lack of empathy too.chris the cynichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06872875475212333027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-76342618257099571672013-12-20T04:57:31.658-05:002013-12-20T04:57:31.658-05:00Treating phones as luxury items lets you charge mo...Treating phones as luxury items lets you charge more for them than if you treated them as necessities of life.Firedrakenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-65991856803412580852013-12-19T19:02:27.799-05:002013-12-19T19:02:27.799-05:00This is a good post.
I hope you're studying ...This is a good post. <br /><br />I hope you're studying too.Lonesparkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16278753827545905559noreply@blogger.com