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listic comments on 2015 Repository Reruns - Boring Advice Repository - Less Wrong Discussion

13 Post author: TrE 08 January 2015 06:00PM

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Comment author: listic 11 January 2015 09:02:30PM *  2 points [-]

Where would be a good place to discuss an old Boring Advice?

E.g. I have gave in and bought myself a smart phone last year, but the utility I derive from it is yet to turn positive. I should have been better off if I either allocated a significant portion of resources to learn using it properly, or not buy at all.

Comment author: RomeoStevens 12 January 2015 10:06:11PM 0 points [-]

Most of the utility of mine is related to GPS/map search, note taking, setting alarms for reminders throughout the day, and packing dead time with reading my RSS feed so I don't waste productive time reading my RSS feed.

Comment author: eeuuah 22 January 2015 03:22:31AM 0 points [-]

A smart phone is easily the highest roi purchase I've ever made. For people who don't have them, seriously it's worth it.

Comment author: Regex 27 February 2016 07:28:42PM 0 points [-]

As a counter opinion, I barely use my smart phone for anything I didn't use my old Razr phone for. The only reason I got it was because it was actually cheaper to get a new smart phone than to continue on the old plan. The cost I pay is that I have to charge it every day.

Comment author: eeuuah 04 June 2016 12:37:27AM 0 points [-]

To flesh out my opinion:

  • I have basically all notifications off (really only for calls, texts, and alarms), which minimizes the downsides
  • having maps / search available all the time is really convenient. I used to spend a lot of effort either looking up directions or being lost, now I don't
    • I've found that using my phone to triage emails / rss / whatever is faster than on a full computer, because of the touchscreen
  • it functions as a mobile hot spot (not sure if older phones do this) so when it's nice out I can sit in the park and work, which is pretty pleasant
  • it converts small amounts of downtime into interesting reading opportunities (not really roi, but enjoyable)

Generally speaking, the smartphone keeps my tools close to me instead of at home. I use anki, beeminder, my calendar and other electronic assistance heavily, so I think that might be why I get more value out of it.

Comment author: Regex 07 June 2016 01:50:45AM 0 points [-]

My first thought: "Oh, you leave your house."

I'm either at my computer or class with little time between, so there isn't much downtime for me to even use my phone. It is just an alarm clock people can talk to me from.

Admittedly I do have a tablet, but for the most part it is used for taking notes and so it may as well be replaced by a paper notebook, but I'm a sucker for OneNote. Because I spend every non-class minute walking or at home I've yet to give my tablet another role beyond that since my desktop is so much superior.

Comment author: listic 22 January 2015 05:49:55PM *  0 points [-]

Your claim is worthless without context. Please provide some evidence: why is smartphone the highest ROI purchase for you and why do you think it will be worth it for others.

With smartphones as ubiquitous as they are today, computer-literate people who don't have them should have their reasons. You don' t provide any.

My reasons for not having a smartphone are: I predict that benefits of smartphone ownership will not justify the cost of ownership for me. The cost of ownership consists of:

One-time:

  • Researching and choosing a smartphone
  • Learning to use it and its many applications
  • Cost (smartphone must be bought)

Recurring:

  • One more thing to manage and obsess over
  • One more thing to charge and not lose
  • A distraction that's always with me. I cannot do any productive work on the phone, but I can use the internet, very slowly. Any time and energy spent on it would be better spent elsewhere.
  • Data plans cost money.

Of course, smartphone usage has its well-documented benefits, but for me they didn't yet outweigh the costs.

The reason I ultimately surrendered and bought a smartphone was that I hoped to implement Allen's GTD with it. Only later I came across his interview where he advices not to use brand new technologies for GTD, but tried and true ones, that you are already comfortable with. So true.

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