Slashdot Mirror
Low-Tech Cell Phone Blocking
nigelc writes: "This BBC story reports on Japanese work to come up with a low-tech solution to cell phones in cinemas! Hey, if it can stop the person next to me from going 'Hey, dude, guess where I am?,' I'm all in favor of it."
There is no law requiring me to make sure your phone works in my establishment.
In fact, I can most likely put shielding in to make it specifically NOT work. As long as I am not *TRANSMITTING* anything, (active jamming), I'm not breaking any communiation laws.
And just because you have your little cellular phone doens't mean you have a god given right to use it.
"There is no law requiring me to make sure your phone works in my establishment."
Perhaps not, but the problem with the movie theater example is that it gives the phone companies the ability to extort money out of people. "Well, we'll just raise the price of pay phones to $1.50." Before you tell me that won't happen, look at the cost of a Snicker's next time you see a movie.
They are intentionally blocking the signal, they are (in essence) jamming it. I don't like it when people talk in the theater, but I'd rather throw popcorn at them then not be able to recieve an important call.
If I *ever* leave a theater, check my voicemail, and find out my gf was in a car accident and had been in the hospital for an hour, you can bet I'd sue instantly.
"Derp de derp."
"This response is Extremely Lame" -- You mean the response you were writing? You're right.
"Derp de derp."
"I didn't know that the Constitution/Bill of Rights guarantees you the right to receive calls on your cellphone." -- The Constitution doesn't guarantee that you have the right to not be annoyed by other people. You have no right to take my personal freedoms away because of the occasional dumb-ass.
You don't have the right to say "I don't like it when somebody calls me at 6 in the morning, so telephone networks must be shut down from 11pm to 9 am.".
This is no different, public place or not. What the theater needs to do, if this is a serious problem (and it's not), is eject people who violate the rules. Otherwise, if they take this irresponsible and extreme action, then they'll have to do things like put ballgags in the customer's mouthes to prevent them from talking.
Blocking cellphone signals is overreactive, intrusive, and brings no benefit benefit.
"Derp de derp."
And yes, when they were on call in the days before pagers, they were woken with a phone call. They then ran their butt off in order to help you.
Now, in the case of my youngest (who has RMS, which is a form of cancer), he has two cancer specialists, 6 anesthesia specialists, but only 1 urinary specialist. Why? Because there is only one pediatric urologist working with his hospital in the WHOLE DARN AREA. If I find out that you hurt my son's doctor because he's watching a movie and my son has an emergency I will personally beat you into the anal-retentive ball of slime you deserve to be .
You have your little attitude, but you have less regard for society than people who are the lone specialist for 200 miles. I am delighted that you are so easily replaced. That way, when you die an insignificant death of ignominy, you will be immediately replaced with another drone.
-WS
An operating system should be like a light switch... simple, effective, easy to use, and designed for everyone.
Jeez man. Why do you go to a theater at all? Why don't you take your own advice and rent the movie and watch it in your Fortress of Solitude? I hope your walls are soundproof though, just in case your neighbor has a refrigerator (they can get awfully noisy!!)
Clue: My job is important, if for nothing else than to pay my rent and my bills.
PS: Good for you. I keep mine in my pocket.
"If your GF is in a car accident why the fuck doesnt she call 911? Is she mentally retarded? "
Yeah dumb fuck. I want to play Indiana Jones and go rescue her. I couldn't possibly have been talking about getting to the hospital as soon as I can to be with her.
"Derp de derp."
Nah, is this all hypothetical? You are a slashdot reader, how could you possibly have a gf... ;-)
This is getting old, and has not been funny for a long time. Why do people keep modding this crap up?
I'm a 50 karma, 4-year slashdot contributor, married for 6 years (to a girl I met on the net, no less) with a kid on the way. How do I fit in the "everybody is a pimply-faced, socially-inept geek who is 16-21 years old" viewpoint that these posters take?
Just because you are unlucky in love doesn't mean everyone is. It's just not funny anymore... so save you keystrokes and your mod points. Please.
SlashSigTheorem: Humorous, Political, Critical, Constructive- If you have a
Err...in another thread, you claimed to own your business. A consulting firm. This was how you explained that you were "important". Now you're an employee that the company doesn't want to risk losing?
I did not say "employee". I referred to the "company I work for." This may come as a tremendous shock to you, but consultants do work for other companies -- even though they run their own businesses. I provide consulting services to companies. Therefore, I work for them.
Not too good at reading comprehension, are you?
I'm sorry, at what point were the new parents and the SysAdmins all looking for a handout?
When they brought their infants and cell phones into movie theaters expecting the rest of the patrons to put up with the interruptions.
The world doesn't owe you perfect peace and quiet, either.
In a movie theater or nice restaurant, it does. That's one of the things I, and every other patron, paid for.
It's not them, it's you. Noone can stand you.
Let's see... I started this thread with a post that has received five positive karma points and two negative ones. You're post is at 0. Sounds like more people agree with me than with you. Go away, anonymous coward. And, if no one could stand me, I wouldn't have many clients, some for five or more years, would I?