Why Mobile Phones Are Annoying

griffinn writes "Jakob Neilsen recently conducted a study comparing the perceived annoyance level of two commuters having a face-to-face conversation and one commuter talking on the mobile phone. Interestingly enough, subjects were also asked whether the ring tone is annoying, and people didn't find the ring to be particularly bad."

Comments

Ringtones

[Orgazmus]

The ringtones arent the bad part.
The bad part is the loud speakers that really dont need a phone in the first place.

So that explains it

[violet16]

Furthermore, the actors conducted half of the conversations at a normal loudness level, whereas the other half were exaggeratedly loud (as measured on a volume meter)

I think these guys have been conducting this experiment on the train I catch to work for the last two years.

Re:Ringtones?

[Eric Savage]

At least you can make fun of them for paying $0.99 for a 50 Cent ringtone.

It's the people on the phones

[tbone1]

I don't know how many times a wanker with one of those walkie-talkie phones has ruined a meal for me. I have been tempted to stand behind the person making comments as if he/she is in a massage parlor, not at lunch, as a way of revenge. I haven't done it, though.

Yet.

However, one time I was in a bathroom and the guy in the next stall took a call on his cell phone. I immediately made all sorts of grunting, straining, and moaning noises as if I were trying to pass a moose. He hung up after twenty seconds, and before he could say anything to me, I thanked him and returned to the quiet matter at hand.

Re:It's the people on the phones

[Jetboy01]

A particular favourite of mine is whispering the old "Come back to bed" into the phone at a volume just loud enough for the person on the other side to hear.

That usually gets the phone hung up pretty quickly :)

Re:Ringtones?

[richie2000]

If someone can think of another way to allow for seemingly endless variety in ringtones, I'd take that option any day.

Text-To-Speech: "Mr. ComboyNeal, telephone for you, Sir" in a husky female voice. Many phones already have loudspeaker abilities and advanced ring tone generation. Use them for good instead of evil.

As Don Jolly would say

[danormsby]

[nokia tune=annoying] ring [/nokia]

Hello. HELLO.

I'm writing on slashdot.SLASHDOT

Nah its rubbish

Apparently... yes!

[FunkyRat]

I occassionally do some work for a person who works as a producer in Los Angeles. So far, she has answered her cellphone at a museum, at a classical music concert, while in meetings and on a date. The last time I called her she mentioned after about three minutes that she was at a movie theater, watching a movie. I asked her why she even bothered to answer her mobile. I think she was actually dumbfounded that anyone would not answer their phone when it rang.

Headset Psycho

[raelimperialaerosolk]

Lately I've noticed people walking around talking to themselves. My first thought is that this is some sort of wacko, but then they turn their head a little bit and I catch a glimpse of a boom mike and realize they're just on the phone.

It's getting harder and harder to pass yourself off as a bona-fide wack-job these days...

One solution in movie theaters...

[jaclu]

Install a few strong lamps in the roof, that is motor-aimed.

Add some radio-tracking stuff, that listens for active cell-phones, and controlls the lamps.

As soon as somebody start talking in their phone, a directed (strong!) light beem will shine on them from above, or to be techincal towards the phone, but the end result is the same.

The angry shouts from the crowd, now that they see who to blame will make that person switch of the phone within seconds ;)

I think this is much to prefer above legalisation, it like handling animals, make the "right" choise the easy one, and all bad choises unpleasant - As soon as you behave acording to plan, you get the comfort of being left alone and not bothered.

I've got the perfect ring tone

[Greyfox]

It'd be a baby crying. It'd start out slow, and it'd get crankier and crankier the longer you ignored it. I can't think of a better way to clear out a meeting. Fire up the auto-dialer from your wi-fi PDA and let it go for a couple of minutes right in the middle of the CFO's presentation before saying "Oh, is that MINE?"

That's why I'm barred from ever owning a cell phone.

Re:Very interesting hypotehsis...

[Alioth]

Just once, I want to try this.

Obtain an old 1960s rotary dial telephone, as found in all British households (since at the time, the phone company was the GPO and were the only people to be allowed to connect phones, so the range was extremely limited. It did include the Ericofon though).

Inside the phone, insert the guts of a cheap GSM cell phone. Build some electronics to change the LD pulsing from the rotary dial into something suitable to cause the cellphone to dial. Maybe add an extra button as a 'Send' button for the cell phone. Have the loudspeaker of the phone which the ringtone normally plays through connected to a circuit that rings the phone bell.

Catch the train.

Receive phone call. "Rrrring rring". Pull out old phone from bag, place on table. Lift receiver.

"HI I'M ON THE TRAIN!"

Phone a friend with the rotary dial, too.

Observe looks of fellow passengers.

Re:Two way

[cluke]

Also, purses prevent the use of vibrators, which really should be mandatory

I find your ideas intriguing.

If you ever decide to run for government, you've got one hell of an interesting platform there.

Death to Push To Talk

[dejetal]

The NEXTEL-style two way radio feature is by far the most obnoxious thing ever invented for a mobile phone for consumers. Now not only do you have to listen to one person talking too loud, you get to hear both people talking, with annoying beeps in between! Ever have the pleasure of being on the train with one of these people?

BEEP!
YOU THERE?
BEEP!
WHERE YOU AT?
BEEP!
THE TRAIN!
BEEP!
WHERE?
BEEP!
THE TRAIN!!!
BEEP!
OH, THE TRAIN!

ARRRRGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
And now, Verizon, Sprint, and Cingular are going to introduce it...