Sunday 11 December 2016

Kicking and screaming

Lying in bed this morning late, thnking that there was something I should be doing, I had a text asking me when I would be ready to pick up a large Xmas tree which would only fit in my car, not hers.

Having found out that it sometimes causes mini brain-storms in my phone to turn it off at night, I now reluctantly leave it on. I spent all yesterday trying to get my old phone to work for H.I.'s new (one month old) account, because she is paying for it and the men in the unlocking shop lied to me about how soon it would take to unlock Jack@'s iPhone. She might as well use up the money on some real calls.

Why would it not connect to her account after I had charged it and put in the SIM card? I resorted to the internet to find out - on the hundreds of forums, both official and unofficial - but even after I had jumped through all recommended hoops, it showed up as locked. I deliberately bought an open phone, so how come it was suddenly locked into a different network?

After an hour, I checked the insides of it again (as recommended in the first place) and realised that I had inserted Jack@'s old SIM card... I knew I should have thrown it away. As soon as I put in the right one, we were off with a full signal.

I manually put in the handful of numbers that she uses on a regular basis, and sent a blanket text to the immediate family saying that this was her new number.

I started by showing H.I. how to unlock the keyboard to make a call, and she interrupted me halfway through the opening sentence by shouting, "YOU ARE OVERLOADING ME WITH INFORMATION! LET ME FIND OUT FOR MYSELF OR I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DO IT!"

After we had both calmed down, I ran through the basics briefly, made one experimental call to her and got her to make one to me, as I waited in the other room.

That was enough for one day, we both agreed, so she asked how to turn it off. I said that if she was really going to use the phone, she really needed to leave it on, rather than make a call or a text, then turn it off so that nobody can respond. She asked why, so I tried to explain. I ended up saying that if she really does NOT want to use a mobile, then we might just as well scrap the monthly payments.

Anyway, as it got dark, she went out into town to meet a friend as she does every Saturday. Ten minutes later, I heard some pings from the Grandchildren, acknowledging her new number and (as it turned out) saying how pleased they were that she has finally embraced the modern world of telecommunications. She had left the phone on the table...

Believe it or not, it breifly went through my mind to call her to tell her that she had forgotten her phone...

13 comments:

  1. H.I.'s difficulty adapting to the not so new technology is exactly why I try to keep up with everything as it happens. I have to admit to being completely defeated by Snapchat, but other than that I think I can hold my own with my children. My 90-year old father and I text regularly. If she follows your advice to carry her phone and keep it on, she will soon find it indispensable, for better or worse.

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    1. I think that is what scares her. She doesn't want to carry it about.

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  2. I admit to a certain resistance to relying on my still-new iPhone, but admit that it has made more possible for me than before.
    There are so many pursuits that interest me more than making a deeper relationship with the phone, that i am taking this process slowly, maybe surely. It was helpful to have the phone with me when I was traveling, but I still embrace lots of my Luddite ways.
    Best wishes.

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    1. I don't think anyone has to rely on them, let alone have a deep love affair with them - anymore that I rely on my tools to work.

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  3. It is best to learn as you go, on your own. H.I. is right there. However if someone does not have the overwhelming desire to have a phone then I dont think they should bother with one. You have got to really want it to use it. Finally, why didn't Jack@take her Sim out before sending you the phone?

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    1. You can learn as you go - you must - so long as the bloody thing is switched on.

      Don't ask me why the SIM was still in the phone. I know she wanted me to get it in the post asap, so it was a simple oversight. It was a nice thing to do to give it to us.

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  4. I learned every phone the hard way, or handed it to a grandchild to change some setting. And for years the phone lived in my car, on the theory that was the only place I needed it.

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    1. Everytime I get a Mac expert round to sort out a problem, they try and do it as quickly as possible - partly to impress, and partly so I keep having to get them round. I am needing them less and less.

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  5. All the new technology is a vast, worldwide conspiracy to kill off the majority of us oldsters through frustration and stress.

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  6. I had a phone unlocked some years ago and it took about 3 minutes. ( in Luton indoor market!)

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  7. That sounds like our approach here Tom. I don't know my mobile number so can only use it for outgoing calls when necessary. The farmer doesn't know his number but I have made sure that the few other farmers etc. who need to contact him know it.

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  8. My 'reply' button has gone dead, so here are some responses:

    Frances: Which network was the phone locked into, and how many years ago was this? I think you will find that all networks are now making it very difficult for you to get out of their clutches.

    Weave: I have always had a good memory for numbers, but many people I know cannot remember theirs either. Right now, I cannot remember H.I.'s new number, but it is on my phone!

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