cell phones at work

Three or four of us have them in sports. Good because I never had one before; bad because then I'm expected to answer it at all times. Have been told to keep it under 200 minutes monthly (work and/or personal) and no questions asked. No questions have been asked.

Now, personally, I can't stand them. Hate the reception. Hate trying to do an interview with it pinched between my ear and shoulder. Hate that people are walking around talking on them all the time. Hate texting. Hate any ring that isn't standard. We've also got long-distance phone cards, so I use that from home instead of calling on my cell.

Wow, I feel better dumping that off my chest.

 

My company has three pool cell phones that are never charged. I know they are never charged because I once tried to use one when I forgot my cell at home. They weren't charged. Gee how useful?

I printed a recent bill and highlighted all of the work-related calls (over 200 minutes worth) and brought it to the boss. He said just write off $20 a month for it. Works for me. I have a plan with my husband that's about $60 a month. Bare bones, no texting etc. (I am news side, not sports)

By the way I think it's BS that someone is paying $60 a month for the air card and your company isn't paying for it. I would totally bring that up.

Also I think sports side tends to get ignored in budget times because the news side never sees you guys. In all of the papers I've worked at, sports is off in the corner and working after most reporters have gone home.

 

Our paper just got shiny new phones so we can take better pictures for blogs and the paper. It's a great perk, but the Big Brother aspect bothers me. Although now our phone and email can be intercepted by the government, too.

OK so there are some text haters out there, but I've found it becoming more and more useful for work. You can do it in a press conference to pass along some news without having to step out. You can get some quick fact verified without having to ask about the wife and kids. You can make some pithy comment to a writer down press row about the jerk who sits in between you and is eating something that smells like a decaying squirrel ...

 

As a desker, a good 90 percent of my deadline communication with our writers is by text. I ask for an ETA, they ask for length, if I have a question I text them to find a minute to call me, etc. We're all comfortable with it, and we actually end up with more and better communication that way.

 

Question, though: Why were we able to get along just fine without them, and still get a paper out every day, through the 1980s and 1990s?

An addition to my earlier rant: Every fall Saturday I sit in a college football press box and listen to reporters on personal calls (yes, both during the game and after) and hear whatever annoying sound each has going off when they have an incoming text (usually from a buddy who's watching the game in the stands or at home). Totally unnecessary. I liked it better when it was marginally quiet during games.

Progress and technology ain't all that great.

Like somebody said before, I'm old but not that old, either. That concludes my Grinch performance so close to Christmas.

 

you are a silly man.