Disruptive Technologies

[sparkmonkey]

So, what's the most disruptive technology that you've dealt with in your long or short lifetime? Automatic dishwashers? Mobile Phones? ATMs? Microwave ovens? Personal Computers? Cheap(ish) Laptops?

By disruptive, I mean something that has made difference in how you do things day to day. And, it should be something introduced in the time you have been living. Previous lifetimes don't count.

Discuss

[Barfridge]

mobile phones, and how they have become the absolute top of the pecking order.

You could be talking to the queen, and suddenly it starts going "pay attention to me now! pay attention to me now". Your time is no longer your own, your boss/wife/annoying friend has instant access to you.

Yes, they do come with silent modes and power buttons, but using them is seen as strange, even rude. Society demands your attention 24/7.

Most people don't think about it, if they really did there would be more of them thrown out the window.

[Gryphen]

Yer Mobile phones.. no longer do you just knock off at 5pm....

[Shady7/8]

Vibrating Pocket Pussies...

[BERT]

farcebook and such websites

I have a farcebook thingy and only have it and use it to stay in contact with distant and family members really, as I have a big obscure family.
Some freinds have found it and, well you cant really say "no I dont want to add you as a freind" without knocking the shine off their pride or something.

What I dont get about them is the crap people feel the need to share like "I'm cooking dinner" or "My kids are fighting" just the general twaddle that seems to pop into their otherwise empty heads and the feel the need to share it with the world.
I say WHO F#CKING CARES !!!

Bert

[goof]

Yes, they do come with silent modes and power buttons, but using them is seen as strange, even rude. Society demands your attention 24/7.

Stuff society, I don't have a problem with not answering if it doesn't suit me.

It's not really 'disruptive', but for my vote is satnav units like TomTom, etc are up there. Love them, especially when traveling.

[Cip]

the internet

end of story

[MuNch]

Psb

[Dragunov-21]

The internet as a whole. More specifically, forums and youtube (I don't use social networking sites).

I spend more time hitting f5 on forums than actually typing lol.. And combined with youtube and my horrific lack of self-control, I'm glad I don't have the net much during the week, and it's gotta compete with the bike on the weekend...

[Cone Cat]

The telephone. Any telephone.

Damn things are always ringing when you least want them too. When your on the crapper, eating and have just taken a big bite, bonking, covered in grease, right up the back corner of the yard, just as your favorite tv show starts, you name it, they always ring at the worst possible time.

Then if you manage to actually answer it, it's usually some low live telemarketing vermin who is somehow exempt from the do not call legislation and is hell bent determined to wreck the rest of the day with their snivelling, pathetic small minded sales pitch, in the best well practiced speel their stinking cadavers can vocalise.

Seriously, the most evil invention. Ever.

[mcmurray]

the internet

end of story

[STRIPR]

Multanovas and hand held LIDARs

[Dr. Venkman]

Modern phone tehnology makes me cry, how hard is it to figure some stuff out, it is really simple.

Incoming calls from fool customers on their mobile, who cant understand the RVA's asking if their landline number is affected by an outage.

C "My number is XX XXXX XXXX, my phone line is not working"

Me "That number falls in the range of an outage currently in that area. It should be rectified in X hours according to the lsat update we have from the field"

C "I heard that announcement but my neighbours line is working"

You can see where that is going....

[Jonchilds]

Mobiles phones are very bitter-sweet. They're so handy, and with the price of calls/caps why wouldn't you have one. However, people expect they get answered on the spot, and that you MUST check your voicemails.

Voicemails are another pet hate - I've got mine turned off because it's quicker to call the person back than it is to check the damn things.

[Murley]

Alarm clocks, whether it be on my phone, a clock radio, courtesy wake up call, fucking rooster I don't care just SHUUUUT UUUUUP and let me sleep you bastard things