The Digital World
It’s not about making things better for you
It is about Charging Fees and controlling you?
Why Analog had to die a slow death.
When it comes to the digital age you’re either a Wolf or Sheep a Viking or Victim
Which are you?
As we go bravely into the digital world and all the new and fantastic things it is bringing into our lives
In medicine, Entertainment, Safety and Security it also comes with a price.
The price is slavery to Fees and poor service and limited availability.
Do not pay a fee then your living in the Stone Age. In the digital age there are the haves and the have not’s.
And the digital divide grows bigger each and every day as newer technologies come out and totally exclude entire generations and groups of individuals. Can not afford to pay a fee or figure a way around it then you will find yourself out of the digital game period.
Take the simple ATM and debit cards.
Why carry cash use your debit card it is so much more convenient and easier to use and carry and so much cheaper for retailers and banks to do electronic transfers. Really then how come every time you turn around banks keep slapping more and more fees on use of these cards.
Now a bank wants to charge $5.00 for you to withdrawal cash from an ATM which is not in there network.
Remember when checking was free because banks made money off our money well they still do but they have gotten so money greedy you now pay for the privilege. Do not keep a minimum then there’s a fee. That’s why I stop and get cash from a local small town bank I use I do not stop at an ATM and I use a smaller home town bank because it does not fee me to death. The ATM is convenient but I figure time in my schedule to stop at my bank and avoid ATM fees period. I try and avoid at all costs impulse buying as well.
The Big banks hate me because they can not rip me off too bad. If more people where like me and refused to put up with big bank shenanigans it would stop but people are like sheep instead of wolves and willing stand in line to get bent over and screwed by big banks and there fess and then say thank you for screwing me. Because It was more convenient for me, instead of doing my home work and making a plan.
Take a look at your home security system once a luxury now unfortunately a needed realty in too many places.
In the old days you bought a system had it put in and you had a tape dialer which called local police for cost of local phone call when alarm activated. But in today’s new digital world where there is no longer a local police dispatcher it goes to a 911 center where tape dialers are no longer permitted. Instead you now pay a fee of $30.00 or more dollars per month for ever for a system that is worthless and poorly installed by a big national alarm company who wants your money and provides you with nothing its all about the fees .They charge for everything and they charge big. There are still a few small independents out there doing good work with good prices but there few and far and hard to find but ask around.
And yes panels can be designed to call your cell phone or pager if you want to self monitor but many company’s will not service your system unless you’re monitored by them.
Again I say screw them you can put your own professional system in and self monitor with some good research.
Then look at the new Digital TV service again a total rip off of the consumer who had existing analog TVs
Using over the air broadcasting. Set top converter boxes.
These converter boxes are nothing but a big consumer rip off and of inferior quality. If you live high on a hill like I do your fine you can still get most local channels but any where else your screwed.
And in a effort to get better pictures consumers ran out and bought all kinds of antennas to improve the picture which did not work either. When the real problem was the converter box it self. People who went out and bought new digital TVs with real digital tuners where getting over the air broadcast with few problems. With just a simple set of rabbit ears. And all these fancy antennas all you really need is a good quality UHF antenna that’s where digital is being broadcast , again do your home work you can get around paying for cable or satellite.
Ok so let’s say you really can not get over the air well then you need cable or satellite. But do you really how much TV do you really watch. Do you have a good internet connection many TV shows you can now get over the internet next day you can even get old movies and TV shows for free as well on sites like www.veoh.com
Oh have you tried to use your old VCR on digital TV yes you can record what’s being shown but want to record another channel at a different time forget it now you need to either purchase a DVR rental from the cable company or buy a DVR where you use a service like Tivo or buy a very high end unit for $2000.00 that lets you select when you want to record but again pay me a fee for your convince Now you can go to TV guide site and use there free DVR recorder ad record a show and watch it via internet to your TV as an alternative to get around this.
And talking about internet you can still get a free 10hour dial up account from Net Zero .com
Not great but still free and good for email etc. when you do not need full internet service or are some where you can not get free WIFI.
Also are you paying for software from Microsoft and others Why? Again with good computer skills and research there are all kinds of free alternative programs that work as good or better than Microsoft and Adobe etc products. Why are you paying $150.00 to 500.00 for something you do not need. Especially anti virus software there are plenty of free programs got to www.komando.com this computer users info site has many good articles etc where you can find all kinds of tips and links to solve what ever problem you are having with your computer.
Tired of paying for phone service have internet there’s all kinds of company’s like Vonage etc offer almost free telephone but again why are you paying a fee. Goggle voice offers free calls all over US.
Then there are service contracts and yes some plans like for water, gas and sewer lines etc make sense if you can not physically do your own work and own a home or business but many things you can do again why you are paying for services you do not need to pay for. Learn how to do them and slowly acquire the tools you need
My wife severely jammed the sink drain line other day did I call a plumber no way and where related to several.
I got out my hand snake and took care of it to point I had to open up the copper drain line take a section out work the hand snake thru clog and then put pipe back in place with 2 rubber Fernco couplings. Total cost couplers and snake $30.00 not having to call a plumber saved $350.00.
There are all kind of free and inexpensive trade classes you can take to learn how to take care of the little things in life even right on line. Do your research and learn about them.
Again it takes time and effort to do the research and learn how not to pay all the monthly fees and be kept a slave to them. But are you a Wolf or Sheep a Viking or Victim If your sheep or victim step right and welcome to the new digital age. Now Pay Me. Forever
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