Vocal Voices

I'm quite happy to appreciate the many benefits that technology has given us in recent years,
but I do feel that in many cases manufacturers have gone too far. Some have gone way out of
their way to introduce products that are even more complex than their competitors, with very
little thought as to whether the 'improvements' are in the user's best interests.
One example is my home telephone: The basic part, which one picks up to answer a call, has
no fewer that 21 buttons on it, some on the side which are too easy to accidently touch when
picking it up to answer a call, which is thereby cut off. (It's not just me - other people do, too)

It seems to me that we are gradually losing a lot of our individuality, and are becoming slaves
to technology. When will it all end?

I suppose the eventual outcome will be when artificial-intelligent robots take over.
Aren't I glad I won't be here then!

I would just like a on/of switch
I just wonder do people ever write letters to each other
I remember the excitement of getting a letter of friends when we where stationed abroad or from my dear mum who's handwriting was so shaky

20 buttons on my phone, some of them are multi-function, and I have absolutely no idea or interest in what many of them do. I use the numbers and the answer and end call buttons, that's it.

There are another ten on the base station/answering machine and I suppose some of them are 'interesting' as well.

The red button worries me. According to the pidgin English hand book it is for 'an emergence' but I think it might be a direct line to a NATO missile silo so I leave it well alone!