robert smith russian interview [robert about smart phones and social media]

[japanesebaby]

this was on chainofflowers twitter https://twitter.com/#!/CraigatCoF sometime yesterday evening.
the link is for a rough online translation (NB), still quite readable i think:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.afisha.ru%2Farticle%2Frobert_smith_interview%2F

i like how robert feels about smart phones, social media, i find it so true:

I hate it here it's the desire of modern man to be always connected to the network. There must be limits. No, the internet - it's an amazing thing, I love it! But I refuse to have a smart phone, refuse to have ayped, refuse to start a twitter, I refuse to write in facebook statuses. I am a simple gi bl ... hate. In general, there is quite a paradoxical situation - I, in fact, merely a private person, but it so happened that my work involves publicity. I like it when people come to our concert, but I do not want them to know what I do at home. Why? For what reason? This is all very strange.

I grew up in the days when to call someone, you had to go out and get to the phone booth. And it was supposed to be an important cause - otherwise why would you overcome these half a kilometer before the end of the street to make a f*cking phone call?

In my camera was 24 frames, I had to carefully choose what to shoot, when we went on tour. I'm not saying that all this is devalued ... While there, I want to. In my opinion, that it devalued. When I see people who are always something to shoot, I want to shout to them, do not remove! Worry about it! When everything is fixed on the camera - this means that all are equally important. That is, nothing important.

I've never read a single tweet, I refuse to go to Twitter, because I think its e anym ... madness! They tell me - how well can you communicate directly with fans. Yes, I do not want to! I do not want to talk to them every day! I do not want them to know what I ate for breakfast! If I like a musician, I want it to be mysterious, inaccessible, so that it takes you to some his own, separate world. But people think otherwise. I am clearly in the minority.

[dsanchez]

Thanks for sharing this, jb

[dsanchez]

I grew up in the days when to call someone

This is one of the reasons why (for instance) I don't put my birthday on Facebook (besides, why should I put it there, when it's already here  at curefans.com ) It's not personal at all. People does not have any idea of my birthday, they are just reminded by a system and everyone writes a message because of that, not because they thought on me. And then they go on writing the same greetings on the wall (not in my case, as I have disabled that option). I miss the times when your friends gave you a written postcard, or woke you up early in the morning to say "Happy Birthday". Now (for lot of people) all this is replaced by a one line comment on Facebook

To my closest friends I prefer to send a personal email, a personal e-card, a phone call or even a letter.

Everytime this subject is discussed I can't but think on this part of the movie "Contact".

Are we happier because of technology?

[japanesebaby]

yeah, and not just technology but material things in general. 
reminds me of a newspaper column (written by a finnish author) that i recently read, about how the problem/tragedy of modern man is not that we love material things too much (as if often said). it's not some "war" between material and spiritual things, where spiritual is good and material is bad. it's actually quite the opposite: because we don't love material things enough.

because if we really did love material objects, then we'd respect them more because we'd understand their value. we'd be more grateful for what we have, instead of complaining about what we don't have (unfortunately our modern society encourages us to complain, instead of being grateful).

we constantly throw away perfectly good items just because we fancy getting a new and shinier one. we want to get something new, not because we need it but just because we think it'll make us feel better. we soon realize it doesn't make us feel any better and then we think: "ok, i feel bad because i love material things too much - so ok, this is bad, so now i need to stop loving material things and not care about them!". but this is a mistake, and it only goes even more wrong because this diminishes the value of everything we own, and in the end nothing has value, nothing is important. and we end up feeling even worse.

but the good news is that we can always become aware of this mental trap and change our attitude. that's what matters!

[dsanchez]

we constantly throw away perfectly good items just because we fancy getting a new and shinier one. we want to get something new, not because we need it but just because we think it'll make us feel better.

an example of what you just wrote could be this

New Nike Air Jordan XI Concord Causes Shopping Frenzy In Indianapolis

[japanesebaby]

or these:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-bargainhunters-killed-in-ikea-stampede-6162532.html

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/102699/Stabbing-at-battle-of-Ikea.html

people stabbing and stampeding each other to death for some low quality cheapo ikea stuff?
oh it must be worth it...

[Ulrich]

we constantly throw away perfectly good items just because we fancy getting a new and shinier one. we want to get something new, not because we need it but just because we think it'll make us feel better.

"But it's the price we pay for happiness"?

"All the stuff we know we never want
Seems like we get it anyway

Even if we turn more to most
We'll never satisfy the hungry ghost"
YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

This is one of the reasons why (for instance) I don't put my birthday on Facebook (besides, why should I put it there, when it's already here  at curefans.com ) It's not personal at all. People does not have any idea of my birthday, they are just reminded by a system and everyone writes a message because of that, not because they thought on me.  ...

Are we happier because of technology?

Not long ago I read about a study, which claimed that posting facebook status and sharing this with your friends was almost as satisfying as sex... 

Anyway, I joined FB mostly to keep in touch with people I otherwise would not hear from for a long time, especially far-away friends in England or USA. For this, it's just great. (And also for finding some long-lost school mates.) Most of them would not think of my b-day anyway, so I'm not against a one-liner from them (better than nothing!).
For close friends, I got my phone (and emails and letters and personal meetings). And btw, I still use a very old Siemens mobile phone. Still, no Ipad or smartphone or anything. 
In short, I agree with Robert that it "sucks" to be always available, share everything etc. Which is why I don't post much on FB, make a point of switching off my phone at times and so on.

[japanesebaby]

"But it's the price we pay for happiness"?

yeah, an obvious quote
i suppose that line is meant to be ironic, as it's obviously not a very good deal because you pay the price but you certainly don't get happiness.

Anyway, I joined FB mostly to keep in touch with people I otherwise would not hear from for a long time, especially far-away friends in England or USA. For this, it's just great.

i agree. after initially rejecting fb on the first round (for it being something too shallow with its blackandwhite 'like' system etc.), but later i've come to change my mind and i've found fb worth it (for the very same reasons you mentioned).

i guess the important thing to keep in mind is that one can always decide how to use facebook, what to do with it and for what to use it (and for what not). or twitter, or any other similar site.  there is no one way of using facebook or twitter, but instead everyone can find a good balance and only use them to the extent that seems worth it.
with that said, i suppose i wouldn't quite as strict as robert. i very ell do understand his point but personally i don't see anything to be gained in completely refusing to use twitter either. simply refusing without trying it out first can be a bit like building an wall around yourself.

Still, no Ipad or smartphone or anything. 

ha i've thought i was the only one left in the world without those fancy gadgets.
i too have a a very old and simple phone. and i keep getting telemarketing calls from operators on a weekly basis who just can't seem to believe it when i tell them thankyou but i don't want to have internet on my phone i just want to use it to make phone calls/sending sms and that's all i really need. it amuses me how shocked those telemarketers always sound when i say that. 

[dsanchez]

Still, no Ipad or smartphone or anything. 

ha i've thought i was the only one left in the world without those fancy gadgets.

Add me to the list. I was using a very old Nokia and I just changed it a few weeks ago because I lost the charger :p Now I am with a 2009's Samsung, which is "old" for "current standards". Anyway, I don't get people paying 200 or 300 EUR for an IPhone (I was reading there are more iPhones sold per day than babies born) It seems more new technologies -> more unsatisfied people.

[MintQR]

OMG I was starting to believe that I'm the only one around resisting the overwhelming Iphone-Ipad-and all-that- frenzy It's good to hear that there are more sane people around. Still, I think we are the last ones of a tribe doomed to extinct The global trends are hard to resist and people decide to follow them not just because they like these particular gadgets but because there's enormous pressure from everyone around them (school/work etc).

As for RS's quote I particularly liked the bit about digital cameras. I too remember what it was like to actually think about the next frame you would use And then the actual (not just digital) photographs also had this special feel to them I guess....


As for FB I resisted it but failed... In the end I had to set up an account to establish a fanpage for my workplace and I so I have a couple of friends there but it still feels a bit weird to me..

[billee]

OMG I was starting to believe that I'm the only one around resisting the overwhelming Iphone-Ipad-and all-that- frenzy It's good to hear that there are more sane people around. Still, I think we are the last ones of a tribe doomed to extinct The global trends are hard to resist and people decide to follow them not just because they like these particular gadgets but because there's enormous pressure from everyone around them (school/work etc).

As for RS's quote I particularly liked the bit about digital cameras. I too remember what it was like to actually think about the next frame you would use And then the actual (not just digital) photographs also had this special feel to them I guess....


As for FB I resisted it but failed... In the end I had to set up an account to establish a fanpage for my workplace and I so I have a couple of friends there but it still feels a bit weird to me..

Very interesting topic 

I use Facebook , when I remember to go on it. Mainly having a quick look but I don't have the time or the patience to pretty much "live on it" as some people do.............but that is their choice I suppose. I'm not too keen on broadcasting my life to everyone, not that it is that interesting anyway, but I just don't see the need for it. Again , it is a choice thing
I must admit I love digital cameras though. Unfortunately I am "photo challenged", no not really a word but if it were it would be me. I am absolutely useless at taking photos & have been for as long as I can remember. So many rolls of film developed with decapitated people, fuzzy people etc so the digital camera has been my savior, well I still take rubbish photos but at least I get a second chance these days.

[MintQR]

I must admit I love digital cameras though. Unfortunately I am "photo challenged", no not really a word but if it were it would be me. I am absolutely useless at taking photos & have been for as long as I can remember. So many rolls of film developed with decapitated people, fuzzy people etc so the digital camera has been my savior, well I still take rubbish photos but at least I get a second chance these days.

Hey billee I didn't mean to say that I despise digital cameras. I do own one of course. I just don't get people who are by some mysterious force compelled to take pics of EVERYTHING and preferably at least 10 shots of the very same object and then post them on Facebook as prove of how exciting their life is. I bet they never actually even look back at these photos anymore.

I also think that we live in the times when people are used to instant entertainment, instant fashion, instant friends etc. This overwhelming need for change is often leading to being quite superficial in different ways. I wish we would treasure more even the small things in life I wish we would stop to think more. And isn't taking photos really about keeping memories about those little (but yet important) things and feelings and moments? That's why I can relate to what Robert was saying I guess..

[japanesebaby]

I too remember what it was like to actually think about the next frame you would use

i remember that too! i used to take quite a lot of photos back in the 80s (slides mostly). then i've been really into digital photography in recent years too, having a DSRL. i feel that it's a completely different thing, one almost can't compare the two, photography back then and today. the whole mindset and the whole "philosophy" (so to speak) is so different, the whole technique is totally different, everything has to be learnt anew.

i would never want to go back to the film age though, never. it was so tedious and slow, worrying about whether the photos would turn out to be ok, waiting for the film to be developed - not to mention it was expensive! so i've found digital photography as a great revelation, like a sigh of relief really.

i guess whenever things become technically easier, there are also more new traps to fall into. with photography, since there are no more such technical restraints as in the film age, one now needs so much more self-restraint, one needs to watch oneself for not to "use the camera too much". because if one is not careful, then it can indeed lose all meaning - nothing becomes important like robert said.

i suppose it depends on how one decides to take it: as a sort of lost cause (=everything's so easy that nothing matters anymore, so who cares, whatever etc.), or as a mental challenge (=accepting the fact that there are traps but keeping our eyes on the goal of how to avoid those traps, which can be reqrading if it works).
i like the latter one more.

[el_duderino]

that was a great interview (another proof that good interviev only appears when the person has things to say). I speak russian, so i'll probably translate it within closer days

[dsanchez]

People doing long waiting lines to buy the newest iPhone. The world must be really a fucked up place if a little expensive machine equals happiness.

http://elcomercio.pe/actualidad/1472557/noticia-fotos-primeras-colas-mundo-esperado-lanzamiento-iphone/3