Could you handle a world where you no longer have the internet?

[Avro Arrow]

All are bills are paperless and done through direct debit

Although I would like to because of the environmental concerns, I've been wary about switching to paperless billing for most of my bills. As I mentioned above, a lot of the payments are set up manually each month, and it's actually the paper bill that reminds me that something is coming up due. It seems I don't always check my email frequently enough to be reminded before the due date...

Technically don't even need it now if I need to pay money into my accout (which I rarely do) I just put my card into the machine at the tellar station in the bank enter my PIN and say "can I please deposit this into my account thanks"

I can't tell if you're just being figurative or literal here? Are your ATMs really voice activated?

 

[DimesDan]

Although I would like to because of the environmental concerns, I've been wary about switching to paperless billing for most of my bills. As I mentioned above, a lot of the payments are set up manually each month, and it's actually the paper bill that reminds me that something is coming up due. It seems I don't always check my email frequently enough to be reminded before the due date...

We have reminders set on our phones/google calendar as well as writing when each one is due on our normal calendar letting us know when each bill in a month is coming out - I'm not sure how things are done your side of the pond, but here, a direct debit gets taken out on a set day each month (or the next business day if that day falls on a weekend/bank holiday)

Relying on when the bill arrives to deal with the payment when direct debits are so fool proof seems just a massive pain in the arse.

I can't tell if you're just being figurative or literal here? Are your ATMs really voice activated?

They have a "button" that you can press that allows that function.

 

[Avro Arrow]

We have reminders set on our phones/google calendar as well as writing when each one is due on our normal calendar letting us know when each bill in a month is coming out - I'm not sure how things are done your side of the pond, but here, a direct debit gets taken out on a set day each month (or the next business day if that day falls on a weekend/bank holiday)

Relying on when the bill arrives to deal with the payment when direct debits are so fool proof seems just a massive pain in the arse.

I mentioned earlier in the thread why I don't do direct debit for most bills. But yes, I don't generally bother with paper bills for the few that are direct debit.

They have a "button" that you can press that allows that function.

That is great!! We only recently (last few years) have had machines that have speech output for the visually impaired. Voice-activation would bring a whole new level of accessibility. I hope we start getting that over here soon too!

(Do they ever have trouble interpreting different kinds of speech? I guess your bank machine misinterpreting your instructions could be a huge source of frustration, though.)

 

[Nyotarules]

Yes I could.

 

[Kor]

We would go back to telephone party lines for group conversations.
What fun and excitement!

Kor

 

[MacLeod]

Although I would like to because of the environmental concerns, I've been wary about switching to paperless billing for most of my bills. As I mentioned above, a lot of the payments are set up manually each month, and it's actually the paper bill that reminds me that something is coming up due. It seems I don't always check my email frequently enough to be reminded before the due date...



I can't tell if you're just being figurative or literal here? Are your ATMs really voice activated?

A Teller is the person in the bank who deals with customers.

 

[Amaris]

We would go back to telephone party lines for group conversations.
What fun and excitement!

Kor

Bulletin board systems existed before the internet was a thing. I used to run one. It was like a miniature internet on someone's computer. There were forums, games, electronic mail, and news articles.

 

[tharpdevenport]

IScoff if you want, but at least I've got the original, purest version of the original Star Wars trilogy before Lucas started "improving" it. And I've got tapes of TV series that I've never seen offered on DVD or even posted anywhere online.

Exactly.

Some old technology still fills holes not filled in by the ones we were told would replace it. Hell, there are large amounts of series (and at least one award-winning film) that have never been released legally on any format.


We used to have one remaining VHS rental place in town that finally bit the dust not too long ago. It was situated next to an old folks home, which I assume had VHS players and must have finally upgraded to DVD and/or Blu-ray players.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Bulletin board systems existed before the internet was a thing. I used to run one. It was like a miniature internet on someone's computer. There were forums, games, electronic mail, and news articles.

I used to do some serious CompuServe. Although it used to run me ragged trying to access it through its own 'system'...sumbitch was like trying to swim through pancake syrup.

I remember being so happy when I found software that would log on, grab everything I wanted it to, then log off, so I could do all the reading offline.

There was also this text-based D&D-style bulletin board that I was on in junior high. I remember every time I logged on I hope I'd jump a level.

We would go back to telephone party lines for group conversations.
What fun and excitement!

This is starting to get rather Four Yorkshiremen-ish, actually...

 

[Timewalker]

We would go back to telephone party lines for group conversations.
What fun and excitement!

Kor

Just how primitive do you think life was pre-internet, anyway?

The acreage where I grew up was on a party line, but that's how it was in some rural areas in the '60s. We moved into town in the '70s, and I assure you, we were not on a party line.


It can be nice at a bank if there's a teller you get along with. One of them turned out to be a "cat lady" like myself, and we used to exchange tips on cat care.

 

[Kor]

Just how primitive do you think life was pre-internet, anyway?

The acreage where I grew up was on a party line, but that's how it was in some rural areas in the '60s. We moved into town in the '70s, and I assure you, we were not on a party line.


It can be nice at a bank if there's a teller you get along with. One of them turned out to be a "cat lady" like myself, and we used to exchange tips on cat care.

I think "party line" is the wrong term. I was thinking of this thing we used to do as kids in the late '80s and early '90s where a bunch of friends somehow join in on one big phone call from their individual home phones, and chat up a storm. I don't recall the technical details now, but it was basically a party over the phone.

Kor

 

[Tora Ziyal]

^ Conference call.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Ah, the old days of actually talking to one another instead of using instant messaging, texts and posting on a forum. Those days never come back. The evil JAyson monkey robot overlords will make sure of that.

 

[Avro Arrow]

A Teller is the person in the bank who deals with customers.

OMG... you meant an actual human teller!! I saw "machine" and "teller station" and "enter my PIN", and immediately my mind jumped right to the Automated Teller Machine!

In my defense, when I do actually have to go to the bank physically, which is rare, I probably use the ATM 90% of the time. Actually going in and dealing with a teller is only for the most unusual of circumstances.

So yes, I guess an actual teller would be "voice activated". I am sooo embarrassed...

 

[MacLeod]

OMG... you meant an actual human teller!! I saw "machine" and "teller station" and "enter my PIN", and immediately my mind jumped right to the Automated Teller Machine!

In my defense, when I do actually have to go to the bank physically, which is rare, I probably use the ATM 90% of the time. Actually going in and dealing with a teller is only for the most unusual of circumstances.

So yes, I guess an actual teller would be "voice activated". I am sooo embarrassed...

I'm the opposite, I avoid using ATM's if possible, if the machine develops a fault and takes your card it takes a while to get a new card.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

In my defense, when I do actually have to go to the bank physically, which is rare

Yeah, I prefer to go to the bank mentally.

As for ATMs: I rarely use them OR the bank because I don't carry cash. Except when I'm on vacation, and when I eat at this one pizza place here at home which has a cash-only bar.

 

[WraithDukat]

I'd be out of a job, so no.

 

[Mudd]

Back before the turn of the century I had free user accounts on Compuserve and GEnie.

I believe I wrote two paper checks in 2017.

 

[rahullak]

Pretty much only use cheques to fulfill the "cancelled cheque leaf" requirement that some financial institutions have.

 

[Kor]

Next time I get a traffic ticket, I think I'll send a bunch of checks for $1 each in protest.

Kor