It started with me opting not to keep smart lights when I moved. I found the routine of pressing physical switches more rewarding than the tap of a touch screen. I've since gotten into vinyl, and film photography. I still stream music, and I still take photos with my iPhone when it's more convenient, but I find the physicality of analog devices uniquely rewarding.
@Gargron Like real books and the turning of the page and the choice of paper that says something about the book as much as the cover design, the font chosen and the layout of the page that allows room for notes in the margin or not, underlining or not.
Not to mention, the smell of an old bookstore would never be the same if it was full of Kindles, right? 😉
@vlrny@Gargron My boys, both with graphic art degrees, both of them loved that part of their education: printing a book - the craft of it, what each decision communicates about the words within.
Rich words deserve rich paper and stalwart and distinctive fonts, and room to interact with the words printed on the page by penciling in your own.
At this point I'm not sure if I learned it from them or if it is in our blood and they got it from me.
@Gargron the body demands catharsis. We really have reached the point where we've created such a gulf between body and mind using our bodies is seen as a novelty. I want to say the medium is the message, our body is the journey, never forget that
@Gargron yeah, and when the power blinks out and back on during a storm at 2am you don’t get woken up by all you smart lights that default to “on” when getting power again.
@Gargron Nothing is worse than the absence of a physical key which has to be inserted & turned to start the car, and then physically removed to shut it off. How many times have I forgotten to push the damn start button to turn it off 🤯.
@Gargron Also it's easier to just flip a switch. I found it terribly annoying to need my phone to turn on the lights. Turns out switches weren't a problem that needed solving.
@Gargron I've been saying for decades that I'm an ANALOG girl living in a DIGITAL world. I do the digital thing but my preference is for analog: watches and clocks with faces and hands; car with a physical key that you shove into the ignition and turn to get the engine going; a house key for an antique lock; and, light switches that get flipped up and down.
@nancylwayne@Gargron OMG, yes, physical keys!!!! Yes to the rest as well, but there have been a couple of times while travelling in which the car's passenger door lock got borked. I had to crawl in through the driver's side to get into the car, like a freaking 10-yr-old.
@Gargron That's a totally understandable perspective. Though being able to flip lights on/off is just one off the aspecta, right? Eg, automatically adjusting light brightness and color temperature per circadian cycle was a game-changer for me (haven't had an insomnia ever since then). Or being able to play light show to accompany a vinyl record for a stronger mood. I think one doesn't need to think about it as though you only can get "either", as you can actually have both.
@Gargron this is what I like about Lutron light switches. They are tactile like old switches. You can use them without connectivity. But you can also control them from software if you want.
@Gargron Back in the day I loved photographing events with my fully manual OM-1. No auto-focus, just set it for a given focal length and look for shots within that distance. Fun
@Gargron I grew up with all that technology; there were no digital options at all. I even developed my own photos (B&W only) in high school. CDs arrived when I was in my mid-20s. I guess I'm on the other side—I don't miss analog tech at all. But everyone's different and enjoys different things.
@Gargron I totally get it. There's something about the physicality of analog devices that makes them more engaging & satisfying to use. There's a tactile feedback that you just don't get with digital devices. & there's also a sense of connection to the past that analog devices can offer.
I'm glad you're finding joy in vinyl and film photography. Those are two great hobbies that can be really rewarding. And who knows, maybe you'll even find yourself collecting other analog devices in the future.
@Gargron single purpose feels more convenient from time to time, it's designed to just focus on one thing and try to really enrapture value because of limited resources.
@Gargron Try #Polaroid photography. It's one rabbit hole of an experience. If you're not into wasting money and resources get yourself a Polaroid Lab[0] to "print" them. ♥️
I have smart switches that work like real switches, too. Also smart outlets that have buttons on them. Both are nice to set up automations but then be able to easily override whatever state they're in. I would not buy a smart device that I could only control from a phone.
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