Sebastian Abbott

A new phone, a reset

A new mobile phone is a good opportunity for a reset of our digital lives, too. Naturally, the whole ecosystem surrounding a phone is interested and invested in keeping us engaged and subscribed: that is why I like to avoid the whole “transfer my phone” business and start from scratch again.

Of course, it’s my own fault that over the 5-6 years with my Android phone I ended up with something like four different browsers and at least four different email clients - I am curious and interested in how different options provide the same functions in different ways and styles.

But it’s not just that: starting afresh without a podcast app, with only the Gmail app, no posting apps means I can view and review not just my online life, but also reconsider my priorities in life. I now bring a book to re-read with me on the commute, a small notebook and a pen, to concentrate on my own thoughts and reflections for a while, before my curiosity draws me back into the maelstrom of apps and diversions once more, for the cycle to begin again.

If you’re in a similar situation - enjoy it, make the most of it!

Blogging from a mobile phone

Blogging is an art form. Examples abound of it being produced spectacularly well and spectacularly badly; as with all other art forms, it requires a certain discipline with quality control.

So, with me swyping this entry on a mobile phone, can I do justice to the artistic endeavour? Surprisingly, yes. Whilst it is more difficult to see the overall picture or flow of what is being written, and more care is required for the input itself, if I can take time and care over it, saving it, re-reading it, tweaking it, then there is no reason for this document to end up qualitatively different to a blog written with a fountain pen and paper.

I don't subscribe to the view that the care required for input amplifies the care taken in pre-selecting the word about to be written. Much more important is having the time available to concentrate on the content and avoiding distractions; even better than merely time is multiple times.

The factor that most limits blog entries such this on my Motorola Defy is fatigue. It a strain on the eyes to focus on such a small screen, it's a strain on the wrists holding the phone in such a way as to facilitate tapping or swyping, and on the shoulder. So in the end, this entry may end up being shorter than a version tapped out on a keyboard - but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

And so ends this entry, if not the experiment.