Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Inglewood, CA, USA
Posts: 390

I posted this on another board. It was a response to a news thread about a juror possibly causing a mistrial, because he read some news articles about the case he was sitting on - while the case was still going. I'm posting it here because they don't get as much Handspring traffic, and I wanted to see what Visor owners thought...

I can understand the court being upset about a juror using a PDA to access a news item on the very trial they are sitting on. After all, as a juror, you are not supposed to look at or listen to, anything pertaining to the trial, outside the courtroom.

Some of you will look at this as being a bit extreme, and it is, to a point, but I can see a possible sad trend coming... the "banning" or �limiting� of PDA's in various situations and/or locations.

In the not-too-distant past, most (not all) PDA users were business people, and �tech-heads� When others saw them being used, it was assumed that the person was doing something serious � working, organizing, etc. Now that PDA�s are becoming more well known to the average person on the street, more and more people are getting them. (I�ll admit, I am one of the �newbies�.) People are discovering that they can also be used for entertainment � music, ebooks, pictures, games, etc. This is a big selling point for some of them.

How do others know what you are doing when you turn your PDA on? Normally, my response to that is �Who cares? It�s none of their business.� BUT, it could cause restricted use�

Some examples:
Have you seen the recent Dilbert cartoon, where the manager is talking during a meeting and his employees seem very enthusiastic about what he is saying? The last frame shows that they were using wireless PDA�s, not paying attention at all. (I really like that one.)

Sometimes I sit, in the lunchroom at work, and read ebooks. Or beam stuff back and forth with co-workers. My boss sees me. Big deal � I�m on a break� Later, I may be sitting at my desk, checking my to-do list, and my boss could walk by. If he sees me sitting there with my PDA in hand, he just might decide that I am goofing-off, when I should be working.

What about in the classroom? A PDA could be invaluable to helping a student get organized. But what if a teacher catches too many students playing PDA games during class?

There was a discussion thread, not too long ago, that dealt with security risks. There was talk that a PDA could hold sensitive information about a company, just like a laptop, and could be used against them if lost or stolen.

In the case of the juror, what if the court decides that you can no longer bring PDA�s in the courthouse? As most people know, you can do a lot of sitting around, doing nothing�

There are a lot more situations like this. Someone soon is going to say, �You can�t use those in here��

Registered: May 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 87

In a similar vain, mobile phones seem to be a big problem in schools over here in the UK.

(I don't know how easy it is to get a mobile in the US, but the operators here run a system where there is no contract, phones are v.cheap and call time is bought as and when required)

Kids are sending messages to each other in the middle of lessons and exams.

Certain schools have already banned them.

It's only a matter of time before the same happens with PDA's, as they become cheaper and more attractive to children.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 121

My job already restricts certain things from being on my visor and when/where I use it...no big deal, I just don't use that stuff/do that stuff/etc. This is just another case of the few trying to screw it up for the many IMHO.

------------------
Built for comfort, not for speed...

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Enumclaw, Wa
Posts: 268

quote:

---

Originally posted by nurcombe:
In a similar vain, mobile phones seem to be a big problem in schools over here in the UK.

(I don't know how easy it is to get a mobile in the US, but the operators here run a system where there is no contract, phones are v.cheap and call time is bought as and when required)

Kids are sending messages to each other in the middle of lessons and exams.

Certain schools have already banned them.

It's only a matter of time before the same happens with PDA's, as they become cheaper and more attractive to children.

---

Registered: May 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 87

Cor! wish I'd said that.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Inglewood, CA, USA
Posts: 390

FYI:

quote:

---

from a MSN article on cell-phone rudeness: �No Cell Phones� signs are popping up all over. Restaurants, theaters, libraries, museums, doctors� offices have imposed bans on the devices because of boorish behavior.

---