Get the Ricochet app

Ricochet will work fine in a browser on your mobile devices, but for the best experience please download our app.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Become a member.

Tired of the toxicity of social media? Why not join Ricochet for just $5/month? Think of it as an online bar. Come in, have a drink, hang out, say whatever you want. But don’t badger, bully, or berate the other drinkers. That's our only rule.

The Internet of Every Damn Last Thing

EJHill
@EJHill
Join to bookmark35likesJoin to like32comments

We had our last full house for a while this Christmas. One never knows from year-to-year where everyone will be but I do know the lad will not be home in 2024. He’ll be in the middle of his second sailing at the Academy next December.

As everyone one made their way home I was alerted to their arrival by my phone. The app that controls my wifi router would announce “A new device has joined your network.” And then every time they opened a new device: Laptop alert. iPad alert. X-box alert. Desktop alert. Smart television alert. Alert! Alert! Alert!

By Christmas night there were 28 separate devices sucking at the internet teat. The kids bought my father-in-law a smart tv. Alert! His other grandchildren sent him a fire stick with a Disney+ subscription on it. Alert!

My Marine bought me a new Keurig. (Something about the brick I was using to keep the lid closed or something bothered him.) I was not allowed to register the purchase unless - you guessed it - I hooked it up to the internet.

Here I draw my line in the sand. I don’t want to have to open carry lest my coffee maker go sentient on me.

This post was promoted to the Main Feed at the recommendation of Ricochet's members.

Discussion (32)

  • Banned Member@DrewInWisconsin
    EJHill (View Post):
    My Marine bought me a new Keurig. (Something about the brick I was using to keep the lid closed or something bothered him.) I was not allowed to register the purchase unless – you guessed it – I hooked it up to the internet.

    Someone in the PIT was just talking about this sort of thing -- having to download and activate an app on her device in order to use a non-internet-connected device.

  • EJHill@EJHill
    ReplyingtoDrewInWisconsin, Lower Order Oaf

    DrewInWisconsin, Lower Order O (View Comment):

    Someone in the PIT was just talking about this sort of thing — having to download and activate an app on her device in order to use a non-internet-connected device.

    Supposedly if I preload a pod at night I could start the brew from my phone. But, it ain’t like it’s going to serve me in bed. No, all they really want is my email to sell some subscription-based delivery of product.

    I don’t want to communicate with any of my kitchen appliances. I have people in my life I’m not thrilled with having to talk to, let alone the microwave or the refrigerator.

Scroll for later comments
+27 more comments
Join the conversation

You're seeing five of 32 comments. Sign in, or join for just $5 per month, to read them all and add your own.