No Not Everyone Owns a Cellphone
I realize the seeming ubiquity of cell phones these days but no not everyone has them. No they are not universal. Many people can barely afford internet let alone cell service on top of it. Or they might simply not want to worry about the invasion of privacy cell phones create. Or they may live in an area without cell service. Whatever the case not everyone has a cell phone. Not everyone has SMS messaging and not everyone is comfortable giving up their phone number even if they have it. I realize the desire for two factor authentication however it should still be optional or there needs to be an alternative devised for those without cell service. I'm no talking just about Steemit (because as I mentioned in a previous article you can't join Steemit right now without a cell phone) but all tech attitudes. This attitude needs to change. Not owning a cell phone should not mean one is ostracized from society, digital or otherwise.
I'll write more on this later....
what is crazy to me is that millions of people who don't even have running water or electricity have cell phones/internet in 3rd world countries... blows my mind
Come to the Philippines..everyone but my mom have one. Some are even more expensive than from someone working abroad.There was a story of a street vendor using all of his savings just to buy his kid for a cell phone just because this kid refused to go to school without one. Sigh...
I think at this point most people, even in poor countries, have access to cheap mobile phones. Even cheap used ones. I think if someone does not have a cell phone it is probably by choice.
I acknowledge some people are really poor and could never afford it but they are probably living life where anything happening online is not their concern as they must have bigger issues to deal with.
If it's just to sign up to Steemit or some type of 2 point verification they could just ask a friend or neighbour, co-workers, they must know at least one kind person who can accept a text once in a while.
Just my thoughts. Nice post.
Its not the phone it's the subscription. Look people can save up for stuff but they can't always afford a regular output of money for a subscriber fee. Consider the difference between giving blood and slowly bleeding over a years time. The former your body can handle, the latter will do you serious harm if not kill you. Also a lot of people access the net using internet cafes or public access points. So your presupposition that just because you can't afford to put out $80 a month on top of an internet fee (which can run around another $80) that some how they don't have any business online is false. Assume they can't afford the initial $80 for their internet. That means they'll turn to using a public access point like say the Library. That doesn't mean they won't care about anything online. In fact many government services depend on internet (ironically enough) so if you are that poor you're likely on welfare and REQUIRE internet access just to deal with the bloody beaurocracy.
But as I said it's not the cell phone it's the service that makes the difference. Not every carrier will allow you to use a used phone (prepaid) as some require you to have a contract with them. Others incentivise you by giving better deals to subscribers so really it comes down to the difference being the subscription fee.
I still don't think users should be cut out of the system for lack of a cell but borrowing a phone might be a temporary work around.
This is so true. Lots of people have only a land-line.