Has technology ruined the art of conversation?

[Minimalist]

It probably was the manager wanting to know why sales were down!

[Edwardo Piet]

I've never had any real life friends so for me technology has certainly improved the art of conversation.

I can't afford to go to the pub. I literally can't afford to meet people in RL. I've had online friendships since I was 12 and I didn't have any childhood RL friends either.

So far I even prefer sex online.

[Thumpalumpacus]

That's a talk-to-the-manager issue for me, if it's not a business phone.

Nope, business phone. Apparently "please hold, I'm with another customer" was not an option.

Was it a business call?

[account_inactive]

Yes, it most definitely has.

[paulpablo]

Before cell phones, (yup, I'm that old), I was sitting in my office talking to someone and the phone rang. I ignored it. The guy asked if I was going to answer that call, and I told him, "If it is important, they'll leave a message or call back. You've taken the time to come to my office to discuss an important issue, and you have priority, not the phone.

I think it's better to pick up the phone and say sorry im busy call back later.

The receptionist in my work does it where she carries on talking to me even while her reception desk phone's ringing but I'm the kind of person who can't focus even if it's someone else's phone ringing.  I'm just thinking answer the fucking phone.

[brewer]

Nope, business phone. Apparently "please hold, I'm with another customer" was not an option.

Was it a business call?

Yep. Asking about product availability and price.

[Thumpalumpacus]

You handled it rightin my opinion, fwiw. As a business manager, I've always told my employees that "the person in front of you is more important than the person on the phone."

[The Valkyrie]

I've been out to the pub tonight with friends.
Within minutes of being there they were on their phones, checking Facebook, text messages and the like.
In my opinion gone are the days when you could just be out talking and enjoying each others company.
I couldn't get a word in edgeways without being interrupted by an annoying ping or ringtone, looking around I saw couples out for meals constantly checking their phones for updates.
What the hell is going on?
Does this annoy anyone else? or am I miserable or behind the times or something?

What you need is a cattle-prod and state, "If we're going out we do so to socialise with each other. Anyone who starts texting while we're out gets to meet Mr. Shock."

[Edwardo Piet]

Yes, it most definitely has.

I think it's ruined the art off offline conversation

Even if I wanted to make friends offline: Hairycyclist is right... I try to talk to someone, even my own brother, and everyone is on their phones on the internet... so if people are gonna be doing that anyway I may as well join them unless I want about 10% of their attention while they tap away on their phone.

If you can't beat 'em join em and all that jazz.

Thankfully for myself it's no big deal because I've never had any RL friends anyway. Never as a child, never as a teen, never as an adult.

Unless you count 1 friend in RL I saw twice a week for 2 years who ended up abandoning me suddenly.... someone who I in the end decided was never my friend in the first place which is why I don't count them.

Or unless you count someone who I used to meet up with but after a couple of meet ups decided he wanted me to stay for hours and hours more and it was hard to get rid of him, he wouldn't take "no" for an answer and it basically got rather creepy and ruined our friendship. I also realized he was close friends with someone really scary that day O_o

So again... I decided they were never my friend in the first place.

But even if they counted... that's literally the only friends I've had in RL. I was close to two other people but not as friends: Only as sexual partners.

And yeah I never had any childhood RL friends either. My friendships started at 12 years old on the internet.

I'm probably boring the crap out of you but I could talk about myself or listen to someone else talk about themselves all day any day. I love online conversation: Which technology most definitely has improved rather than ruined. But yes offline RL conversation is ruined but I never liked it anyway.

[brewer]

I wonder what Hawking's take on this would be?