So this is where I’ll disagree.

Android is not a good choice for my use case. Signal is excellent, I use it every day, but it’s not great when you factor in that I need to get elderly and non-tech savvy family to all download an app to talk to you. I might get some, but I won’t get all of them. The remaining ones deal with SMS, which I already said isn’t reliable where I am. Now factor in MMS messages, and they need to deal with degraded quality because I’m there. This changes in iOS 17, so it’s a short-term issue for them, but still a long-term problem for me.

Keeping tabs on my parents using Apple health and find my, can’t do the same with Android. Yes.m, they can share their location with Google Maps, but they don’t use Google Maps, so now I have to get them on that and help troubleshoot if something stop working.

FaceTime calls, again, possible but not easy for them to set up, so now we need another app.

Lifetime of device and cost of ownership. Without loading a third party version of Android, Apple still provides longer support, which means my phone lasts longer, cost me less, and leads to me contributing less e-waste back into the environment.

I like Android, I use it everyday, and sure, I could switch back, but I would lose more than I would gain. I would love if Apple would be willing to adopt a common standard, but they won’t do that unless it benefits them. Look at me, I’m in their ecosystem an unwilling to leave because my experience immediately deteriorates when I do.

So yeah, while messaging is a part of it, it’s not the whole picture.

That’s a fair question.

I’m tech agnostic; whatever fits my need is what I use, and I can easily change devices and operating systems without skipping a beat. My entire family and nearly all of my circle are in the Apple ecosystem; it just makes it easier to communicate and keep tabs on my parents. For those that aren’t using iMessage, Signal is the preferred app.

I still use Android for work, but the only thing I miss about Android is notifications. Apple can’t seem to get notifications right.

The only time it’s an issue for me is when the other person isn’t willing to message me on another app instead of trying to use SMS. I get horrible cell service where I live and my only options are iMessage or an app like Signal /WhatsApp/Messenger.

So this is when adding someone with an Android to a group conversation that was taking place using iMessage can cause some irritation.

I appreciate the reply, and I agree.

It’s sad that people jump to the conclusion that my kids are being kept from the world and I’m doing them harm because I don’t let them go to public gatherings on holidays. My kids attend school, they go to birthday parties, parks, pools, all the usual things kids do.

Sure. At a super high level, I review business processes and find inefficiencies such as bottlenecks and time sucks and design solutions to optimize them.

As a career, you’ll commonly see positions in this field listed as a Business Analyst or Process Improvement Analyst. Almost every industry hires for these roles so you can work almost anywhere.

Interesting, you’re telling me to learn statistics, and then you skipped over the leading cause of death for children in the United States.

Try incorporating empathy in your life, and understand it’s not about you. If you don’t have the same concern as others, you don’t have to resort to insults; you can accept that someone else feels differently without trying to hurt them.

That is what I tell everyone. I don’t need constant reassurance, and I suck at providing it to those that need it.

This is why we chose to stay home on holidays. I feel bad that my kids are missing out, but I would rather have them miss some fireworks than risk becoming a statistic.

Process improvement, and honestly, it picked me, and I’m okay with that. I’m autistic, and I have ADHD, and I need something that allows my brain to do its thing without too many restrictions.

I’ve been playing it all night, it’s awesome!

I picked up:

• Dave the Diver • Power Wash Simulator • Old World