Tech Talk

Call of the Wild

by Damon Brown

I write about technology, perhaps more than I originally intended, so people tend to assume that my family lives in a space-age home with talking refrigerators and robotic maids ("'Here is your lemonade, Mr. Brown."'). I have a secret: I'm a closet Luddite. I still love typewriters, I have a vinyl collection, and I actually prefer to speak to people—ahem—face to face.

Of course, there is an inevitable clash whenever a stranger at a party finds out my profession:

Stranger: "I have a quick question. I heard there is a new so-and-so. Should I get rid of my current so-and-so?"

Me: "Are you happy with your so-and-so?"

Stranger: "Well, yes."

Me: "OK. Keep it."

Yes, call me a rebel.

Things really hit the fan when Penguin released my Pocket Idiot's Guide to the iPhone last summer, which was the first book about the insanely popular device. I love the iPhone, but I couldn't help but be honest during media interviews. Is the iPhone a necessity? No, it isn't. (Much to the chagrin of my editors and, perhaps, my royalty statement.)

So I hope that you trust me when I say that not all freelance writers need an iPhone, but they do need a cell phone. It is a necessity.

Pardon my faux blasphemy, but I believe there is a balanced trinity of contact: the Web site, the e-mail and the cell phone. Let's say The New Yorker absolutely loved your latest profile in Sheetrock Today and believes you're the next Joan Didion (or John Gregory Dunne). They need to talk to you. Potential employers will first Google your name in hopes of finding a Web site, try to find an active e-mail account to reach you and, lastly, give you a call. They could use directory information or the Yellow Pages, but they don't know where you live. You've already lost potential work by not having a Web site or a definitive e-mail address (if you have three different e-mail addresses, I'm looking at you). Not having an available cell phone number is strike three.

Why not use your home number? Aside from privacy issues, you're not always at home. In January, while I was attending the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the New York Post called me about a potential on-the-ground story. I was able to do on-the-spot interviews and write the piece in time for the Sunday Business section. The general economy makes finding gigs difficult enough. We simply can't afford to be out of reach.

I can understand the resistance toward getting one. I actually didn't get one myself until around 2003, well after nearly all my friends had a cell phone. Why did I wait so long? Because I didn't need one. I started doing cell phone-related stories and began traveling more, so I decided to take the plunge.

In fact, I envy people who are just getting into cell phones since the options have never been wider. Here are two great options to start:

Prepaid phones: I like these. Basically, you pay a set amount upfront—say, fifty bucks—for a set number of minutes. You use the phone until your minutes run out. Need more minutes? Contact the company and do another payment. The prepaid system allows you to only pay for what you need (albeit in set blocks) and prevents you from going over your allocated minutes. The downside is that it will cut you off when the minutes are up—usually with no warning.

Free phones: Every major cell phone provider will give you a free phone. The catch? You usually have to commit to the company for two years. The phones usually aren't that bad, however, and their discount price reflects only that they are dated models. For instance, a phone I originally paid around $80 for was part of the "free" line the following year. You're probably not going to care. Look at it like you're buying a computer: Don't focus on buying top-of-the-line, but on something that fits your needs.

There is one exception to having a published cell phone number, and that is when it is your only line. In my case, my cell phone is my home phone, and I'd prefer not to have harassing calls—especially since I also write about sexuality (ewww). However, my business cards have my number, so my potential employers know that they can reach me as soon as humanly possible. Secondly, I have two Web sites, four blogs and an almost embarrassingly long list of pages under Google, so people know how to reach me. Remember, people look for your Web site, then your e-mail, and then your phone number. If you do decide to publish your cell number online, make sure it isn't your only number.

Before getting a cell phone, my biggest fear was that it would be constantly ringing. So what about when you're on deadline? Just do as I do and turn off the cell phone. Disconnecting the phone isn't a new habit of mine, but pushing a button sure is easier than yanking out the wire. Less violent, too.

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Damon Brown covers music, sex and technology for Playboy, New York Post and Conde Nast Portfolio. His next book, Porn & Pong: How Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider and Other Sexy Games Changed Modern Pop Culture, will be published in September. Visit him at www.damonbrown.net