i have nothing aginst new fangled technology example the automobile. i jist objects to them that drive it like it is some horseless carriage

Good post, vicar, but the thing is that while the internet is providing all sorts of information, it is also screening out other information - like, where you are, who's in front of you, birds singing, etc. In short, it can be misused, and is, and becomes a crutch for those who don't adequately develop skills for human confrontation with matter, or for subtle (i.e., not merely written or spoken) communication with the human beings and other life forms it embodies.
It shouldn't be an either/or choice, but for all too many it is becoming one. I choose not to use it in the middle of dinner parties, conversations with physically-present (i.e., 'real') people, observations of landscapes, interactions with people I don't know but might, or as interference with my relationship to the material world generally. So I keep the internet at home.

HFCAMPO merely pointed out that thanks to people like Steve Jobs et al - people have become slaves to their mobile phones (like the Darwin awardee candidate who walked off a cliff while texting). Instead of freeing us from the mundane, we've merely entrapped ourselves with tech - the arguably diametric opposite of the purpose of tech.

On that note - one can also use Taobao's mobile app to search for competitive travel fares...as alternatives to the sometimes massive markups from the brick & mortar travel agencies (we were just quoted prices over ¥10k higher than calling the airlines directly - although we'd get to experience 2x as many international airports - never been to Bali's international airport, at roughly 1.5-2x longer travel time and probably 2x or higher probability of losing checked in baggage - which we try to avoid because of TSA, the anti-Christ's associates.

I remember one of the findings of an air accident report in the USA maybe 8-10 years ago. The nature of the accident was pilot fatigue induced errors. This was followed up with an extended news report.
It was reported that the internet has put unprecedented pressure on airline prices. It was not uncommon for people to spend maybe 3 or 4 hours online to save $10. This had driven prices down, shrunk margins, and airlines had reduced costs by cutting back on everything, in some cases leading to barely safe levels of service. It was reported that many US domestic pilots were earning less than $16k annually. Although flight hours are logged, transit between jobs was not. Sometimes pilots would take long flights as passengers, in order to pick up short flights to make up their hours and pay.

As well as fatigued pilots, there is also poor food, poorer levels of service (ground side especially), increased double booking of seats, and generally a less nice travel experience for most.
Every silver lining has a cloud.

Actually, if I could have found one - I would have taken a cruise back home - I hate the TSA that much.

I remember many years ago when computers became available to common folks. Everyone jumped on the MSN bandwagon because they gave you free email service. Then came Yahoo that offered Instant Messages. So stupid people did free advertising for the rich profit making yahoo and they invited others to join yahoo. In years to follow, this process repeated many times. We have all been asked to join this or join that but amazingly, no one offered a system that can talk to other systems. In time, people had their information posted on several systems because one did not connect with another (MSN, Yahoo, Facebook, etc).

Here in China it was all about QQ. My students would tell me how their password got stolen and I never understood what that meant until I met a chinese techy guy who showed me how he can go in and steal their passwords. I made the move to QQ when yahoo was no longer allowed in China a few years back.

Now its wechat! Went to greenery cafe and they no longer gave us a menu because they told us to go to wechat and order. We insisted and got a menu. When it came time to pay the bill the waitress looked at us like we were crazy when we handed her cash - she told us to pay on wechat. Most people use a wechat number not their telephone number so when they give us their contact info they always use wechat which is useless to a person who does not want to use this crap.

In a few years, it will be a new sytem in place and everyone will make the transition again. For us old timers who have done this crap time and time again, we can see the big picture and no longer fall for this crap.

It is all about profits, that is the reality of the present. So when I see companies that offer many things for FREE, it is clear there is an agenda. The agenda is to get as many people hooked on this as possible. Went to the movie theater last month. Tickets were 80 Yuan but with wechat it was only 30. That is a huge difference and people will get wechat to save 50 yuan per ticket. No agenda there.

In the west, most people have seen how credit cards ruin lives and families. Here in China this beast is just beginning to manifest. I see more and more examples of young people up to their necks in debt because they use credit cards every day to buy junk or a single yogurt at Walmart.

There is now a WeChat account for businesses to use mostly internally called a "enterprise"account along with the other 3 types I know about.

"Simplify, simplify." - Henry David Thoreau

With regards to discounts.
I think this is if you prepay to Wechat. That means they have your money for a short time. However, I think if people use Wechat to pay for most things, then they will start to put larger deposits of money for a longer time.
Ultimately I can see an agenda to replace the bank and people putting a chunk of salary into 'Wepay' type credits.

Long term.

The banks want to get rid of cash. This is not a conspiracy theory, it is openly espoused. If supermarkets and even 7-11 do banking, I can see Wechat wanting to do the same. That means your salary, that goes into whatever your main account is, could end up in a 'Webank'. Overtime discounts will get smaller (in reality won't exist except on paper. i.e. the advertised price will be inflated), and for those who don't 'Wepay' prices will go up. They will have to pay the non-Weprice. Pushing more people to Wepay type services.

The Biggy, if we move to a cashless society, what happens to people who do not have access to bank accounts or credit? In the UK people who do not have access to a bank account already pay more for utilities and services, than people who can pay by direct debit from a bank.

Yes, very good - this is exactly the agenda. Complete 100% control of your life. Every time I use an ATM out of my area my account gets locked - NO money for 24-48 hours while I am travelling.

They say is for MY security - but it is to control. Withdrawls from the banks have limits - limits for your own money (50,000 RMB in 1 day) - now that is control. That is to prevent runs on banks when SHTF - it is to protect themselves.

The discount I mentioned at the theater is just a discount for anyone who uses wechat. No money required in any account. If you pay using wechat (your phone to their register - still pay cash) you get a 50 rmb discount. Now that is to get as many people hooked to further control.

Cashless society is the goal. Does anyone every answer phones any more - NO! So when you have a problem you have STOP living and go fix their problem they created.

Examples - a 5 yr old was not allowed to fly because he was on the NO-Fly list. So what should the parents do, go on vacation and let the 5 y/o fix his problems. Of course not, vacation cancelled, non refundable tickets lost for entire family. Does the govt reimburse you - NO!

A guy goes to apply for social security, finds out that he is dead - he spends more than 2 years trying to prove he is still alive.

We already know that if you owe a nickel to the IRS they will come get their money. Do they tell you as soon as they discover the problem - NO. They wait until you incur penalties and fines and you end up paying hundreds.

Owe money to the IRS, too bad, no need for court, they just go into your bank account and get with penalties and fines. If they are wrong they return your money years later but with no penalites or fines.

You are deemed a terrorist because you went to a protest - your account is frozen. No money for you until this is resolved - takes months or years - Hehe!

FBI raids, they will confiscate all you own and good luck trying to get it back After you prove you are innocent and they made a mistake.