Dumb Phones Are on the Rise in the US (cnbc.com) 103
Dumb phones may be falling out of fashion on a global scale, but it's a different story in the U.S. From a report: Companies like HMD Global, the maker of Nokia phones, continue to sell millions of mobile devices similar to those used in the early 2000s. This includes what's known as "feature phones" -- traditional flip or slide phones that have additional features like GPS or a hotspot. "I think you can see it with certain Gen Z populations -- they're tired of the screens," said Jose Briones, dumb phone influencer and moderator of the subreddit, "r/dumbphones." "They don't know what is going on with mental health and they're trying to make cutbacks."
In the U.S., feature flip phone sales were up in 2022 for HMD Global, with tens of thousands sold each month. At the same time, HMD's global feature phone sales were down, according to the company. In 2022, almost 80% of feature phone sales in 2022 came from the Middle East, Africa and India, according to Counterpoint Research. But some see that number shifting, as a contingency of young people in the U.S. revert back to dumb or minimalist phones. "In North America, the market for dumb phones is pretty much flatlined," said Moorhead. "But I could see it getting up to 5% increase in the next five years if nothing else, based on the public health concerns that are out there."
In the U.S., feature flip phone sales were up in 2022 for HMD Global, with tens of thousands sold each month. At the same time, HMD's global feature phone sales were down, according to the company. In 2022, almost 80% of feature phone sales in 2022 came from the Middle East, Africa and India, according to Counterpoint Research. But some see that number shifting, as a contingency of young people in the U.S. revert back to dumb or minimalist phones. "In North America, the market for dumb phones is pretty much flatlined," said Moorhead. "But I could see it getting up to 5% increase in the next five years if nothing else, based on the public health concerns that are out there."
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you know you can turn all of those "prompts" (also called notifications) off and then your phone never "prompts" you for "attention"
all of your problems are your own.
Re: They're right you know (Score:2)
Good God. I bought a smartphone for the first time in 2018 and spent like 30 minutes disabling all the bullshit that made it buzz and beep at me at random intervals.
Some stuff I didn't realize I had to disable because it's sneaky and only buzzed at me a week later.
Now I've got it so it doesn't even beep or buzz when someone calls or texts me...bliss...
Re:They're right you know (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, you know you have the ability to just ignore your phone, right? And the ability to silence notifications device-wide, usually with a very easy shortcut? For more granular control you can always deny notifications on a per-app basis, or even uninstall badly behaved apps that spam you too much.
In fact, at least on a Pixel device, they even have a "Flip to Shh" mode where you can just lay the phone face-down on a table and it automatically silences notifications and even phone call ringtones unless you've allowed the incoming caller to bypass it.
TL;DR: learn to use your damn phone, it takes like 30 seconds to fix your issue and has been a mostly-solved problem for years.
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But on the newer versions of Android you don't have an option to lower the volume of notifications. Your only option is to lower both the ringtones and notifications.
This was such a brain dead decision which sometimes makes me want to just get rid of the phone. LineageOS had the option until the official 20 release then they removed it. Someone believes it's desirable to control notifications by app but not have an option to control just the notification volume. That's how stupid smart phones are today.
Peop
Re: They're right you know (Score:1)
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Do different versions or brands of Android do things differently? As was thinking of moving off iPhone to Android due to the clunky interface, but have no interest in moving to another clunky interface whose devs continually remove options. I remember the consistent, quick and useful interface on my Blackberry (one of the final versions where they finally got onboard the smartphone thing), but their management screwed the pooch and broke their company.
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Yes, that is a stupid change. However, you can change the notification sound per-app, so you could use a "silent" sound file or one with a far lower amplitude for apps you give no fucks about.
It's the long way around a really stupid deletion of a nice feature, but would still work.
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But on the newer versions of Android you don't have an option to lower the volume of notifications. Your only option is to lower both the ringtones and notifications.
This is the problem. All the "solutions" proposed are just one update away from getting broken again. Then you have to learn the new workaround, only for it to get broken in another update.
It's already a struggle to keep up to date with security and features on my real computer. I don't want to fool around micromanaging my phone as well.
If the 2G network hadn't been shut down where I live, I'd still be using my Nokia 3310.
Re:They're right you know (Score:5, Insightful)
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The heat death of the universe will happen before I figure out what to do with all of these cool boards.
And by buying more boards that you don't need, you're bringing it on faster! ;)
And, I'm sorry, I didn't hear that credit card number...
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If you've never had or seen someone with an addiction you probably wouldn't understand, but at least some people are recognizing they have an actual addiction to their phones. You saying "pfft, just turn off notifications" is a little like telling an alcoholic "pfft, sure you can come to the bar, just don't drink!" And before you laugh at that remember that tech companies are literally structuring their apps to stimulate the addiction centers of the brain.
I, many years ago, found myself checking a (ridiculo
Re: They're right you know (Score:2)
Yeah, you know MOST people absolutely DO NOT have this ability, right?
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Oh the scowls! (Score:2)
Yep.
What America needs... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:What America needs... (Score:4, Interesting)
I am just so annoyed with having to lug a brick around with me everywhere. I always go for the smallest form factor smart phones that I can, but I don't want to buy cheap Amazon garbage either.
Don't get me wrong, I do like having my podcast player and a few other apps as well as tap-to-pay (NFC) but I just wish the whole thing could be smaller. I don't use social media nor do I need to do video editing on my phone. I don't watch content so I don't really ever need to have a big screen, but that seems to be what drives sales over everything else these days.
I am really looking forward to Google's foldable (I am a Pixel user for the security updates and "stock Android" experience) so that I can get down to a pocket sized form factor.
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Then again, I don't have any social media accounts nor apps...
How is it impossible for the youngsters wanting dumb phones to get a smart one and not put the crap on it that causes mental anguish?
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How is it impossible for the youngsters wanting dumb phones to get a smart one and not put the crap on it that causes mental anguish?
It turns out that self-control and willpower are in severely restricted supply these days.
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Then again, I don't have any social media accounts nor apps...
My father still uses his iPhone like it's 2007, too. (In case there's any GenZers who don't get it, the iPhone originally shipped without 3rd party app support.) He has the current-gen SE model that his carrier gave him as a free upgrade (yes, actually free, the plan isn't any cheaper if you don't want the phone) so he wouldn't have saved any money by going with a lesser phone.
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Where would this be? The original iPhone was only a 2.5G EDGE device, which the US and Canada stopped providing service for by 2012,
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Where would this be? The original iPhone was only a 2.5G EDGE device, which the US and Canada stopped providing service for by 2012, and 3G networks are being actively shut down now.
I was implying he uses his modern iPhone (a current generation SE) in the same manner as the OG 2007 iPhone. He doesn't have any app store apps installed.
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Son #1 uses his phone for business and camera work for advertising, so does the social media thing. Son #2 son occasionally goes dark, which I understand but bugs his mother to no end. For myself, I make it clear to people that I'll eventually reply to a text, but don't expect immediate response, though it can happen. If they want synchronicity, use voice. Disabling notifications has enough granularity on iPhone that I can tune it well enough, and no social apps beyond YT. I love the good camera, and my mos
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Myself, I'd like an inexpensive flipphone that runs something more competent than the horrible KaiOS, but is still basically a phone that fits in my pocket, not first and foremost a media center that requires a backpack to drag around.
Something like the sadly obsolete "SHARP 501SH" -- a flip that runs android, but is designed around being a PHONE.
I'm surprised PinePhone hasn't considered doing something like this.
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Is a flip phone that can play vinyl
Dumbphones are antiquated, vinyl is timeless. Even Picard agrees. [imgur.com]
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You laugh, but I just saw in my Amazon recommendations a bluetooth cassette tape player. I guess for your car?
Next, I need ... (Score:5, Interesting)
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My iPhone has a switch to turn cellular data on and off.
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You can keep the data on...
Just don't have any social media apps....better yet, if you had sm accounts...delete them.
Easy peasy!
My smart phone doesn't interfere with my life...I look at it when I need to make the occasional call, or answer a text message from a friend.
That's about it.
It's available if I
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> Easy peasy!
I was pissed when 3G was phased out and my functional slider was rendered obsolete. Got a "smart" phone and tried it for 2 months. The virtual keyboard was clumsy to use and took up nearly the entire screen, so I could not tell which field I was typing into when browsing the web.
The screen would go dark as I maneuvered though voice mail hell.
Then Google decided that they NEEDED to backup
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The number of social media apps I had before I bought the "smart" phone : 0, during: 0, after it got rid of it: 0.
Is this the contemporary replacement of "I don't own a TV"?
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Not only that, but you're paying for data.
For me there is zero temptation. I don't need to "detox" from cell phone "addiction." I've been a super tech savvy computer nerd since I was a little kid but nothing makes me feel "old" and "out of touch" as much as the smart phone "revolution" did. The screens are small and infuriatingly difficult to type on, they make noise and interrupt me and they are a privacy nightmare. I ended up getting a Pixel and installed GrapheneOS on it and that was the first time that
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But the thing is you must have the self control to turn and keep the data off. It is just like any other addiction except people don't seem to recognize how distracting and focus-killing the things are.
It's the same thing as the "artificial sweetener makes people fat" studies. If you don't have the willpower to avoid stuffing your face with donuts after drinking a diet coke, then yes, it's going to make you fat. But you can still tell yourself "no lizard brain, we're not eating that donut."
Smartphones are only distracting if you let them have that power over you.
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But the thing is you must have the self control to turn and keep the data off.
I have a phone that doesn't have "smart" features. No web, e-mail or apps. But I had to dig around and find that model when they took my 3G away. When I asked about a phone with WiFi and a carrier plan with no data, I was told that they would automatically activate a data plan for me if they detected a smart phone model on their system. And pay for it. So I went with a feature phone.
I have an old 3G Android tablet that I bought at a garage sale. Works great with WiFi. But if I turn off cellular data servic
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I have the Ting [tingmobile.com] Flex plan -- $10/month for unlimited voice/text and $5/GB 5G data (if used). Simply turn off your cell data and only use WiFi. I have cell data enabled, but mainly use WiFi, and my bill is $17.33/month auto-billed to my CC. Ting uses T-Mobile and Verizon; I'm on T-Mobile based on my home area and phone -- Pixel 5a.
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I would like the opposite: a plan with data, but with neither SMS nor voice.
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... a plan from my carrier with SMS and voice. But no data.
Good2Go Mobile has unlimited minutes and SMS, and 2GB/month data for $20/month. $15/month if you signup for autopay. I think on a typical month, I use about 15MB, while the rest is WiFi.
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How about Tello?
https://tello.com/buy/custom_p... [tello.com]
"No data" is an option if you click the left arrow enough. Paired with unlimited voice and SMS, it's $8/month (plus taxes I assume).
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Makes sense (Score:5, Insightful)
This isn't just Gen Z. My mom is elderly and the smart phone, even a dumbish older Android, is too complicated. Plus it is difficult even for me to use the touch screen with human sized fingers, the UI is extremely mysterious, certainly not intuitive, and I spent a lot of time on the web just learning how to do certain things (the lack of a manual should not be considered a feature). It is nice that the phone says who is calling, that's a good benefit for the elderly too. To be honest, I think she'd be much better off with an old style Nokia 3000 series... I would be happier with that too, but it's extremely hard to find a dumb phone.
Also, battery life. It's so terrible on these smartphones. They're constantly using juice to get to the web and run more scripts in the background and serve up more ads. My mom turns hers off unless she's making a call, otherwise it's the landline. Which means that now with a broken landline nobody can reach her. Overall, smart phones just are not smart.
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Re:Makes sense (Score:4, Insightful)
I want to switch back to a feature phone, but I need Google Authenticator for work. I'd also like maps for when I'm traveling.
I feel what you're saying about companies assuming you have a cell phone. Lots of sites make receiving a text message mandatory. If you don;t have a call phone, you're a second class citizen.
Burners, backup, spare (Score:2)
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Cheap and disposable yes, but long battery life is easy. Many Android phones have an ultra low power mode. In that mode it effectively is no more functional than a feature phone and I've successfully had mine run for 2 weeks on a single charge, and it wasn't even flat at the end of that, I just happen to have finished my vacation.
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I want to switch back to a feature phone, but I need Google Authenticator for work. I'd also like maps for when I'm traveling.
Get a modern Android phone and put it in ultra low power mode. The phone can still be switched back but by default you'll be able to only call and get messages. Bonus points your battery should last well over a week.
This even works on my company phone.
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As someone, who has until now refused to use a smart phone, I have bought this Nokia phone. It is - by far - the worst phone I've ever had. It takes many key strokes to do whatever went naturally with one or two key strokes on my previous Samsung outdoor phone. I get no warning, when battery runs low, the phone just turns off. If you are in an area with very weak signal, the phone reboots every couple of minutes. The keys tend to bounce, so writing even a short SMS is an act of work. If I set an alarm for a
Re: Makes sense (Score:2)
Thanks for reminding me to uninstall that app. Infuriating.
homeopathy is good business (Score:2)
As long as nobody is making fraudulent medical claims. That's illegal. People who do that should be stomped into a meat puddle.
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If I need internet I connect via wifi.
Provided you can get Wi-Fi where you are. Many businesses provide Wi-Fi only to team members, not to guests. Nor do all cities' public transit services offer free Wi-Fi to passengers.
5%? In 5 years? That's "on the rise"? (Score:2)
Statistics, and damned statistics.
Per the article, someone named "Moorhead" (and CNBC forgot to reference who that is!) is thinking of seeing "up to" 5% increase in feature phone sales, over the next 5 years. The article also indicates that HMD Global is selling "10s of thousands" such phones, in 2022.
So, first; 5% of 90000 (the highest "10s of thousands" number) would be less than 5000 additional phones.
Given some numbers [zippia.com] about the American market; 97% of people have a cell phone. 12% are "non smart", th
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I don't consider "feature phones" to be dumb either. They really need to split out and give stats on real dumb phones (phone calls only, SMS optional, ala 2000 era), and feature phones (pull out keyboards, more functionality, probably even network connectivity).
Miss my Motorola Razr ... (Score:2)
No. I like saving money and time. (Score:2)
With my smartphone I can:
Find out which gas station has the lowest prices.
Avoid going on wild goose chases (even more important thanks to the ongoing "everything shortage") when shopping.
Comparison shop (or ask for a price match, if applicable) and check product reviews, while shopping.
Order food (usually with coupons/loyalty discounts) and skip the line.
Skip the checkout line entirely at Sam's Club. I love "scan and go" and wish more stores did it.
My cell plan is a grandfathered Sprint plan, unlimited eve
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When my kid turned 14 I handed down my AT&T unlimited data plan ($30/mo). Saved me so much $$$ over the years.
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Find out which gas station has the lowest prices.
Avoid going on wild goose chases (even more important thanks to the ongoing "everything shortage") when shopping.
Comparison shop (or ask for a price match, if applicable) and check product reviews, while shopping.
Order food (usually with coupons/loyalty discounts) and skip the line.
How many of these can you do with a laptop computer or a Wi-Fi-only tablet, possibly alongside a phone that can only talk and text?
my smart phone is as dumb as i made it (Score:4, Informative)
I disabled most notifications on my phone so it's really, really stupid. The only notification it gets is phone calls and YouTube notifications because I gotta watch those meme videos. :-)
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Maybe get together on this one? (Score:2)
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I'm certainly going to cheer them on in this. It is purely selfish though, I won't have to listen to the snark about how folks with gray hair can't figure out tech and how they've grown up with it. They never stop to think that it's people between 40 - 60 who invented most of the crap they use.
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I think many in GenZ and younger automatically assume that anyone who "looks old" is de facto a "Boomer" owing to the many years of that trope being headlined, combined with the fact that we Xers tend to fly small under the radar anyway. Oh they look over 35? Boomer. *eyeroll*
Under Pressure (Score:2)
My Nokia 33xx and Motorolla Razar phones still work. And my Newton 2100 has an mp3 player and wifi card. If I can somehow smash them together
Can really dumb phones still be found? (Score:2)
Most of these so called dumb phones are packed full of apps and stuff like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Is anyone still making truly dumb phones in high quality?
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Most of these so called dumb phones are packed full of apps and stuff like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Is anyone still making truly dumb phones in high quality?
Somebody already said it earlier in the discussion: Get the cheapest iPhone available (here in the USA, the lower end models nobody wants are literally free even from a few of the prepaid MVNOs) and remove any of the apps you don't need. Ever since Apple added the ability to disable even the preloaded apps, you can "dumb" down an iPhone as much as you want.
Yeah, you do have to resist the temptation that it could run apps if you install them. *shrug*
Boomers and 3G? (Score:2)
My parents had flip-phone "feature phones". With the 3G shutdown, they were forced by the carrier to "upgrade"...
And they chose 4G flip-phones, almost identical to their previous model.
I'm sure that other old people are making a similar choice, either due to price or tech phobia.
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I have a 4G dumbphone that can act as a wifi hotspot. If I need anything "smart" I have a UMPC that fits in a pocket, running proper Linux with a real keyboard. I can also use that to charge the phone via USB if necessary.
How dumb? (Score:2)
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"I can't remember the last time I made or picked up a call in my smartphone using the old phone paradigm: these days, I only use apps for that purpose, and often with video"
So you're the asshole shouting into their phone held at arm's length instead of holding it to your head and talking at a civilized volume.
Simple explanation: (Score:1)
The shit our vendors do to us here with smartphone features is illegal everywhere else.
I don't want a phone (Score:2)
I want a computer I can carry with me.
I get directions with traffic reports
I can find out what song I'm hearing so I can listen again
I can translate different languages so I can order food
I can take photos and video
I can look up information
I can carry dozens of books to read
I just want something that can't interrupt me with a voice call
For $400 I'm seriously thinking about (Score:2)
https://skysedge.com/unsmartph... [skysedge.com]
Rotary cell phone.
I wish they really were. (Score:1)
Manufacturers should just cut to the chase (Score:2)
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Not sure where you're living that a dumbphone is "expensive", but here in the USA I bought one for $25 a few months ago. It's technically a smartphone, but it's a flip phone with no touchscreen, so doing anything really interactive with it is damn near impossible. IMO, this is a benefit, not a drawback.
And I absolutely *love* it. It suits me better than literally any "real" smartphone available at any price. It easily fits in a pocket, so I never leave it on my desk, ever. It doesn't shatter like spun glass
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"technically a smartphone, but it's a flip phone with no touchscreen, "
So, not a dumbphone
Feature is not dumb (Score:2)
Want a dumb phone? Get a rotary.
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Haha, I have some rotaries. They work! They are great. I don't use them, though. Also, with mechanical bells!
Thousands a month (Score:2)
Smart phones are dumb (Score:1)
Sounds great but? (Score:1)
screwed again (Score:2)
I have a closet full of dumbphones. I can't use them because the gd telecoms dropped 3g. They want me to buy more stuff that they will make obsolete in a couple of years?
Like a time-locked cigarette box (Score:2)
You know the one... designed to ration out the smokes to that smoker who just can't cut back/quit.
It's certainly better than nothing, but it omits the human potential for change.
I personally shatter the usage stats in that I actively use my smartphone less than 30 minutes per day, except for the 3-4 long phone calls I have per month. Most of my use is using it as a music player and camera.
I didn't get here overnight. Much like that pack a day smoker, I had to get off Facebook, gchat, group texts, mobile g
The Dumb Part (Score:2)
Try activating a dumb phone without already having a phone
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Try activating a dumb phone without already having a phone
I just activated a Nokia 2720. I did this by putting in a sim card, then putting in the (removable!) battery, then switching it on. Done. No codes, no emails, no demand for personal information. It was very refreshing.
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Ironically, I bet you'd find the same thing at Biden's residence. Get it? It's because of all the children that he sniffs and touches. Ba-dum pow.
Seriously, there is an old saying about how long conversations will increase the probability that someone will bring up Nazis. I'm beginning to think that Trump derangement syndrome is following suit.
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...as you Godwin the thread =)
I get what you're saying, but unlike Hitler, Trump hasn't quite destroyed the republic yet, so we'll see how long TDS persists. I notice there still exists BDS and HDS, f'rinstance, but it decreases year by year.
Re: Matching phone (Score:2)
Yeah, a lot of Trump's beliefs (or at least what he is projecting to keep popular with his political base) does fall in line with Adolph's.
It wasn't going to be a long jump to the mention of Hitler, and a valid point that needed to be made.
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Dude I'm vaccinated against that. I can discuss Trump without being deranged.