CrackBerry (eBook)

Martin Trautschold is the founder and chief executive officer of Made Simple Learning, a leading provider of Apple iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry and Palm webOS books and video tutorials. He has been a successful entrepreneur in the mobile device training and software business since 2001. With Made Simple Learning, he has been helping to train thousands of BlackBerry users with short, to-the-point video tutorials. He has now co-authored 15 Made Simple guide books. Martin also co-founded, ran for three years, then sold a mobile device software company. Prior to this, Martin spent 15 years in technology and business consulting in the U.S. and Japan. He holds an engineering degree from Princeton University and a master's in business administration from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University. Martin and his wife, Julia, have three daughters. Martin enjoys rowing and cycling. He can be reached at martin@madesimplelearning.com.

Title Page 1
Copyright Page 2
Contents at a Glance 4
Table of Contents 5
Acknowledgments 9
The Authors’ Stories 10
Introduction 21
The Responsible BlackBerry User 23
Phantom Vibrations 24
Early Days of the CrackBerry 25
Earliest Citation of the term “CrackBerry” 26
Benefits of BlackBerry Wireless Email 26
CrackBerry Terms Defined 27
Presidential BlackBerry Addiction 28
BlackBerry Addiction Avoidance Tips 28
The Path to a BlackBerry 12 Step Program 29
Our 12-Step CrackBerry Addiction Program 30
Chapter 1 “I Can’t Be Without It!” 33
Must…Check…Messages Now! 35
An International Problem 35
Reaction to Proposed BlackBerry Ban 35
The Roots of the Problem 36
We’re Always Connected 36
Communication Feels Good 37
Can’t Leave Home Without It 38
Checking Messages Makes Us Feel Important 39
He Couldn’t Be Without It 39
Why the BlackBerry is So Addictive 40
BlackBerry On Bike 41
Eat, Sleep, and Dream BlackBerry 42
Cannot Resist—Busted! 43
It’s a One-Handed Device 43
Instant Communication 44
It Calls to You 44
Jet Ski and Fender Benders 45
The Clikety-Clack of the Keyboard 45
The Addiction 46
Vanessa’s Story 46
BlackBerry During a Funeral 50
BlackBerry Caused Mercedes Crash 51
We Hit a Stopped Truck at 60 mph 52
Chapter 2 “Do I Worship My BlackBerry?” 54
Almost Hit by Bus for BlackBerry 56
Driving 30 Minutes to Retrieve My BlackBerry 59
Worshiping My BlackBerry Is Caused by My Obsession with People 61
Chapter 3 “Step Away from the BlackBerry” 63
Cannot Turn It Off 65
BlackBerry in Shower 67
The World Stops Without My BlackBerry 68
Fear of Losing My BlackBerry 69
Chapter 4 “BlackBerry Boo-Boos” 71
The BlackBerry Alphabetic Acrostic 72
BlackBerry Football Instead of Dancing with the Wife 74
Embarrassing Ringtone! 76
Taking a Moral Inventory of BlackBerry Abuses 78
Chapter 5 “Am I a BlackBerry Abuser?” 79
The BlackBerry Addiction Quiz 81
Assessing Your Addiction Quiz Results 83
Sneaking Away from Groups 84
Cash Penalties for Use in a Meeting 85
Kevin’s Comments on the Addiction Quiz 86
Martin’s Comments on the Quiz 86
Musings of a BlackBerry Abuser 87
Dual Addiction 88
Chapter 6 “OK, I Am a BlackBerry Abuser” 89
The Work-Life Balance 91
Seeing the Light at the End of the Tunnel 91
Lakefront Cookout 92
Addiction by the Numbers 93
The Sheraton Hotel Study 93
Chapter 7 “Ask Others for Help” 95
An Exercise: What Should You Do? 97
Electronics Rehab Getaway 100
CrackBerry Massage and Spa 101
Massage for BlackBerry Thumb 101
Chapter 8 “BlackBerry Bystanders” 103
My 5-Year-Old Son 104
BlackBerry at Funeral 105
Concerned Bystanders 107
Quotes from Concerned Bystanders 107
Missed a Big Hit at Baseball 109
Berry vs. Boyfriend: Who Wins? 110
Frequent Flyer’s Fiasco/Stand-by Hell 112
Kevin’s Missing Curve 114
Exercise: List Your Own BlackBerry Bystanders 115
Chapter 9 “Scooping BlackBerry Poop” 116
Jam on My BlackBerry while at a Red Light 120
Use BlackBerry AutoText to Reply in Car 120
BlackBerry on Wheel, Typing Next to A Police Officer 121
He Stopped in mid-Story to Use His BlackBerry 122
Exercise: Create a Checklist for Apologizing to Your BlackBerry Bystanders 123
Chapter 10 “BlackBerry Etiquette” 124
BlackBerry Abuse Interventions and Etiquette Rules 125
Achieve Balance with Interventions 126
Addiction Avoidance Tips 126
Top Ten BlackBerry Rules to Live By 128
Top 10 BlackBerry Productivity Myths Busted 129
Rationalizing Our BlackBerry Use 130
The Table Analogy 131
Chapter 11 “Conscious Contact or Constant Contact?” 132
Helping You Reflect on Your BlackBerry Addiction 137
Staying Better In Touch with My Dad 138
Chapter 12 “Typing the Talk and Walking the Walk” 140
BlackBerry Addiction Avoidance Tips 142
Advice for Employers 142
Advice for Parents 142
Advice for All BlackBerry Users 142
Chapter 13 Our Final Thoughts 144
Gary’s Final Thoughts 144
Kevin’s Final Thoughts 145
Martin’s Final Thoughts 146
Constant Effort 147
Appendix : CrackBerry Terms and Definitions 149
Index 155