Notebooks At Seminars

I feel that netbooks/notebooks/laptops should be banned at seminars.

It won't happen, I know.

Cell phones are turned down (except for the dolt; there's one in every crowd), but why should I, who have set aside five hours (2 to travel and 3 to listen) have my attention distracted by the person next to me, or at a table in line with the speaker, tapping away, hand waving, moving ...

And what an insult to the speaker, not to mention a distraction.

And what does it say about the tapper?

• The material is too boring - but I don't have the courage to get up and leave.
• What I do is more important than what I hear - I'm just here for show.
• I am incapable of learning anything new, so I should catch up on my emails.
• I can't hear a thing unless it is in well-formatted text.

Pick One