Tech you miss/ new tech trends you hate - ok boomers

[Dread First]

This thread probably isn't the right place to whinge about work, but I need to know if anyone else feels the same way: tech literacy, in general, is disturbingly low. I'm not even talking about being your own tech support; I mean doing things the long, slow, manual way instead of just taking the time to use keyboard shortcuts.

Here are some things I've tried pitching during those protracted team meetings where leadership drones on and on about the same fucking problem for the umpteenth time this quarter. Take a shot if you can relate!

• Creating a centralised reference for common keyboard shortcuts (i.e. Alt+D (go to address bar), F2 (rename file), CTRL+Shift+N (create new folder), Windows+V for the clipboard manager, etc)
• Making better use of our enterprise Office 365 suite, specifically OneDrive, instead of constantly emailing each other or using Teams to send the same few docs over and over again.
• Utilising the company portal's electronic document feature instead of (1) printing something out, (2) going to the copy room to scan what you just printed, and (3) sending that unaltered scan to the relevant person via email.

You know what the responses I get usually amount to? I'll give you a hint.

• Thank you for bringing this to our attention. (We have no clue what you're on about)
• We'll keep this in mind going forward. (a blatant lie)
• Not everyone is into tech like you are, Dread (my coworkers' reaction to anything I suggest along these lines)

That last one is what burns my ass the most. It's not like I don't understand why that attitude exists: all you get for doing a good job is more work. It's the common rhetoric I've heard parroted ad nauseam across pop culture and social media for as long as I've been a legal adult. I've even been on the receiving end of more work after making great time on my daily tasks across past and current employers, so I get it. Here's what I wish most people understood about that type of thought process: the only reason why you get saddled with extra work is if other people on your team ain't fucking doing their jobs in the first fucking place!

I'm literally suggesting basic fucking shit that's either easily available via Windows documentation, Office 365 tips & tricks prompts, or literal fucking memos posted by corporate operations. It's not like I'm fucking asking the team to learn Emacs so that we could all switch over to Org Mode. Tech trend I fucking hate? How learned helplessness thoroughly entrenched itself in both public and professional spaces.

 

[I Do Not Post]

I'm a bit salty finding out that GeoGuessr, despite built on the back of Street View (and Street View can be hit and miss with blurs and blobs everywhere, if the camera didn't entirely fuck up) is now entirely subscription-based.

geotastic is a good alternative that you don't have to pay to use, just make sure your adblocker is on so it skips the ads.

 

[Instant_Pot_User]

tech literacy, in general, is disturbingly low. I'm not even talking about being your own tech support; I mean doing things the long, slow, manual way instead of just taking the time to use keyboard shortcuts.

This, a thousand times this. It grinds my gears when people simply turn their brains off when a computer gets involved with a process. Normally smart people see a computer system and decide that it's too complex, too esoteric to learn the difference between Alt-Tab and Alt-F4.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

Is it just me or do websites do April Fools jokes less now?

 

[Billy Bong]

Because they've been lamely done to death, you can't spread disinformation and nowadays, the internet is big business.
No more fun allowed. That's the whole story of the Internet. No more fun allowed.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

Rechargeable lithium ion batteries suck. They're like bombs, they easily get swollen, and they run out of charge faster and faster.

Even worse is when a device won't even work sans battery. Even worse still is when you can't even remove the "exceptional" battery.

 

[TenMilesWide]

Rechargeable lithium ion batteries suck. They're like bombs, they easily get swollen, and they run out of charge faster and faster.

Even worse is when a device won't even work sans battery. Even worse still is when you can't even remove the "exceptional" battery.

Gotta love the devices where the battery's sandwiched in the case such that it not only smushes the screen when it goes to shit, but also catches on the walls so you can't take it out to fix the bastard. Apple used to be big fans of this, less so now but others have taken up the mantle.

 

[Car Won't Crank]

Rechargeable lithium ion batteries suck. They're like bombs, they easily get swollen, and they run out of charge faster and faster.

Even worse is when a device won't even work sans battery. Even worse still is when you can't even remove the "exceptional" battery.

If I'm not mistaken, liion cells are less likely to get swollen and puff from improper storage. Lipo cells are the ones that are less tolerant to that. Maybe more manufactures are using lipos instead of liion for cost savings.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

Apple used to be big fans of this, less so now but others have taken up the mantle.

It also sucks when there is always that one stupid screw that will not come out, even when the others do.

Try all you want, all the screwdriver does is erode the top of that screw, as it remains firmly in place.

 

[George Lucas]

I fucking hate that computer programs are "apps" now. Applefags ruin everything.

VisiCalc was the first ‘killer app’, ironically on an Apple product.

 

[AmpleApricots]

There's no reason for end consumer devices to be designed in a way where the battery isn't external, removable and easily replacable. Literally none whatsoever. They just know that these batteries die and even die quicker when they're not well cared for (making the device non-operational) and that's exactly what they're banking on. If lawmakers would actually care about electornics junk, they could easily even enforce a standard, one-size-fits-all battery that works across all devices of a certain type. The simple answer is that they don't. Gotta consoom else everything collapses. Now that devices don't become obsolete performance wise the way they used to, expect more of this bullshit.

 

[XL xQgg?QcQCaTYDMjqoDnYpG]

If lawmakers would actually care about electornics junk, they could easily even enforce a standard, one-size-fits-all battery that works across all devices of a certain type.

I'm glad they're not currently doing this, it would very easily result in stagnation and a lack of competition and innovation
Consider mandatory seatbelts
Even though (motorsport) racing harnesses are much much more safe than a seatbelt, you're not allowed to sell cars that have a racing harness instead of a seatbelt

 

[Trans Fat 41g]

Is it just me or do websites do April Fools jokes less now?

Besides some April Fools "jokes" not even being funny, I've noticed this phenomenon as well.

Probably a topic broader than the discussion here calls for, but the perverse weaponizing of the term "disinformation", combined with an increasingly gullible population discourages even lighthearted humor.

 

[The Last Stand]

I hate modern OS designs and by proxy all modern software. To me the look and feel of Windows 98 was the perfect environment. Its corporate, serious, seemingly sterile carapace made it possible that with use the machine starts to feel truly yours. It's hard to explain. The seriousness of the design organically takes on an intimate and comforting familiarity very easily. This was to an extent carried over to Win XP with a classic theme. Nowadays everything genuinely looks and feels like it's made for pajeets and retarded children. Too many bright lights, colors, gimmicks. It appeals to the savages who like shiny trinkets.

I miss when Windows OS would have programs through scalable icons with a customizable background. It's a trend now that UIs have to be accessible/organized through squares and rectangles.



Look at all that wasted space. That is hard to navigate with a mouse or directional pad. I blame Windows 8 for starting that trend.

 

[HahaYes]

I blame Windows 8 for starting that trend.

Once again Windows 8 proves to be one of the worst mistakes to ever curse operating systems, right up there with vista.

 

[Negev]

Probably been said but I miss when every fucking device didn't need to constantly update almost every other day all the time. I cant open anything without it needing constant updates, same shit with games, I have to update a game every week to introduce new bugs because they realized I was having too much fun. Everything basically being "live service" and constantly needing work is infuriating and I am tired of having to constantly check why shits not working because of some stupid new update, or fix all my mods for games because of a minor update that somehow broke everything.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

Why is it getting ever harder to remove rechargeable batteries with recent devices?

For example, the "smartphone". With ones from about 10 years ago, you could just remove the back plate and take the battery out. But with a Current Year, the back plate is sealed in, and I hear that the battery is a permanent part of the circuitry.

Another example: portable Nintendo consoles. With the GBA SP, just one or two screws, and the battery can be removed. With the DS, same thing. But with the 3DS, most of the back plate has to be removed. And with the Nintendo Switch, endless screws and some more cover has to be removed, and the battery is connected with this wire thing.

Given the issues and hazards of Li-ion batteries, making the battery hard or impossible to remove is just stupid.

I am tired of having to constantly check why shits not working because of some stupid new update, or fix all my mods for games because of a minor update that somehow broke everything.

On the latest version of GIMP, I can't disable auto-updates. The functionality is slowly decaying with more little errors popping up.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

I have no clue where to put this, so I'll rant here. My old phone recently started becoming physically unsafe to use. I had another phone on hand, pop the SIM card in and realize I have to use the old phone for activation if I want to keep my number. I cannot turn the old one on anymore and do not have a house phone. These retards have things set up in such a way you need a house phone or burner phone to keep a fucking phone number you paid for.

I hope my carrier's CEO gets an anal prolapse. Also hope whoever started the trend of soldered in batteries gets one. An infected one. It's probably Tim Cook, so he already has one.

 

[seri0us]

My old phone recently started becoming physically unsafe to use.

What?

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

What?

The battery was swelling.