Agreed. Useless delays. Little benefit for the ‘front end user’. But could it be that we need to create ‘make work’ tech jobs on the back end for those jobs now done by AI bots? Just a rough draft opinion.
The general move away from keyboards to touch screens is even closer to the root of what you are describing. It started first in personal electronic devices and then expanded out to the internet of things. And you could put other devices at earlier points in that progression: manual portable typewriter -> electronic typewriter -> word processor -> desktop computer -> laptop computer. At each stage the technology makes the actual production of a material good more abstract and more dependent upon layers of firmware and software, ultimately spread across more and more devices (laptop, printer, wifi router to connect them, etc.). As a software engineer I am far more impatient with this trend than my non-technical friends and family, who seem entertained by the novelty of the interfaces. Whereas I am very much aware of the wasted time I spend looking for this or that option in the user interface, and pine for my keyboard and command line. The emphasis on user experience and user interface design that started as a part of web development is being expanded outward to encapsulate our larger experience of the world, and this will culminate in everyone wearing an Apple-style virtual headset through which we only conditionally inhabit the actual. Slowly everyone's ability to make and use physical objects will atrophy. What better kind of consumer—abjectly infantilized and manifestly incapable—could the economy possibly have?
It's deeply insulting to human independence, intelligence, and agency. But we aren't there to be independent and intelligent. We are there to generate revenue. Global capital is reaching the limits of the closed system it inhabits, and the human body and mind is being converted into a renewable resource—through chronic illness, mental illness, an infantilization.
Josh, Linux operating systems will have much, much less of this, and easier access to "bare metal." It's one of the reasons I've continued to use Ubuntu and LinuxMint despite the occasional incompatibilities. If you have an old laptop or desktop, it's one way to take back control over you relationship to some of the technology in your life.
who needs to learn to read or write, when devices can tell you want to do, and there is no typing involved. some people are just the rats in the machine pushing the magic lever for more dopamine. It is the younger generation that will pay in the long run, while elders witness the demise. Sorry, Josh, I just had a random dark thought. didn't mean to bring you down more. But it is lonely here in the doldrums.
I am so with you on these tech complaints. It’s such a perfect segue into cluster b in the corporate world. People have to be busy in the bloated corporations. They come up with these ideas to keep their jobs. Then these ideas become reality and make all these machines worthless. Probably not explaining this as well as I could but what you’re writing here resonates with me so much. What I think illustrates what I’m trying to say perfectly is the auto stop function in cars. Back to what I was saying about cluster b in big companies, especially in management. The dynamic of a department can be so ruined by a cluster B manager. That’s how these horrible ideas make it out.
As the owner of an older vehicle, I'm completely perplexed by the keyless entry and ignition systems that are now standard. How difficult is it to use a physical key to unlock a car and start it up? If you find these simple actions challenging, should you even be driving?
Could it be part of a grander plan to bring everything under the control of our overlords, who can use all this technology to limit citizens' activities? Perhaps a master computer will decide when and where you can use your vehicle in the future, essentially locking you out of it when the forces in charge deem it appropriate.
Am I a wacky conspiracy theorist? A California bill proposes that all new cars have speed limiters by 2027. But, I'm sure it's "for your own good."
"Could it be part of a grander plan to bring everything under the control of our overlords, who can use all this technology to limit citizens' activities? "
Yes. Already happening, for instance, with the installation of "smart meters" on home utilities, where Central Command decides when you've had just about enough electricity for the day, you hog.
True story: They started to offer these meters about five years ago, on a volunteer basis, promising it would save us money. Nobody bothered to explain exactly how it would save us money when we already only set our heat and air conditioning to the minimum point of comfort. Then we came home one day to find that they had gone ahead and installed one anyway! Called the utility company and it was just a big head-scratcher over there as to how a Big Brother meter had attached itself to our house like a lamprey without our signing up for it. Took a while but we got them to remove it.
I have one if the last models of a car with the old buttons, radio, even a CD player. It's a decade old and I plan to drive it until the engine falls out... who knows, I might even get a new engine. My kids are learning to drive their grandparents' standard transmission that I used to drive. They actually said it makes them feel like they're operating a steam punk time machine and think it's very cool. I will hang on to these old and reliable means of transportation as long as possible.
Same with my pickup. Manual transmission, manual locks and doors. Definitely more vulnerable to theft here in the cities, but every time I take it to a shop some mechanic asks if I would consider selling it. "Absolutely not."
I saw a post about a guy who called a locksmith when his key's battery died. I guess it was the sort with the built-in fob. The locksmith took the key and manually unlocked the door.
So I guess the answer is: pretty difficult for some people.
There was already a whistleblower leak that confirmed the CIA can remotely crash cars.
I really enjoy your stacks describing in a deliciously curmudgeonly tone what all of us endure, but have little ability to express with the panache and clarity that comes through your writing. You call this a draft. Indeed, I Iook forward to the finished product anticipating the pleasure of how in the world you will put the final polish upon this gem of description.
Gushing aside, I absolutely hate the idea of replacing anything that has been design updated since the 90's. All that glitzy led lighting and noisy chattering by annoying instructions is very much a distraction and far more conducive to potential accidents than the olden days when one could manipulate a knob or press a button without so much as a glance.
Nothing is made to last (by design of course) and nothing is intuitive to the user, or at least to this one. Bah! I'm driving my 11 year old car until it dies, and then I'm not replacing it, and same goes for DW - rather wash by hand; won't replace the electric stove top that can't cook anything right; coffee maker - French Press works just fine; microwave - nope, can live without it. I'll just have to put up with the washer/dryer wearing out my patience because I'm not going to schlep laundry to the laundromat, but maybe I'll re-think that, too, at some point.
Dishwasher---yes! I'm not going to wait for the stupid thing to "save energy" by running through about fifteen hours of whatevertheheck it is doing in there. Playing Canasta, for all I know. Instead, I "waste water" by hand-washing my dishes, smiling the whole time at the thought of how much this pisses off all the enviro-scolds.
No need to replace the oven! After our 3rd, I realized an air fryer/ toaster oven combo is all we need. We use the broken oven to store cast iron pans.
Another observation: constant updating of something that doesn't need updating. No REAL benefit (the most obvious example is the iphone) is ever observed; in fact, as you point out, the new way to do it takes longer, is less intuitive, and is needlessly complicated.
I hate Apple. Every year and new iteration gets worse. All my devices (ugh, I hate that word for what essentially amount to "conveniences") are Apple - most recent update (Sonoma 14.3) disabled "reader view" in Safari. Messages now involves a spinning rainbow thingy for every action and has become slow as cold molasses. None of these conveniences: iPad (old but updated), iPhone (8 but updated), Mac Air, 2018 updated are in sync with one another. Ok, no, I don't throw out the old stuff as soon as a new shiny one arrives, and I'm not going to, because nothing improves; only gets worse. I feel used and abused.
So true! I got a new Air computer last year which I now have sitting on my bookcase unused because I can't seem to learn the new functions. It's ridiculous.
I dread every update, and put it off as long as possible. I can't help but feel Apple is updating only the spyware and pushing sand in the gears so we will think our device is old and acting stupid because of that, so we buy a new one, even worse than the old one. If I didn't love my Substack writers so much, I would honestly be tempted to free myself from these bothersome, demanding, bullying machines.
We got a new washing machine last year. I still don’t really know how to work it. It locks, it pauses, it has functions that are labeled in ways that only hint at what they actually do. It TAUNTS me, and I swear that someone, somewhere, gets a sick thrill every time they think about the Demon Lord MaybeWashes they have designed.
My safety is definitely compromised while driving because I can’t just reach over and use a knob and a few buttons to control radio and the heat. I have a newer model Pilot and I really miss my old one, which had physical controls that a two year old could understand and manipulate.
God help my back seat passengers! They ask me how to get more heat or air conditioning, and I tell them that I just don’t know. Nobody knows.
Like most things government-contracted, our library software, wireless printing functionality, digital catalog, databases and other technologically related items have inarguably regressed in my 15 years here. It legitimately seems like every time they set out on an upgrade mission, they seek out the most expensive, worst possible options available. I'm not even exaggerating.
A lot of it has to do with big tech over hiring engineers. They hire engineers they don't need so smaller companies can't hire the best talent. Then since all of the most popular apps were pretty much formed correctly 10 years ago, all those engineers are bored and because they have massive salaries are feeling imposture syndrome they make up work. Then there are to many cooks interfering and adding new programs. However since they are bored and poorly managed (there's a whole NT ASD thing I could go into but won't around management) they leave 18 months in and the plans they made make no sense to non engineers it just spaghettifies the code and that makes things super slow for the user.
Big tech management is awful, it's luxury belief and NPD that rivals the horrid mess of academia. Management went into management because they are to dumb to code or do research and their utter stupidity shows all the way through to the end product. AI can't automate these people soon enough.
I own an older a car but when I rent a car I’m boggled by simple things like turning on the heat. And I work in IT. Much of the current IT is taking what were simple tasks and “ automate” them to a point of absurdity.
It feels as if everyone is trying to collect data on your behavior. Sometimes it feels like a psy op. Trying to find out how much inane BS will we put up with?? If one more doctor's office asks me if I feel safe at home or if I wear a seatbelt, I may lose it. So frustrating.
Re: Doctor's offices intrusive questioning. I just refused a lot of it in the past few years. And their electronic chart system is not set up to recognize "refuses to answer" so it was frustrating for them. I came here because I have a sinus infection, not because I want someone to count how many Sads I have on a daily basis. I wouldn't even mind if it was one or two questions that are designed to open a conversation IF need be, but the questioning goes on and on. How much do you drink? How often? Sorry, we have no category for "goes months without drinking but just might have five or six drinks during a long day/night of celebrating. But sometimes will order a drink and quit after a few sips. But may drink several times a week when on vacation. But is never in need of a drink nor gets black-out drunk nor drives when anywhere near the legal limit. Never gets violent when drinking but just might be the fool who doesn't know she should quit singing karaoke after the third or fourth song."
This maybe a violation of HIPAA medical standards. It would be a basic violation of informed consent. They need to present you with an opt in/out prompt. This may also be a failure to describe treatment. If you go in for a sore throat and they try to give you tests to analyze your mental health that's a lawsuit.
I thought I was the only one noticing this human “crate training “ . Problem is that less than a quarter of us have actually caught onto the dumbing down of humanity.
Don't forget on the ATM you have to tell the machine what language you need it to ask all these questions in. I love the braille buttons on a drive up ATM...
I agree, it is annoying and makes me not to buy anything new. I JUST WANT IT TO WORK!!!!!
Holy shit...just gotta add how shitty dryers are! Mine just fucking broke. It was brand new six months ago. Laundry is like the breath of my house...I feel like I'm choking. Gah!
Agreed. Useless delays. Little benefit for the ‘front end user’. But could it be that we need to create ‘make work’ tech jobs on the back end for those jobs now done by AI bots? Just a rough draft opinion.
The general move away from keyboards to touch screens is even closer to the root of what you are describing. It started first in personal electronic devices and then expanded out to the internet of things. And you could put other devices at earlier points in that progression: manual portable typewriter -> electronic typewriter -> word processor -> desktop computer -> laptop computer. At each stage the technology makes the actual production of a material good more abstract and more dependent upon layers of firmware and software, ultimately spread across more and more devices (laptop, printer, wifi router to connect them, etc.). As a software engineer I am far more impatient with this trend than my non-technical friends and family, who seem entertained by the novelty of the interfaces. Whereas I am very much aware of the wasted time I spend looking for this or that option in the user interface, and pine for my keyboard and command line. The emphasis on user experience and user interface design that started as a part of web development is being expanded outward to encapsulate our larger experience of the world, and this will culminate in everyone wearing an Apple-style virtual headset through which we only conditionally inhabit the actual. Slowly everyone's ability to make and use physical objects will atrophy. What better kind of consumer—abjectly infantilized and manifestly incapable—could the economy possibly have?
It's unbearable and absurd.
It's deeply insulting to human independence, intelligence, and agency. But we aren't there to be independent and intelligent. We are there to generate revenue. Global capital is reaching the limits of the closed system it inhabits, and the human body and mind is being converted into a renewable resource—through chronic illness, mental illness, an infantilization.
Josh, Linux operating systems will have much, much less of this, and easier access to "bare metal." It's one of the reasons I've continued to use Ubuntu and LinuxMint despite the occasional incompatibilities. If you have an old laptop or desktop, it's one way to take back control over you relationship to some of the technology in your life.
who needs to learn to read or write, when devices can tell you want to do, and there is no typing involved. some people are just the rats in the machine pushing the magic lever for more dopamine. It is the younger generation that will pay in the long run, while elders witness the demise. Sorry, Josh, I just had a random dark thought. didn't mean to bring you down more. But it is lonely here in the doldrums.
I am so with you on these tech complaints. It’s such a perfect segue into cluster b in the corporate world. People have to be busy in the bloated corporations. They come up with these ideas to keep their jobs. Then these ideas become reality and make all these machines worthless. Probably not explaining this as well as I could but what you’re writing here resonates with me so much. What I think illustrates what I’m trying to say perfectly is the auto stop function in cars. Back to what I was saying about cluster b in big companies, especially in management. The dynamic of a department can be so ruined by a cluster B manager. That’s how these horrible ideas make it out.
Excuse my disjointed writing, I’m voice to texting on my phone.
Wow! no apologies necessary - well said and transcribed.
As the owner of an older vehicle, I'm completely perplexed by the keyless entry and ignition systems that are now standard. How difficult is it to use a physical key to unlock a car and start it up? If you find these simple actions challenging, should you even be driving?
Could it be part of a grander plan to bring everything under the control of our overlords, who can use all this technology to limit citizens' activities? Perhaps a master computer will decide when and where you can use your vehicle in the future, essentially locking you out of it when the forces in charge deem it appropriate.
Am I a wacky conspiracy theorist? A California bill proposes that all new cars have speed limiters by 2027. But, I'm sure it's "for your own good."
I used to be so dismissive and disdainful of conspiracy theories. With each year that passes, I'm becoming less so.
Question: What's the difference between a conspiracy theory and the truth?
Answer: about six months.
😂
"Could it be part of a grander plan to bring everything under the control of our overlords, who can use all this technology to limit citizens' activities? "
Yes. Already happening, for instance, with the installation of "smart meters" on home utilities, where Central Command decides when you've had just about enough electricity for the day, you hog.
True story: They started to offer these meters about five years ago, on a volunteer basis, promising it would save us money. Nobody bothered to explain exactly how it would save us money when we already only set our heat and air conditioning to the minimum point of comfort. Then we came home one day to find that they had gone ahead and installed one anyway! Called the utility company and it was just a big head-scratcher over there as to how a Big Brother meter had attached itself to our house like a lamprey without our signing up for it. Took a while but we got them to remove it.
I have one if the last models of a car with the old buttons, radio, even a CD player. It's a decade old and I plan to drive it until the engine falls out... who knows, I might even get a new engine. My kids are learning to drive their grandparents' standard transmission that I used to drive. They actually said it makes them feel like they're operating a steam punk time machine and think it's very cool. I will hang on to these old and reliable means of transportation as long as possible.
Same with my pickup. Manual transmission, manual locks and doors. Definitely more vulnerable to theft here in the cities, but every time I take it to a shop some mechanic asks if I would consider selling it. "Absolutely not."
I saw a post about a guy who called a locksmith when his key's battery died. I guess it was the sort with the built-in fob. The locksmith took the key and manually unlocked the door.
So I guess the answer is: pretty difficult for some people.
There was already a whistleblower leak that confirmed the CIA can remotely crash cars.
That bill was authored by Scott Weiner, a subscriber to the idiotic “traffic violence epidemic” narrative.
I really enjoy your stacks describing in a deliciously curmudgeonly tone what all of us endure, but have little ability to express with the panache and clarity that comes through your writing. You call this a draft. Indeed, I Iook forward to the finished product anticipating the pleasure of how in the world you will put the final polish upon this gem of description.
Gushing aside, I absolutely hate the idea of replacing anything that has been design updated since the 90's. All that glitzy led lighting and noisy chattering by annoying instructions is very much a distraction and far more conducive to potential accidents than the olden days when one could manipulate a knob or press a button without so much as a glance.
Nothing is made to last (by design of course) and nothing is intuitive to the user, or at least to this one. Bah! I'm driving my 11 year old car until it dies, and then I'm not replacing it, and same goes for DW - rather wash by hand; won't replace the electric stove top that can't cook anything right; coffee maker - French Press works just fine; microwave - nope, can live without it. I'll just have to put up with the washer/dryer wearing out my patience because I'm not going to schlep laundry to the laundromat, but maybe I'll re-think that, too, at some point.
Dishwasher---yes! I'm not going to wait for the stupid thing to "save energy" by running through about fifteen hours of whatevertheheck it is doing in there. Playing Canasta, for all I know. Instead, I "waste water" by hand-washing my dishes, smiling the whole time at the thought of how much this pisses off all the enviro-scolds.
You're my kinda rebel❤️
No need to replace the oven! After our 3rd, I realized an air fryer/ toaster oven combo is all we need. We use the broken oven to store cast iron pans.
haha - that's my plan!
Another observation: constant updating of something that doesn't need updating. No REAL benefit (the most obvious example is the iphone) is ever observed; in fact, as you point out, the new way to do it takes longer, is less intuitive, and is needlessly complicated.
I hate Apple. Every year and new iteration gets worse. All my devices (ugh, I hate that word for what essentially amount to "conveniences") are Apple - most recent update (Sonoma 14.3) disabled "reader view" in Safari. Messages now involves a spinning rainbow thingy for every action and has become slow as cold molasses. None of these conveniences: iPad (old but updated), iPhone (8 but updated), Mac Air, 2018 updated are in sync with one another. Ok, no, I don't throw out the old stuff as soon as a new shiny one arrives, and I'm not going to, because nothing improves; only gets worse. I feel used and abused.
So true! I got a new Air computer last year which I now have sitting on my bookcase unused because I can't seem to learn the new functions. It's ridiculous.
I dread every update, and put it off as long as possible. I can't help but feel Apple is updating only the spyware and pushing sand in the gears so we will think our device is old and acting stupid because of that, so we buy a new one, even worse than the old one. If I didn't love my Substack writers so much, I would honestly be tempted to free myself from these bothersome, demanding, bullying machines.
LinuxMint. Worth it.
I can say this here because Josh is gay and he'll think it's funny. In the olden days we called that the "spinning fagg0t wheel".
🫢🤣
We got a new washing machine last year. I still don’t really know how to work it. It locks, it pauses, it has functions that are labeled in ways that only hint at what they actually do. It TAUNTS me, and I swear that someone, somewhere, gets a sick thrill every time they think about the Demon Lord MaybeWashes they have designed.
My safety is definitely compromised while driving because I can’t just reach over and use a knob and a few buttons to control radio and the heat. I have a newer model Pilot and I really miss my old one, which had physical controls that a two year old could understand and manipulate.
God help my back seat passengers! They ask me how to get more heat or air conditioning, and I tell them that I just don’t know. Nobody knows.
Like most things government-contracted, our library software, wireless printing functionality, digital catalog, databases and other technologically related items have inarguably regressed in my 15 years here. It legitimately seems like every time they set out on an upgrade mission, they seek out the most expensive, worst possible options available. I'm not even exaggerating.
A lot of it has to do with big tech over hiring engineers. They hire engineers they don't need so smaller companies can't hire the best talent. Then since all of the most popular apps were pretty much formed correctly 10 years ago, all those engineers are bored and because they have massive salaries are feeling imposture syndrome they make up work. Then there are to many cooks interfering and adding new programs. However since they are bored and poorly managed (there's a whole NT ASD thing I could go into but won't around management) they leave 18 months in and the plans they made make no sense to non engineers it just spaghettifies the code and that makes things super slow for the user.
Big tech management is awful, it's luxury belief and NPD that rivals the horrid mess of academia. Management went into management because they are to dumb to code or do research and their utter stupidity shows all the way through to the end product. AI can't automate these people soon enough.
I own an older a car but when I rent a car I’m boggled by simple things like turning on the heat. And I work in IT. Much of the current IT is taking what were simple tasks and “ automate” them to a point of absurdity.
It feels as if everyone is trying to collect data on your behavior. Sometimes it feels like a psy op. Trying to find out how much inane BS will we put up with?? If one more doctor's office asks me if I feel safe at home or if I wear a seatbelt, I may lose it. So frustrating.
Re: Doctor's offices intrusive questioning. I just refused a lot of it in the past few years. And their electronic chart system is not set up to recognize "refuses to answer" so it was frustrating for them. I came here because I have a sinus infection, not because I want someone to count how many Sads I have on a daily basis. I wouldn't even mind if it was one or two questions that are designed to open a conversation IF need be, but the questioning goes on and on. How much do you drink? How often? Sorry, we have no category for "goes months without drinking but just might have five or six drinks during a long day/night of celebrating. But sometimes will order a drink and quit after a few sips. But may drink several times a week when on vacation. But is never in need of a drink nor gets black-out drunk nor drives when anywhere near the legal limit. Never gets violent when drinking but just might be the fool who doesn't know she should quit singing karaoke after the third or fourth song."
This maybe a violation of HIPAA medical standards. It would be a basic violation of informed consent. They need to present you with an opt in/out prompt. This may also be a failure to describe treatment. If you go in for a sore throat and they try to give you tests to analyze your mental health that's a lawsuit.
I thought I was the only one noticing this human “crate training “ . Problem is that less than a quarter of us have actually caught onto the dumbing down of humanity.
Don't forget on the ATM you have to tell the machine what language you need it to ask all these questions in. I love the braille buttons on a drive up ATM...
I agree, it is annoying and makes me not to buy anything new. I JUST WANT IT TO WORK!!!!!
Holy shit...just gotta add how shitty dryers are! Mine just fucking broke. It was brand new six months ago. Laundry is like the breath of my house...I feel like I'm choking. Gah!
"Have a fucked day loser." I'm sure that needed more quotation marks on my part, but I'm too busy belly laughing!!!
when i wake up at night, and I blink my eyes in the darkness, I see a white hollow circle. that whirring circle is burned into my eyeballs.