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Ask HN: What's the worst piece of software you use everyday?

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Re: Ask HN: What's the worst piece of software you use everyday?

#31
post #17

Android I have a computer in my pocket but I am not allowed to do even the most basic stuff I would like to do with it. Like using a shell to work on my files, use git for version control and to sync to other machines, use vim to edit text ... the list goes on forever. Heck, I cannot even easily backup all of my data. Like the contacts for example. No way to read the files in which they are stored.

Do you actually want to do those things on the go without a full size keyboard?

Re: Ask HN: What's the worst piece of software you use everyday?

#32
post #17

Android I have a computer in my pocket but I am not allowed to do even the most basic stuff I would like to do with it. Like using a shell to work on my files, use git for version control and to sync to other machines, use vim to edit text ... the list goes on forever. Heck, I cannot even easily backup all of my data. Like the contacts for example. No way to read the files in which they are stored.

Not sure if you're joking or just ignorant. The computer in your pocket is not made to do any of that, similar to how the computer on your desk is not meant to make phone calls or count how many steps you've walked or tell you that there's a car accident 500 meters ahead.

Re: Ask HN: What's the worst piece of software you use everyday?

#33

If websites count: YouTube. It's appalling how such a powerful company can keep so many things so bad for so long.

some years ago before youtube was googlfied, they had a different UI that I was fond of. Then google did a full makeover and degraded the experience.

Re: Ask HN: What's the worst piece of software you use everyday?

#35
Microsoft Teams.

I am forced to use it (work) and it is missing really basic features that messenger software had in the 1990s like Push-To-Talk, real multi-window (even with the recent "pop-out" functionality), and its UI is all the worst modern trends. You cannot extend it or fix these issues (e.g. plugins, custom CSS styles, etc).

Plus it is buggy, I keep not getting calls/messages/etc, and every time my computer sleeps/wakes it sits in offline until you open the main window from the system tray. Those are year+ old bugs.

While it is often updated[0], the Team's priorities leave a lot to be desired. Adding new gimmicks and tie-ins while ignoring the dilapidated state of the core software itself for two+ years now.

[0] https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-s-new-in-mic...

Re: Ask HN: What's the worst piece of software you use everyday?

#38
macOS Finder. It is hard to fathom how bad a file explorer could be if you have used only windows and linux file explorers. Finder is astonishingly bad. Default search is global, it means searching while you are in a folder will search across all documents. This can be changed, but search is even then far worse compared to windows or linux.

Sometimes Finder simply won't show certain files, and you need to do a mv from terminal to another folder, where you can see them in finder.

Re: Ask HN: What's the worst piece of software you use everyday?

#39
post #17

Android I have a computer in my pocket but I am not allowed to do even the most basic stuff I would like to do with it. Like using a shell to work on my files, use git for version control and to sync to other machines, use vim to edit text ... the list goes on forever. Heck, I cannot even easily backup all of my data. Like the contacts for example. No way to read the files in which they are stored.

You can work on a shell, (and even have a full GNU/Linux installation) with all standard tools using Termux.

Also, rooting your phone gives you access to all files, but I understand it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Re: Ask HN: What's the worst piece of software you use everyday?

#40
post #17

Android I have a computer in my pocket but I am not allowed to do even the most basic stuff I would like to do with it. Like using a shell to work on my files, use git for version control and to sync to other machines, use vim to edit text ... the list goes on forever. Heck, I cannot even easily backup all of my data. Like the contacts for example. No way to read the files in which they are stored.

Classic example of why companies need product managers to decide what problems to solve instead of leaving it up to the sysadmin.
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