Ask HN: What annoys you? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What annoys you?

#211

Post by noelsusman » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 5:37 PM UTC

SandB0x wrote: post #89

Food. I miss the healthy, affordable, sociable dining halls from university. There are people who cook better than I do, and who should be able to make great food at a reasonable price by buying fresh ingredients in bulk. My options for eating are * Cook it myself [1]. Cheap but takes time and effort to make good food. * Restaurant. Good food but expensive and takes time. I don't always want table service and small p…

It sounds like you live in the wrong city then. I can think of several places within 15 minutes of my house that fit your exact description.

Re: Ask HN: What annoys you?

#212

Post by Gianteye » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 5:40 PM UTC

zephyrfalcon wrote: post #85

Advertisements! They're obnoxious, obviously biased, and interfere with whatever it was you were doing (watching a show, visiting a website, reading a newspaper, whatever). It's just wrong. And we all know this, yet we just accept it like it's some fact of life. In addition, it doesn't just affect customers, but all newspapers/magazines/sites that rely on "advertisement income" to make a buck. One thing that puzzles…

Advertising would annoy me so much less if I perceived products as less expensive when they featured advertising. For example I feel incredibly ripped off that films have increasingly long rolls of trailers, ads, and commercials that run before them but continue to increase in price.

That's why I want to create an opt-in advertising revenue based pizza place. When you place an order you are offered the choice between paying full price and getting discounts based on how much advertising material comes with your pizza. I figure you could get a stack of coupons, Chinese food menus, brochures, car insurance fliers, and magazines that would roughly equal the cost of a pizza. Free pizza.

Re: Ask HN: What annoys you?

#213

Post by mortenjorck » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 5:47 PM UTC

mrduncan wrote: post #17

Email - Not a lot has changed in the past 20 years, I think we can do better. Yes, Gmail was pretty innovative but I still think there are plenty of things to improve.

I've had a handful of specs and UI mockups for a completely new kind of desktop email client sitting around for months, but I haven't had the opportunity to take them any further. If only there were a Chicago co-founder meetup...

Re: Ask HN: What annoys you?

#214

Post by iron_ball » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 5:50 PM UTC

agentultra wrote: post #160

rdouble wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This mythical "programmer that can't program" myth has disrupted the hiring process... It's not a myth.

I'll admit it's pure speculation on my part. I have a hard time believing that ninety-some-odd percent of applicants believe they can blatantly lie their way into a position they are clearly not qualified for. How embarrassing is it to be caught in such a lie? Not every needs to be keenly self-aware to at least have an intuition about the limits and potential of their own capabilities... Maybe I'm just not cynical en…

Well, remember that good applicants will only be applicants, per se, a few times before they land a job. Whereas bad applicants just keep buzzing around forever...

Re: Ask HN: What annoys you?

#215

Post by johngunderman » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 5:52 PM UTC

SandB0x wrote: post #89

Food. I miss the healthy, affordable, sociable dining halls from university. There are people who cook better than I do, and who should be able to make great food at a reasonable price by buying fresh ingredients in bulk. My options for eating are * Cook it myself [1]. Cheap but takes time and effort to make good food. * Restaurant. Good food but expensive and takes time. I don't always want table service and small p…

What university are you referring to? Personally, I find university dining options to be overpriced, with low food quality. Sure, they often try to be healthy, but I've never felt a draw to them. The only good aspect I can see to them is the social aspect, which (as another poster mentioned) is solvable by simply learning to cook and using it to create a social hub.

Re: Ask HN: What annoys you?

#216

Post by cryptoz » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 5:52 PM UTC

ojbyrne wrote: post #153

ageism. It's so common today that people who would never exclude women or minorities or the handicapped or whoever have no problem excluding people over forty.

When a male turns 18 in the USA, he is allowed to sign up for the Army, get a gun, go kill human beings in the Middle East and perhaps die for his country.

BUT if that man dares drink a single beer with his dad before being shipped off to war, he will be treated like a criminal. His dad may be taken to court and punished for letting a minor have alcohol. The 18 year old could face severe punishments, including not being allowed in the army.

WHY THE FUCK are 18-20 year olds not allowed to drink a beer in the USA, but they're allowed to kill and maim thousands of people?

Ageism goes both ways my friend. We may let our young kill others, but we sure as fuck won't let them drink a beer.

Re: Ask HN: What annoys you?

#217

Post by jtbigwoo » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 5:52 PM UTC

Eliezer wrote: post #106

Death annoys me. People who can afford $300/year for a cheap cryonics membership and life insurance, and who don't sign up, annoy me. A lot of them are probably being held off by the trivial inconvenience of signing a few papers without a paid salesman to hold their hand. It therefore annoys me that cryonics is poorly marketed and that there are no paid salespeople - that no one gets a commission when you sign up for…

I have no faith that a cryonics company is going to last for more than a few years. If the money doesn't run out (which it will because someone will get greedy), all it takes is one incompetent employee to open the wrong door or push the wrong button for my investment to be entirely wasted. (or it could be an earthquake, or a 100-year flood, or rising sea levels...)

Re: Ask HN: What annoys you?

#218

Post by jtbigwoo » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 5:57 PM UTC

himmel wrote: post #193

joshfraser wrote: post #175

laundry. i think it's absurd that we can put a man on the moon and send a message around the world instantly (from a touch screen computer in my pocket no less!) and i'm still stuck moving laundry from one machine to another machine 2 feet away.

There exist combination washer/dryers (all in one, no moving laundry!)

They're not very good, though. It's hard to make something that is both water-tight and has great air circulation.

Re: Ask HN: What annoys you?

#219

Post by mortenjorck » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 5:57 PM UTC

rdouble wrote: post #98

mrduncan wrote: post #11

Airlines - They are nearly all just a pain in the ass to deal with. When was the last time you heard someone tell you how they had a great experience with an airline?

I've had great experiences on Virgin America. It's cheap, the planes are nice, there is wifi, the terminals are better, the stewards and stewardesses are pleasant and good looking, etc.

Honestly, they can't come to Chicago soon enough. Too bad they seem to be having a dog of a time getting space in the airport.

Re: Ask HN: What annoys you?

#220

Post by grinich » Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 5:59 PM UTC

joubert wrote: post #79

daleharvey wrote: post #5

Banking - My bank has a website that the 90's would be proud of, it gives me little to no information about my spending habits, transferring money is a nightmare, and using kublax (similiarly mint) had my account banned for security purposes.

Online banking in South Africa is excellent - I was shocked when I moved to the US how archaic it is. Transfers are a breeze, fast, and everyone does it. Integration with cell phone infrastructure is also great.

A specific bank in particular?