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Ask HN: What things has tech made worse in your life?

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Re: Ask HN: What things has tech made worse in your life?

#241

Post by dijit »

I grew up in the 90's, when I turned on the TV the audio was being output immediately and the actual display took a second to warm up.

a second.

Now my TV takes about 30s to start up, it's actually constantly on standby mode. It takes a good 5-10 minutes to actually boot from cold.

using the UI feels sluggish, there's proprietary "applications" which clog up the main screen and I'm told it spies on me.

Not to mention: other people with modern TV's have Ads injected into their watching experience, I can't even begin to imagine how frustrating that would be if I were playing a game.

So: TV's are much, much worse than they were 15 years ago. Even if there are more pixels now.

Re: Ask HN: What things has tech made worse in your life?

#242

Post by downut »

II2II wrote: post #74

I would say it was the optimism around computers in the 1980's and early 1990's. People were optimistic since a relatively inexpensive computer was an enabler. In some cases, it eased the process of getting stuff done. In other cases, it gave people the tools they needed to do things that they would otherwise have to invest in expensive training or equipment to do. Then the cynicism of the past decade set in. I find…

Simultaneous with collapse of Soviet style communism, then the impressive shrinkage of the US military. The explosion of the uses of PCs by individuals (who could, commonly, program those PCs) fed a completely delusional optimism that finally individuals could be empowered by technology. And potentially world-wide. For instance, China opening up, sure to join the gang. Maybe Tianamen was a blip. All nope. But I sure enjoyed the optimism while it lasted.

Re: Ask HN: What things has tech made worse in your life?

#244

Post by rosetremiere »

jacquesm wrote: post #29

I think there is an 'optimum' level for technology of all kinds, below that you really want more and it is clear that there is room for improvement. But once the optimum has been reached any further additions will degrade the experience. Examples: Car controls: pre: direct taps and gauges plumbed into engine parts and such, real switches and levers. optimum: does what it should, not more, not less, more reliable than…

Ivan Illich has a similar idea about technology and people becoming slaves to technology instead of the other way around, starting at some "threshold".

Re: Ask HN: What things has tech made worse in your life?

#245

Post by dijit »

dkdk8283 wrote: post #79
ryandrake wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do-Not-Disturb mode on all your devices, 24/7. It stops all notifications, messages, dinging, buzzing, phone calls, everything. Huge, instant, and permanent quality of life improvement. I've been doing it for a few years, now, and I could never go back to life with my phone dinging and lighting up like Reno ever few minutes. A lot of people think they can't do it (OMG what if I miss that one important call out of tho…

I’m militant about disabling notifications. My phone is on silent 24x7 except for certain contacts that bypass DnD. I’ll get to it when I get to it.

I'm also this way: but I can easily see how it's easy to not be.

It feels like every app asks to display notifications; and sometimes I think of how the functionality of the app could be negatively affected. (Uber, for instance, could notify me when my cab is nearby)- but once the power is given they can spam you with self-promotion.

Re: Ask HN: What things has tech made worse in your life?

#246

Post by vanusa »

The omnipresent and ever-accelerating pollution and deadening of daily life.

Advertising (that acts as if we actually enjoy being subjected to it), tracking, the continual privacy f*over, screens, memes, interruptions, the pressure to be always on and efficient and optimized and "engaged", fake social media "friends", the inevitable burnout and withdrawal that follows as a result ... all of it.

Re: Ask HN: What things has tech made worse in your life?

#247

Post by poulsbohemian »

Maybe due to my Amish heritage, I often ask this question the other way around: what technology is improving my life?

This can be a great question to ask yourself when you are considering taking a new (tech related) job or if you are thinking of business ideas.

Re: Ask HN: What things has tech made worse in your life?

#248

Post by hotpotamus »

lobocinza wrote: post #161
ok_dad wrote: post #4

Advertising. I know this is an extreme view, but I think any advertising other than a spec sheet style ad (just facts) should be banned. I feel like it steals your attention and mindshare day after day. The ads I see on TV now (rarely, as I don't watch live TV much) are just so horrible. Dripping with emotions and trying to tug on your heartstrings to sell some toilet bowl cleaner or some other garbage. Social media.…

Ads are pointless. No matter how much human capital was invested in making targeted ads possible, only very rarely I see something that I might be interested in buying. And I can't remember a thing that I bought due to ads. They are a better signal of what to not buy.

I feel the same way, but given that the largest companies in the world are advertising companies, they must work on someone, right? Also, perhaps they're good enough that they're working on us without us consciously knowing. Afterall, you must buy some things. Why do you choose which products to buy?

Re: Ask HN: What things has tech made worse in your life?

#249

Post by vanusa »

ok_dad wrote: post #4

Advertising. I know this is an extreme view, but I think any advertising other than a spec sheet style ad (just facts) should be banned. I feel like it steals your attention and mindshare day after day. The ads I see on TV now (rarely, as I don't watch live TV much) are just so horrible. Dripping with emotions and trying to tug on your heartstrings to sell some toilet bowl cleaner or some other garbage. Social media.…

I know this is an extreme view, but I think any advertising other than a spec sheet style ad (just facts) should be banned.

It's not an extreme view at all; some cities (like São Paulo) have essentially banned billboards, for example, with decidedly positive effects.

I'm quite confident that we'll eventually come to see rabid, out-of-control advertising (which is about 90 percent of it) as akin to smoking, leaded gas or asbestos - and that eventually it will be regulated accordingly.

Re: Ask HN: What things has tech made worse in your life?

#250

Post by jonnycomputer »

arprocter wrote: post #137
jacquesm wrote: post #29

I think there is an 'optimum' level for technology of all kinds, below that you really want more and it is clear that there is room for improvement. But once the optimum has been reached any further additions will degrade the experience. Examples: Car controls: pre: direct taps and gauges plumbed into engine parts and such, real switches and levers. optimum: does what it should, not more, not less, more reliable than…

Another automotive 'advancement' is headlight bulbs you can't replace yourself - what used to take a few minutes now requires a trip to the dealer, so they can presumably dismantle the front end Unlikely both would blow, but I'm a little surprised more fuss hasn't been made about it from a safety standpoint; considering being able to see where you're going tends to be important - I believe in France you can get a tic…

What makes/models do that?
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