Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > comp.misc > #9969 > unrolled thread

Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user.

Back to article view | Back to comp.misc

Contents

  Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-14 11:42 +1100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2016-01-13 19:30 -0600
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-01-14 01:39 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user.     wje@acm.org (Bill Evans) - 2016-01-13 18:06 -0800
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2016-01-13 21:30 -0600
            Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:26 +0000
              Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:42 +0000
                Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 10:33 +0100
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Hils <hils@saynotospam.net> - 2016-01-14 19:32 +0000
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-14 14:51 -0500
            Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2016-01-15 01:42 -0400
              Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-15 13:08 +0000
                Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2016-01-15 15:47 -0400
                  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-15 19:57 +0000
                    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-15 15:36 -0500
                  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 10:43 +0100
                    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. scott@alfter.diespammersdie.us (Scott Alfter) - 2016-01-29 17:08 +0000
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-17 16:21 +0100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:26 +0000
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:44 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Anssi Saari <as@sci.fi> - 2016-01-15 14:25 +0200
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-17 16:09 +0100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:25 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-17 16:04 +0100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-17 16:07 +0000
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 10:51 +0100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-18 11:59 +1100
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-17 22:55 -0500
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-01-18 08:55 +0000
            Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-18 23:25 +1100
            Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 11:09 +0100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-14 02:36 +0000
    Re:Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2016-01-14 09:20 +0400
      Re: Re:Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-14 11:11 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. "Dirk T. Verbeek" <dverbeek@xs4all.nl> - 2016-01-14 12:58 +0100
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:19 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:31 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 11:50 +0100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 11:24 +0100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-01-14 08:38 +0200
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-14 18:12 +1100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-24 10:45 +0100
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-24 22:47 +1100
            Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-01-24 14:07 +0200
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-18 00:15 +0100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:18 +0000
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Anssi Saari <as@sci.fi> - 2016-01-15 14:16 +0200
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-15 12:17 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2016-01-15 18:56 -0600
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2016-01-15 23:53 -0600
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-16 17:16 +1100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-16 18:03 -0500
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Batchman <batchman@fastmail.fm> - 2016-01-16 11:01 +1100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-15 23:38 -0500
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2016-01-15 23:51 -0600
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-16 10:40 +0000
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-16 17:59 -0500
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-22 19:23 +1100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-22 10:53 +0100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-22 17:23 +0000
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-22 13:12 +0100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. polygonum <rmoudndgers@vrod.co.uk> - 2016-01-22 18:38 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. "G. Paul Ziemba" <unp@ziemba.us> - 2016-01-24 18:14 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. "Dirk T. Verbeek" <dverbeek@xs4all.nl> - 2016-01-24 16:31 +0100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-24 19:52 +0100
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. "Dirk T. Verbeek" <dverbeek@xs4all.nl> - 2016-01-24 22:07 +0100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-24 21:36 -0500
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-29 15:29 +1100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-29 16:38 +1100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Kara M'bola <maxupixu@in.val.it> - 2016-01-29 10:19 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 11:57 +0100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-29 11:00 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-29 13:22 -0500
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-29 19:49 +0000
            Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-29 23:30 -0500
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-01-29 22:36 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-30 12:25 +1100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-29 23:33 -0500
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-02-03 19:02 +1100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-02-03 11:45 +0100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-02-03 11:30 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-02-03 23:18 +1100
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-02-03 12:55 +0000
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2017-12-02 11:23 +1100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2017-12-02 01:37 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2017-12-02 13:12 +1100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2017-12-02 09:39 +0000
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2017-12-02 18:02 +0000
            Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2017-12-02 12:44 -0800
              Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2017-12-03 09:31 +0000
            Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2017-12-03 09:43 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Eric Pozharski <whynot@pozharski.name> - 2017-12-02 15:31 +0200
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2017-12-14 12:50 +1100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2017-12-14 02:06 +0000
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2017-12-21 13:52 +1100

Page 4 of 5 — ← Prev page 1 2 3 [4] 5  Next page →

#10079

On 2016-01-14, Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
> We should probably limit it to things people have actually seen.

When looking for opening times for a retail outlet, insist that I don't
know where it is, so that I have to select it from a map.

Look, I know exactly where that outlet is, I just want to know what
the opening times are.  I don't need to know where the nearest car
park or bus/railway station is, nor do I need directions.

My first encounter with this lunacy was looking up the opening times for
a couple of branches of a supermarket chain, housed in the shopping
complex around my local train station, all of 5 minutes walk from home.

Of course the map presented was at a default resolution where  both
outlets appeared as a single blob on the map, necessitating zooming
to get either one.

I was so pissed off with this experience that I put the opening times of
my local supermarkets and post offices on a local website I was managing
at the time.  Interestingly, the web server logs showed that I was not
the only one who wanted to know the *closing* times of the small local
post office (think catching the last post or paying bills by a certain
date).

Half a dozen years on, and I see that the Post Office has been at work
"improving" its web site.  Just before Christmas I wanted to know what
times my local PO was open during the holidays.  The tour I ended up
doing of their site navigation in an effort to get to that information
meant that it would have been just as fast to drive there, take a photo
of the notice on the front door, and drive back.

And I though this internet thing was supposed to make our lives easier
in obtaining basic information... :-(

-- 
An invention needs to make sense in the world in which it's finished,
not the world in which it's started.                  -- Ray Kurzweil

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10089

On 22/01/2016 12:12, Paul Sture wrote:
> On 2016-01-14, Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
>> We should probably limit it to things people have actually seen.
>
> When looking for opening times for a retail outlet, insist that I don't
> know where it is, so that I have to select it from a map.
>
> Look, I know exactly where that outlet is, I just want to know what
> the opening times are.  I don't need to know where the nearest car
> park or bus/railway station is, nor do I need directions.
>
> My first encounter with this lunacy was looking up the opening times for
> a couple of branches of a supermarket chain, housed in the shopping
> complex around my local train station, all of 5 minutes walk from home.
>
> Of course the map presented was at a default resolution where  both
> outlets appeared as a single blob on the map, necessitating zooming
> to get either one.
>
> I was so pissed off with this experience that I put the opening times of
> my local supermarkets and post offices on a local website I was managing
> at the time.  Interestingly, the web server logs showed that I was not
> the only one who wanted to know the *closing* times of the small local
> post office (think catching the last post or paying bills by a certain
> date).
>
> Half a dozen years on, and I see that the Post Office has been at work
> "improving" its web site.  Just before Christmas I wanted to know what
> times my local PO was open during the holidays.  The tour I ended up
> doing of their site navigation in an effort to get to that information
> meant that it would have been just as fast to drive there, take a photo
> of the notice on the front door, and drive back.
>
> And I though this internet thing was supposed to make our lives easier
> in obtaining basic information... :-(
>
Recognition of this issue in general comes with Google's display of a 
panel including opening times on quite a number of searches that end up 
finding commercial premises. (Though not for our local post office.)

-- 
Rod

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10110

polygonum <rmoudndgers@vrod.co.uk> writes:
>On 22/01/2016 12:12, Paul Sture wrote:
>> it would have been just as fast to drive there, take a photo
>> of the notice on the front door, and drive back.

>Recognition of this issue in general comes with Google's display of a 
>panel including opening times on quite a number of searches that end up 
>finding commercial premises. (Though not for our local post office.)

On the flip side, I was once planning a several-hour drive that
took me through San Francisco. I remembered that, at an intersection
on my preferred route, left turns were permitted only during certain
hours of the day. Using G's street view, I was able to view the
intersection and zoom in on the sign to determine whether it would
be a legal turn when I passed through.
-- 
G. Paul Ziemba
FreeBSD unix:
10:11AM  up 41 days, 23:42, 29 users, load averages: 0.47, 0.44, 0.42

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10109

Op 22-01-16 om 13:12 schreef Paul Sture:
> Half a dozen years on, and I see that the Post Office has been at work
> "improving" its web site.  Just before Christmas I wanted to know what
> times my local PO was open during the holidays.  The tour I ended up
> doing of their site navigation in an effort to get to that information
> meant that it would have been just as fast to drive there, take a photo
> of the notice on the front door, and drive back.
>
> And I though this internet thing was supposed to make our lives easier
> in obtaining basic information...:-(

No surprise really, the PO sees internet as their main competitor...

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10111

On 2016-01-24, Dirk T. Verbeek <dverbeek@xs4all.nl> wrote:
> Op 22-01-16 om 13:12 schreef Paul Sture:
>> Half a dozen years on, and I see that the Post Office has been at work
>> "improving" its web site.  Just before Christmas I wanted to know what
>> times my local PO was open during the holidays.  The tour I ended up
>> doing of their site navigation in an effort to get to that information
>> meant that it would have been just as fast to drive there, take a photo
>> of the notice on the front door, and drive back.
>>
>> And I though this internet thing was supposed to make our lives easier
>> in obtaining basic information...:-(
>
> No surprise really, the PO sees internet as their main competitor...

I think you've got that the wrong way around.  What they are trying to
do is encourage everyone to use their internet services.  I suppose from
that point of view, anything to discourage you from visiting a physical
PO is a Good Thing.  They even want you to buy postage stamps over the
web, and withdrew the coin operated stamp machines that used to lurk
outside every post office a few years ago. 

-- 
An invention needs to make sense in the world in which it's finished,
not the world in which it's started.                  -- Ray Kurzweil

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10112

Op 24-01-16 om 19:52 schreef Paul Sture:
> and withdrew the coin operated stamp machines that used to lurk
> outside every post office a few years ago.

And where I as a kid would always look for forgotten change :)

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10113

On Sun, 24 Jan 2016, Dirk T. Verbeek wrote:

> Op 22-01-16 om 13:12 schreef Paul Sture:
>> Half a dozen years on, and I see that the Post Office has been at work
>> "improving" its web site.  Just before Christmas I wanted to know what
>> times my local PO was open during the holidays.  The tour I ended up
>> doing of their site navigation in an effort to get to that information
>> meant that it would have been just as fast to drive there, take a photo
>> of the notice on the front door, and drive back.
>> 
>> And I though this internet thing was supposed to make our lives easier
>> in obtaining basic information...:-(
>
> No surprise really, the PO sees internet as their main competitor...
>
I think there's a sort of conflict going on.

You're right, mail has dropped a lot because of email.

But at the same time, the internet has given a giant boost to "mail 
order", except instead of sending out catalogs, the companies have 
websites.  That may be different (and things like tracking and much faster 
response time has also changed things, who can forget the days of "please 
wait four to six weeks" and you really did keep waiting?), but it relies 
on the post office to deliver the items.  People order pretty mundane 
things, because the process has become easy, and that includes the Post 
Office reacting to the change.

Except that they've decided to eliminate door to door delivery of regular 
mail (now put on hold by the new government), Canada Post had been looking 
into ways to improve their system precisely because packages become more 
important.  There's no use to next day delivery if you aren't home when 
the package is delivered, so it goes off to a place where you have to go 
and pick it up.  So they were experimenting with evening delivery, and 
changing routes and providing small trucks so the small packages can be 
more easily delivered.  If you've just ordered one book or CD, it can be 
delivered by the mailman, but if there's too much of it, he'd have to keep 
going back to the post office to restock.  The small trucks were supposed 
to fix that.

   Michael

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10177

On an Android table:

Force me to set up a password for unlocking the tablet before allowing 
me to install a *public* certificate.

Sylvia.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10178

On 29/01/2016 3:29 PM, Sylvia Else wrote:
> On an Android table:
>
> Force me to set up a password for unlocking the tablet before allowing
> me to install a *public* certificate.
>
> Sylvia.
>

And since it's a root CA certificate that I've installed, pester me for 
evermore about the alleged (but actually non-existent) security risk.

I installed it. I know what I'm doing. At least give me a way to say 
that I know, and shut up about it.

Sylvia.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10187

2016-01-29, Sylvia Else wrote:
> On an Android table:
> <snip>

Funny typo there. Unfortunately, the Internet of Shit has come to stay
and push this crap anywhere it can.

-- 
:q!

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10191

On 2016-01-29, Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
> On an Android table:
>
> Force me to set up a password for unlocking the tablet before allowing 
> me to install a *public* certificate.

The Android phone I bought in 2013 didn't tell me how to answer a phone
call.  No visual clues whatsoever and nothing in the accompanying
documentation either.  I had to search out and download the correct
User Guide to find out.

Swipe right to answer, swipe left to refuse the call was the correct
answer BTW.  How was I to know?  It was my first "Smartphone".

-- 
An invention needs to make sense in the world in which it's finished,
not the world in which it's started.                  -- Ray Kurzweil

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10192

On 2016-01-29, Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> wrote:
> On 2016-01-29, Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
>> On an Android table:
>>
>> Force me to set up a password for unlocking the tablet before allowing 
>> me to install a *public* certificate.
>
> The Android phone I bought in 2013 didn't tell me how to answer a phone
> call. 

Don't be silly. No-one uses a smartphone for phone calls.

-- 
Today is Prickle-Prickle, the 29th day of Chaos in the YOLD 3182
                  I don't have an attitude problem.
    If you have a problem with my attitude, that's your problem.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10194

On Fri, 29 Jan 2016, Paul Sture wrote:

> On 2016-01-29, Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
>> On an Android table:
>>
>> Force me to set up a password for unlocking the tablet before allowing
>> me to install a *public* certificate.
>
> The Android phone I bought in 2013 didn't tell me how to answer a phone
> call.  No visual clues whatsoever and nothing in the accompanying
> documentation either.  I had to search out and download the correct
> User Guide to find out.
>
> Swipe right to answer, swipe left to refuse the call was the correct
> answer BTW.  How was I to know?  It was my first "Smartphone".
>
When I got my first floppy drive in 1984, the first thing that annoyed me 
was they couldn't bother to put a blank floppy in the package.  I paid 
around $500 for the drive, a power supply and a controller, and then had 
to go out and spend more money for a blank floppy.

But then, there was nothing to indicate which way to insert the floppy 
into the drive.  I must have known the open part of the casing of the 
floppy went in first, but which side was up?  Since the drive was mounted 
vertically, "up" wasn't really in the cards.  It didn't take much to try 
both ways, but it was a minor missing detail.  When I got a second drive 
later (after they'd gotten cheaper) I had to go through the same process, 
since it wasn't the same drive.

   Michael

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10195

Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> wrote:
> On Fri, 29 Jan 2016, Paul Sture wrote:

> > On 2016-01-29, Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
> >> On an Android table:
> >>
> >> Force me to set up a password for unlocking the tablet before
> >> allowing me to install a *public* certificate.
> >
> > The Android phone I bought in 2013 didn't tell me how to answer a
> > phone call.  No visual clues whatsoever and nothing in the
> > accompanying documentation either.  I had to search out and
> > download the correct User Guide to find out.
> >
> > Swipe right to answer, swipe left to refuse the call was the
> > correct answer BTW.  How was I to know?  It was my first
> > "Smartphone".
> >
> When I got my first floppy drive in 1984, the first thing that
> annoyed me was they couldn't bother to put a blank floppy in the
> package.  I paid around $500 for the drive, a power supply and a
> controller, and then had to go out and spend more money for a blank
> floppy.

This, sadly, was actually quite common for 'devices' that utilized
removable 'media' of any sort.  Buy a cassette player/recorder, no
blank cassette was included.  Buy a VCR - if you were lucky you might
have got a demo-tape with the 'write protect' hole punched out, but no
blank tape.

It really amounts to penny-pinching by the manufacturers.

> But then, there was nothing to indicate which way to insert the
> floppy into the drive.  I must have known the open part of the casing
> of the floppy went in first, but which side was up?  Since the drive
> was mounted vertically, "up" wasn't really in the cards.  It didn't
> take much to try both ways, but it was a minor missing detail.  When
> I got a second drive later (after they'd gotten cheaper) I had to go
> through the same process, since it wasn't the same drive.

Yeah, that was an issue with the 8 inch and 5.25 inch versions.

The hard-shell 3.5 inch versions actually would not allow inserton in
an incorrect orientation if memory serves.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10198

On Fri, 29 Jan 2016, Rich wrote:

> Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> wrote:
>> On Fri, 29 Jan 2016, Paul Sture wrote:
>
>>> On 2016-01-29, Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
>>>> On an Android table:
>>>>
>>>> Force me to set up a password for unlocking the tablet before
>>>> allowing me to install a *public* certificate.
>>>
>>> The Android phone I bought in 2013 didn't tell me how to answer a
>>> phone call.  No visual clues whatsoever and nothing in the
>>> accompanying documentation either.  I had to search out and
>>> download the correct User Guide to find out.
>>>
>>> Swipe right to answer, swipe left to refuse the call was the
>>> correct answer BTW.  How was I to know?  It was my first
>>> "Smartphone".
>>>
>> When I got my first floppy drive in 1984, the first thing that
>> annoyed me was they couldn't bother to put a blank floppy in the
>> package.  I paid around $500 for the drive, a power supply and a
>> controller, and then had to go out and spend more money for a blank
>> floppy.
>
> This, sadly, was actually quite common for 'devices' that utilized
> removable 'media' of any sort.  Buy a cassette player/recorder, no
> blank cassette was included.  Buy a VCR - if you were lucky you might
> have got a demo-tape with the 'write protect' hole punched out, but no
> blank tape.
>
> It really amounts to penny-pinching by the manufacturers.
>
>> But then, there was nothing to indicate which way to insert the
>> floppy into the drive.  I must have known the open part of the casing
>> of the floppy went in first, but which side was up?  Since the drive
>> was mounted vertically, "up" wasn't really in the cards.  It didn't
>> take much to try both ways, but it was a minor missing detail.  When
>> I got a second drive later (after they'd gotten cheaper) I had to go
>> through the same process, since it wasn't the same drive.
>
> Yeah, that was an issue with the 8 inch and 5.25 inch versions.
>
I never had an 8" drive.  But about ten years ago, I passed by a church 
that had had a rummage sale earlier, and there was a box of ten 8" 
floppies, so I have some for historical purposes.  Though, it made me 
wonder if anything interesting had been at the rummage sale, that went 
with those floppies.

Speaking of no media included, I did see a laserdisc player at another 
rummage sale once, somewhere around ten dollars so it didn't work, but no 
laserdiscs.  No real point in having a player without a disc to try it.

> The hard-shell 3.5 inch versions actually would not allow inserton in
> an incorrect orientation if memory serves.
>
Yes, they only went in one way.  I think by the time I got a 3.5" drive, 
which way was less of a hurdle, having used a floppy drive for five years 
by then.

   Michael

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10196

On Fri, 29 Jan 2016 11:57:21 +0100, Paul Sture wrote:

> On 2016-01-29, Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
>> On an Android table:
>>
>> Force me to set up a password for unlocking the tablet before allowing
>> me to install a *public* certificate.
> 
> The Android phone I bought in 2013 didn't tell me how to answer a phone
> call.  No visual clues whatsoever and nothing in the accompanying
> documentation either.  I had to search out and download the correct User
> Guide to find out.
> 
> Swipe right to answer, swipe left to refuse the call was the correct
> answer BTW.  How was I to know?  It was my first "Smartphone".

I had a similar problem when (a while ago!) I bought a samsung phone. I 
couldn't use it. I didn't know you had to swipe the front screen upwards 
to 'unlock' it.



-- 
Using UNIX since v6 (1975)...

Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
 http://www.mirrorservice.org

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10197

On 29/01/2016 3:29 PM, Sylvia Else wrote:
> On an Android tablet:

More generally, it annoys me because of the sense it gives that it's 
controlled by someone else, and I'm merely the person whose permitted to 
use it.

True, rooting it has given me more control over it, but even so....

Sylvia.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10199

On Sat, 30 Jan 2016, Sylvia Else wrote:

> On 29/01/2016 3:29 PM, Sylvia Else wrote:
>> On an Android tablet:
>
> More generally, it annoys me because of the sense it gives that it's 
> controlled by someone else, and I'm merely the person whose permitted to use 
> it.
>
> True, rooting it has given me more control over it, but even so....
>
I won a Microsoft Surface 2 tablet almost two years ago.  Nice and zippy, 
but it's the first computer that I've actually used Windows on.  And I 
feel so out of control.  I don't know where things are, I can't get into 
other places, it does feel like someone else is driving.  When an upgrade 
failed last summer, it appears to be Microsoft's fault, I didn't know 
enough of the layout, or had access, to salvage what was there, so I lost 
files, which in itself doesn't matter much, except I don't have a list of 
what was on there.

I suppose I've gotten sloppy.  If it was running Linux, I would have 
bootted from a USB flash drive and known where to find the stuff to save 
it before reinstalling, not that I've ever had to reinstall Linux to solve a 
problem.

   Michael

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10257

On 14/01/2016 11:42 AM, Sylvia Else wrote:
> We should probably limit it to things people have actually seen.
>
> 1. Limits that are not stated up front.
>
> 2. If the user tries to submit a form with invalid data, clear the form,
> and make the user fill it all in again.
>
> 3. Have an on-line support chat page that offers the option to print-out
> the chat so far, but when the chat ends, go immediately to another page,
> without letting the user print out the whole thing.
>
> (I got that just the other day, and the page I got sent too was a
> feedback page so that I could rate the experience I'd just had).
>
> Sylvia.
>
>
>

Needlessly secure password fields.

I'm configuring WiFi access to a printer. Look, I'm not going to be 
doing this while on a bus with people looking over my shoulder. So I 
don't need to enter the password into a field that just displays 
asterisks, and type it twice to check that it's the same (and it 
probably won't be).

Let's face it, because of the asterisks I'll just type it into an editor 
and then copy and paste it (assuming you haven't managed to disable that).

Oh, and if it still turns out to be wrong, don't throw me right out of 
the configuration program so that I have to start the whole process again.

Sylvia.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#10258

On 2016-02-03, Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
> On 14/01/2016 11:42 AM, Sylvia Else wrote:
>> We should probably limit it to things people have actually seen.
>>
>> 1. Limits that are not stated up front.
>>
>> 2. If the user tries to submit a form with invalid data, clear the form,
>> and make the user fill it all in again.
>>
>> 3. Have an on-line support chat page that offers the option to print-out
>> the chat so far, but when the chat ends, go immediately to another page,
>> without letting the user print out the whole thing.
>>
>> (I got that just the other day, and the page I got sent too was a
>> feedback page so that I could rate the experience I'd just had).
>>
>> Sylvia.
>>
>>
>>
>
> Needlessly secure password fields.

Particularly when you are only asking me to create an account so that
you can add my address to a mailing list.  Unless you are giving me the
ability to post comments or articles I really do not need a full
banking-grade password.

> I'm configuring WiFi access to a printer. Look, I'm not going to be 
> doing this while on a bus with people looking over my shoulder. So I 
> don't need to enter the password into a field that just displays 
> asterisks, and type it twice to check that it's the same (and it 
> probably won't be).

With the long and complex passwords a decent password generator can
produce, manual input can fall into the "not a chance" category.

> Let's face it, because of the asterisks I'll just type it into an editor 
> and then copy and paste it (assuming you haven't managed to disable that).

I came across this yesterday in a comment to an article about the
security of a UK supermarket's online offering (Asda, the UK's Walmart
outlet):

- it wouldn't accept a valid email address of the form
  asda@subdomain.url.tld -
- maximum password length 12
- password past disabled

when the author sent them an email highlighting these problems the
response was "We see you managed to create an account, so what's the
problem?"

Full comment at:
<http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/1/2016/01/21/asda_analysis/#c_2753168>


> Oh, and if it still turns out to be wrong, don't throw me right out of 
> the configuration program so that I have to start the whole process again.

Thunderbird is guilty of this.  When creating an account, if it can't go
online and validate your settings there and then it will refuse to save
any details and you have to start from scratch again.

-- 
The Parental Lock password has been forgotten:
Enter 9999 for the PIN code. (PIN code 9999 is always accepted.)

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

Page 4 of 5 — ← Prev page 1 2 3 [4] 5  Next page →

Back to top | Article view | comp.misc

csiph-web