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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be so drained and fed up of constant electronic forms and passwords and apps?

323 replies

Bananabreadandcupofcoffeethanks · 17/03/2023 21:10

Hate it so much I can't express it. Nothing works right for me, you need a fairly recent smartphone for apps to work for example.

Then with electronic forms. Fuck me. I'm trying to fill in a whole complicated form for an appointment and cannot get the 'electronically fillable' form to work. So now I have to print it, and hope the printer works, and then take a photo and scan or something.

I don't have the energy to do this now. It is now a whole multi step process with lots of little bits to get the task done.

I just fucking hate it all when it comes to appointments and job applications and whatnot, and then everything needing an app, or an account with a password that needs xyz to meet criteria.

God needed to get that off my chest.

OP posts:
Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 17/03/2023 21:56

Room 101 my employees training app. Turns out that the passcode has to be changed every 12 weeks regardless of the fact that no one outside of the organisation would even want to do mandatory training on how to lift a box. There isn’t any personal info held on it - you are just user adc123. ! I point blank refuse to change it every 3 months and make hr issue a new passcode every-time they want me to watch another video on how to pick up a box.

Turnipworkharder · 17/03/2023 21:57

can I just add the new repeat prescription saga.
Download our app to order your prescription.....nooooo

Allywill · 17/03/2023 21:57

This whole automation thing has just put the onus on the customer. I now feel I am just doing several peoples jobs. Banking. I now have to move money between accounts, set up direct debits and standing orders I used to have someone doing this for me - a bank clerk. Ditto holiday booking, now I have to check myself in, print off my own boarding pass. Supermarket, I scan my own shopping. How is this making my life as a customer easier? It’s really not. I have a faulty kettle. In my childhood days my mum woukd have taken to the shop for refund. I had to send an email, get an email back, print off a label, pack up the kettle, book a courier collection and arrange to be in between 8am and 1pm when they will collect said kettle. And I’m still down a kettle. It’s shit.

MobyJeff · 17/03/2023 21:58

OMG (old person using trendy abbreviation alert). I am sorry that you are all being inconvenienced, but I am actually pleased to see that it’s absolutely not me being an old twit. I have a degree that has a computer science element, but I’m in my 60s and I am sick of it being assumed it’s just because I’m an older person that I’m annoyed by this stuff. IT IS ANNOYING for everyone.! Honestly. Sort it out!

the80sweregreat · 17/03/2023 21:58

The councils really should read this thread and realize that parking apps are rubbish and putting people off going to the high street
Surely this is a bad thing.
Give us machines that work and take cash and you don't need our number plates for a half hour Pootle around what's left of the local shops or food hall.

cornflakegeneration · 17/03/2023 21:59

We were once in Nandos during covid and couldn't order because we were required to be signed into the Nandos account. Neither DH nor I could remember our account details or password. Had to do a password reset, sent to my email but couldn't get my email opened on my phone. Managed eventually but it was so stressful and ruined the lovely meal out with the kids before it had even started!

Bananabreadandcupofcoffeethanks · 17/03/2023 21:59

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines - previously banned poster.

I'm in my thirties. I don't feel remotely decrepit.

I just hate this aspect of tech.

OP posts:
DontMakeMeShushYou · 17/03/2023 22:01

Bananabreadandcupofcoffeethanks · 17/03/2023 21:26

passwords should be 10 characters long and include a symbol, a mix of higher case and lower case

Drives me nuts and means I can never remember them.

Sure, I understand we can get password managers but presumably that works on your own home computer and you link it somehow to your phone?

So then you can't log in from anywhere else as it won't store your passwords?

It just all irritates me, when did everything get so complicated?

I use LastPass as a password manager. You'll need an app on your phone but once you log in to your LastPass account you can access and save the same passwords whatever device you're using.

MobyJeff · 17/03/2023 22:02

@SalmonKnicks I have a MSc partly in computer science. I understand the tech. I just think it’s shit.

Backstreets · 17/03/2023 22:02

It’s all grim and depressing. I used to love tech and the internet but as soon as phones became mandatory for everyday life I started wishing it would all go away.

the80sweregreat · 17/03/2023 22:02

Ordering food via an app is depressing as hell.
I agree that having to do everything yourself is a pita. It's all designed to get rid of people :(
Yet we are told it's ' progress'
We know their
game

DontMakeMeShushYou · 17/03/2023 22:02

Oh and you can ask LastPass to create passwords when you create a new account so you don't have to faff about trying to invent one.

I imagine other password managers work the same.

MichaelAndEagle · 17/03/2023 22:03

I must admit when I'm wanting to park somewhere I'm hoping there WILL be a parking app option. Or at least pay by card.
I never have change as I never pay with cash. So therefore never have change.

All the rest I agree with though!!

sashagabadon · 17/03/2023 22:03

Parking apps are sadly here to stay. They save councils millions collectively in having to go out collecting the cash!

the80sweregreat · 17/03/2023 22:04

My phone is oddly allergic to parking apps, just will not play ball at all or let me pay.

MyLoveIsYourLove0xO · 17/03/2023 22:06

AmyandPhilipfan · 17/03/2023 21:44

Eurgh, I hate passwords. I know you're not meant to, but I try to use the same password for everything as there's no way I'd remember multiple ones.

But...

When the internet first became big and websites started needing passwords I chose my word and used it for everything.

That worked for a while.

Then places started dictating you needed a capital letter. So I inserted a capital letter.

Then they started needing a number. So I inserted a number.

Then they needed a special character. So I put in one of those.

Then I had a bit of a security issue with my emails so started using a new word.

And recently places have been asking for more characters than they used to so I've had to use multiple words.

So now when I sign on to anything I have to try about 6 combinations because I can't remember which variation of my password I had to use for that site! And some only let you try about 3 and then lock you out!

I can so relate to this!!

Commonsensitivity · 17/03/2023 22:07

And the government wants yet more ai.

surrenderdorothy · 17/03/2023 22:07

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines - previously banned poster.

Age equals life experience.

the80sweregreat · 17/03/2023 22:08

Commonsensitivity · 17/03/2023 22:07

And the government wants yet more ai.

I know :(
I find it scary , especially with voices that can mimic people's voices and sound lifelike
I fear a lot more scams

crackofdoom · 17/03/2023 22:12

I live in a part of the world where there's no bloody signal in half of the beachfront car parks they insist you can pay by app in 🤦‍♀️

And I completely, absolutely, agree with Allywill. "Look, we've given you the freedom to do all these great things digitally!" translates as "Take on all the admin burden that people would previously have been paid to do for you, while we slash staff numbers to the bone".

CaspianPlover · 17/03/2023 22:14

Paying my gas bill today, logged in, entered my card details and had to go through hurdles of security.. if someone I don't know wants to pay my bill, well I am more than happy to let them. I am tempted to go back to posting a cheque, it will be worth the money in stamps to end the frustration of ID checks and the usual ‘ we don't recognise that…’ so I have to start again..at least I will know my bill has been paid!

Moraxella · 17/03/2023 22:14

There’s no space on my crap phone for more apps. I’m not upgrading.

the80sweregreat · 17/03/2023 22:14

The car park paying machines are made difficult in order to get us all out of our cars and on the bus or train to get to the shops.
Eventually it'll just be a place with E chargers and petrol / diesel cars will be banned completely.

lipstickwoman · 17/03/2023 22:15

100% agree it's all crap, but if we were to go back to pen and paper I would fail at that too, as I have lost the ability to write 🤨

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 17/03/2023 22:17

I agrée with this whole thing so much. And now schools want you to log into a million different apps for different kinds of communication. And a different thing for homework, and another for payments.

Just give them a letter or at the very least send an email.