Things that are meant to be better but are not better

[CrocsNotDocs]

Look, I’m not a Luddite- I usually love technology.

But why oh why have headphones jacks been removed from phones and tablets? I don’t want Bluetooth headphones or earbuds that I have to worry about charging before I go anywhere and that cost a zillion dollars. I want cheap old fashioned headphones that don’t go flat that can be plugged into your device and just work. I don’t want to use the charging port for headphones- I like to charge my device while using it. I want headphone jacks back.

YABU- Everything new is always better
YANBU- some things were not broken and should have been left alone

I agree OP. Technology seems to have made life easier/cheaper for the tech providers, but not necessarily for us users.

The relentlessness of The News has done me a favour.
I got so sick of it that I now watch none of it.
It's very liberating and calming

I use the 'earbuds' with the over ear loop because I've got tiny ear holes too.

Smart anything. My phone feels like a necessary evil but I want everything else as dumb as possible. I can't be arsed with having to download apps and connect things via blue tooth just to be able to operate them.

YY to the parking apps! I went to a local train station to pick up my DB in the summer and they'd switched from a machine where you put money in a slot to cover you for the length of time you needed to park, to an app. I arrived five minutes before the train was due and wanted to leave the car, so I found the app, started setting it up then it wanted my email address, four different passwords, the number I first thought of and the name of my childhood pet (or that's what it felt like). I decided to chance it because paying the parking fine would be a lot less complicated.

In the end I didn't get a fine, but the station did lose out on 50p worth of parking. What the hell is wrong with parking machines that you either put cash or your card into? We don't all have a degree in Remembering The Answer You First Thought Of, and there isn't even any such thing as a universal parking app.

Same here - I just end up with sore ears or the buds fall out and I lose them.

What problem were they trying to solve with this nonsense?

I don't know if it's the actual/only reason, but I strongly believe that a lot of it is to do with nothing more than creating more space for cupholders - which can't be on the dash column between the two front seats anymore, because there has to be room for a screen there!

My car has a regular fault, whereby the engine cuts out if you stop for a second. It's supposed to spring back into life as soon as you release the brake, but it often doesn't; and it sometimes tells you to re-start the engine manually, which means you have to remember to take it out of Drive and put it into Neutral first, then Drive again, whilst people in the queue behind honk at you and make rude gestures.

I was amazed to discover that this fault was actually designed to do that. There's a helpful button you can press to stop the fault from occurring, but it's another thing to have to remember every time you start the engine. Progress, I guess...

Meanwhile, every single car I've ever driven - even the 1988 Metro - has had a functioning ignition key which can be used if you, the driver, know that you are going to be waiting for a while, and so wish to turn the engine off in the meantime.

My husband has bought a headphone jack adapter that fits into the charging port. Works a treat

Keyless cars.

for which you might need to get a door lock fitted or insurance is too expensive...

This is the one for me I think. Everything spread out over multiple services, it's so annoying. I miss physical media being a proper thing. CDs, books and dvds for gifts. Actually owning something rather than it just being "there" and the streaming services taking it away when they want to.

I've just had similar with apple.

"Why have you disabled my apple account"

"Thank you for contacting apple. You are a valued apple customer.. blah. blah, blah. There has been suspicious activity on your account."

"Has there? What was it? There's nothing on my account or payments."

"Unfortunately we can't tell you. But it's in our T&C's"

"What? Which part of the T&C's? What's happened? Why? How do I get it back? I'm paying for additional storage, apple TV etc, what happens to all of that?"

"You can set up another apple account with a different email address."

"Oh right, so I can just set up another account with a different email and all of the stuff I already have will be linked or transferred?"

"Well, no."

Cue 3 weeks of extended email conversations, apple chats and a 90 minute phone call. Still no apple account. Can't watch apple TV that I'm paying for. Can't set up another account because the new one is connected to a phone number that they have blocked because of the suspicious account activity that doesn't appear anywhere on the account and they can't tell me about.

<head explodes>

I drive a 12 yo car. Mechanically it’s fine but loads of things don’t work and it’s not worth fixing for its value.

I am looking at new/newer cars but the electronic gizmos are alarming so will try to wait for cars to go back to being analogue again - VW have seen the error of their ways. Buy bottom spec- why should it cost £2k to fix a/c just because car is badly designed? Been quoted similar to rewire the reversing camera.

So it can be robbed easier, duh

100%! Rolling news 24/7 is awful, they fill it with any old dross. Much preferred the short old style format. Plus the clickbait world - everything is spun to get you to click that story. The older I get the more Victor Meldrew I become. Our modern world is one where our senses are assaulted all the time, there is no escaping noise, pictures, nothing is simple. I crave silence, blankness, time to stop, breathe and not have someone or something wanting my time.

i stopped at a tiny farm shop with my dad and picked some up, he was having the same rant. Walked back to the car and both bit into one, the juice poured out, he looked at me and we turned round and bought more
I need to go back there this year! Incredible and not expensive either

Still got loads of CDs and DVDs. Plus if your internet goes down, I have stuff to watch and listen.

Streaming also edits stuff too.

Oh the app I use for work, to log in to take calls
why the fuck do I need a secure app for that? Nobody wants to do my job when they’re paid for it, if someone wants to do it for free then have at it!

Worked in a place where Sky News was on the screen in the background. When breaking news happens, they get the nearest correspondent and the presenter in the studio asks questions. Take a fire at a major building.
NP “how many people were in the building?”
CO “we are not sure”
Then rephrase the question
NP “how many people are injured?”
CO “we don’t have the information yet”
Then asks another question
NP “Do we know what was the cause of the fire?”
CO “it’s too early to say”

This is a waste of time and shows the unprofessionalism of this.

I know you said that wearily and jokingly; but if you think about it, the more cars that get stolen, the more replacement cars need to be bought, so car theft isn't necessarily a terrible thing at all from the pov of the car manufacturers...

Even before I read your OP, immediate thought was “wireless”. 💯 isn’t as seems like everything needs a wire to charge it.

Interestingly, you know how there used to be a booking fee when buying tickets over the phone - in the days when physical tickets would have to be printed out, put into an envelope, the envelope addressed, postage paid for and somebody would have to take it to the post box - as that obviously all cost them money in stationery, postage and staff time...

Well, isn't it curious how you still have to pay that booking fee in most places - even though you select and download your tickets yourself and no human needs to be involved at any stage at all?

Maybe they just genuinely forgot to remove the extraneous booking fee once it was no longer justifiable, as no more admin costs for booking were incurred.........

Banks and government/official bodies: "We have stopped sending letters, statements, invoices and other communications in the post, as they are all available to view online, so you don't ever need a physical hardcopy; plus this is much better for the environment."

Also banks and government/official bodies: "Whenever we need to see proof of your identity for a range of purposes, we will accept any of the following documents... these MUST be printed hardcopies; we cannot accept any online documents that you have downloaded."

Motorola still have headphone jacks. Even the new ones.

The world is just obsessed with iPhones and Samsung products.

Android that uses Google for everything? Yes please. With excellent battery life ✔️ and obviously my headphone jack...

Yes, 100%. Proof of address from a government agency that can’t be more than 3 months old.