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

yeah had same here rural and no telephone boxes anymore. no mobile service unless we walk a mile away and very frequent power cuts, so yeah totally cut off
so we are now totally stuffed, cant afford one of the digital phones ( not that that would help in a power cut)
but they still charging for the phone line and off peak calls??? Can't take that off apparently hmm

Completely 100% agree about the headphones. I like cheap, normal plug in headphones that I can't lose and I don't have to charge. Just seems logical to me. I hate that I can't use my cheap, normal plug in headphones if I'm charging my phone as it's now the same bloody plug. I was talking about this at work the other day and the youngsters all looked at me like I was weird.

Has probably already been mentioned but WiFi fridges and washing machines etc

Apps for everything - no thanks don't want an app to control speakerphone volume from my phone, I'll just push the button on the thing

Yesterday I was trying to link a bank account that had inexplicably stopped, on an accounts platform, having used a 6 digit code to get into my account - it used to send a code to my phone, but now I've changed phones (but not numbers) I have to get the code sent to an email, which seems more faffy.
Then I went into the Banking website via the accounts platform - that said I wasn't getting the best experience in that version of Chrome and I should update browser. I tried that and the device said I was using the latest version of Chrome. Then tried to log into the banking website 3 times using my phone app. It said it didn't recognise the code. So then went old school and tried a card reader but by then it said it had taken too long and restart the process, Had to go back to accounts website, log in again , get the message (again) that I'm using an outdated browser and then use the card reader....and then it worked.
Honestly I nearly lost the will to live! there was a lot of swearing
(I had wanted to call a number to ask them for help to resolve but they do not have a phone number!)

I don't buy the excuse that the manufacturers can no longer fit headphone sockets because they can't make them waterproof.

When did customers actually start to insist that all phones had to be dunkable-waterproof anyway? It's handy if the screen can handle a few drops of rain, but who is regularly going swimming with their phone tucked into their costume?! To the extent that they would rather lose the ability to use standard head/earphones with their phones than not be able to take them in the swimming pool with them?!

It makes me think of Microsoft, when they have constant updates to fix and add niche features that barely anybody has even heard of, let alone would ever use; which then make using the actual basic programs that everybody wants to use much slower and much less convenient.

"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."

It's not surprising that people are constantly on edge and stressed or that people's mental health is deteriorating.

I quite like the ability to turn down the volume of my teens music in their bedrooms from my phone😂

This!

I’ve bough 4 tickets for an music event at Sandringham.

£135 a ticket and they still charged me an extra £42 as a ‘service charge’

Flabbergasted!

I can't understand why "booking charges" aren't included in the headline price for something. If they aren't an optional extra just make it clear what the final price is!!

Off the back of this thread I’ve ordered one of the suggested adapters to allow me to use my old corded headphones. I’ll report back when I’ve tried it out. Thank you ti everyone who said you can buy those.

I so agree with everything on this thread. And don’t get me started on tiny little ‘buttons’ for big clumsy fingers or hands that aren’t perfectly steady. Or machines that resolutely refuse to understand my voice, whether I’m speaking normally or bellowing or e-nun-ci-a-ting ver-y clear-ly …

Key less start in your car. Great when it works but when you’re struggling for battery or the button breaks there’s no give a turn and try - that’s it you just have to call someone.

This, 100%. Why aren’t these endless pointless ‘updates’ genuinely optional, ie the device will still work properly without them?

Computers in general. They used to be your servants. They would do exactly as you told them.

Now they're always controlling you: you can't do anything without the internet; you pick it up because you want to use it, and you're foiled with "installing updates: please be patient". It makes me long for the days of "Bad command or filename", or the moralising message about always shutting down before switching off. (Remember that, from the early 90s?)

And my one keeps covertly feeding me climate change propaganda, with "temperatures to break record for 20th March" appearing in tiny print in the corner of the screen.

"And my one keeps covertly feeding me climate change propaganda, with "temperatures to break record for 20th March" appearing in tiny print in the corner of the screen."
Due in part to all the electricity, produced by burning fossil fuels, that is needed to charge our phones so that we can use the apps that are needed to negotiate daily life these days (tongue in cheek, lol)

I wonder if this might be something to do with tax? I'm not 100% certain (despite submitting my tax return as required but with my jaw clenched and fingernails embedded in palms) but can you claim tax against the cost of the ticket price but not the booking charges? Or something? It's the absolute only reason I could come up with for this.

This is such a good point. It used to be a sci fi horror movie concept, and it's happening now and has come about so subtly

That sentence would be even better without the word 'music'

I completely agree. I always feel the same about tipping: I would rather know the desired/expected total price in advance; but whenever it comes up on threads, people misunderstand and accuse you of being tight.

I suppose, when companies are rinsing you and you're willingly handing over a lot of money, they just can't resist pushing it even further and taking more.

It will never happen, but if enough people started to book tickets and then just stopped the transaction and decided not to go ahead with the purchase once they discovered the actual higher price (including 'booking fee'), it would show up on their analytics and might make them think again. We know it's a rip-off, but at least don't make it a devious underhand rip-off.

@MissMarplesNiece Due in part to all the electricity, produced by burning fossil fuels, that is needed to charge our phones so that we can use the apps that are needed to negotiate daily life these days (tongue in cheek, lol) To say nothing of those celebrities travelling to "climate change conferences" in their private jets, and the electricity for Greta Thunberg's microphone as she preaches despair among young people.

Pretty much any food that is labelled ‘new improved’.

Usually in a smaller packet as well!

Absolutely this, and where do you keep the key when you're in the car? At least when the key was in the ignition I knew where it was.

Those bloody new bottle tops. I can't do them up properly and have spilt endless amounts of liquids in my bag. I've moved to Pepsi in protest as they haven't gone to the dark side yet.

2FA via SMS. There is no mobile signal where I live. It drives me absolutely potty and by the time a code actually arrives, it has expired.

Biggest telltale sign of smaller packaging when they change the logo.