[Brien]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

We've come full circle in web design where now design is separate from coding and UX so decisions about layout and function are made before even getting to design.

design exists to pick the colors that will get used in tailwind.

That's kind of interesting; a big motivator to me leaving web design was the shift to expecting a one-man show; it was no longer enough to have an eye for design and know your way around Adobe/Macromedia software (as I date myself in saying so)... you had to be able to code a site and an app.

Originally Posted by Thorzdad 

I’ve noticed a huge increase in the number of brick-and-mortar retailers who are now charging “convenience” fees if you use a debit/credit card for a purchase. It’s mostly small or local businesses. Even the home healthcare company my wife for charges convenience fees. Suddenly, cash is king once again.

Same here; I think the fees the debit/credit card companies charge companies have gotten to a point that a lot of places are either passing those on or going cash only.

It's bound to come to a head soon, I think.



My irritant for the week is mostly a rant on the modern video game experience. Got a Series X recently, wanted to play a co-op game with a friend locally (not over Xbox Live, or whatever they call it now).

Boot up console. MS account required for setup. Great. Let's sign in to my old one (had a 360/One).

Oh, wait, the terms of service have changed.

Oh, OK, 2FA is required now. Oh, MS Authenticator app? Joy.

Oh, the Xbox app is required to activate the console? Great! Another app...

Oh, there's 100+ GB of mandatory OS updates. Whee.

Okay, I'm finally ready to play.

Oh, I also need an EA account? Well sure I'll just...

Oh - I need to download the EA Play app to log in? I'm beginning to see a pattern.

Okay! Let's play some local co-op!

Oh - player 2 needs a MS and EA account too! You know what, I'll just... never mind.


So yeah. Modern gaming sucks.

[subego]

Modern gaming is the Switch.

[Laminar]

Had the same issue setting up my daughter's gaming computer. I gave her a managed Windows account so I can limit screen time and content. This also prevented her from playing Multiplayer Minecraft, which is just connecting to my own local Minecraft server. I spent 3+ hours searching the web and doing every fix they offered. This included fixes that no longer exist because the controls from even a year or two ago don't exist anymore. Every link to the online setup forwards to a Microsoft article telling me to use the app instead. And there are two apps - Microsoft Family Safety and XBox Family Safety. Both require independent logins, both have independent screen time limits and controls. Minecraft settings seem like they only apply to the XBox version of Minecraft, not necessarily Windows Bedrock or Java. The last post I read said after all of the changes they had to wait 24 hours and then stuff started working. That didn't work for me, and neither did claiming she was 18 years old with no restrictions, but when I disabled any XBox restrictions (we don't have an XBox) the Multiplayer button was no longer greyed out and she could log on to our server.

[Brien]

Whoever solves all the friction we've introduced into modern society will be rich.

Even job searching now requires multiple apps and logins because everything is outsourced. Indeed for applying, Paylocity for HR, etc.

[subego]

The number of places with shitty pasta salad. How they manage to fuck up pasta and salad dressing is a total mystery to me.

[subego]

Originally Posted by reader50 

If you do go EV, you'd lose the smog checks.

If it wasn’t irritating enough to go halfway across the fucking galaxy for the test, I netted a speed camera ticket this time around.

[Spheric Harlot]

Google has added yet ANOTHER layer of uselessness: it defaults to regional searches (which is good, in theory).

Except lately, it has started ignoring language input. I have it set to return results in German and English. If I enter search text in German, I expect it to return general results as well as results with regional interest, in German.
When I entered text in English, I expect it to return general results — in English —, as well as offer up regionally relevant results containing those words.

Except now, I input English text and get GERMAN WEBSITES. WTF, GOOGLE.

If I search for an English phrase, it’s because I’m searching FOR THAT PARTICULAR PHRASE.

I can’t use a German news article to help out an English speaker. If I wanted a German article, I’d search for German text.

[reader50]

DuckDuckGo

Last I heard, Google is adding AI to their searches by default. A way has been found to disable it, yielding normal search results again. Without the weird AI assumptions and/or hallucinations.

[Laminar]

More New Outlook:



My meeting is from 10am to 11am. But they didn't size their input boxes for the font size, so when I'm not clicked in the box you can't see am/pm and when I am clicked in the box you can't see the full time. Just stupid, stupid stuff.

[subego]

[Laminar]

I was headed out to race a couple weeks ago at 5am on a Sunday and saw a dude in a Toyota Sienna with an Amazon vest on dropping off packages.

[subego]

I should add, I have 10a-6p as the window when they can deliver.

This was the second attempt. Yesterday’s was at 8p.

Of course, now I’m going to get a notification “we’ve had trouble at this address, please review your available times”.


Edit: oh… the window Amazon promised for delivery yesterday was 10a-3p.

[subego]

Have a shoot tomorrow, and had planned to put out a traffic cone so my garage wouldn’t be blocked in the morning.

Got home and it was already blocked.

[reader50]

You could pay a homeless person to camp out in front of your driveway for a day. Easy money to keep anyone from parking there.

Ought to work even if a car is already parked there. Though there could be a lot of yelling and profanity before the owner moves the car.

[subego]

Delivered at 4:30 this morning.



I hope the homeless guy who stole it needs a UniFi router.

[subego]

Remarkably, it wasn’t stolen.

[Laminar]

Faith in humanity restored.

[reader50]

Originally Posted by subego 

So many thoughts. Great picture.

Thought #1: 4:30AM delivery on a sidewalk. Nice.
T#2: Aren't mailing boxes placed in high-traffic public locations? Extra-bad choice for a delivery.
T#3: Couldn't they have left it with the store at least?
T#4: The store is a UPS Store.
T#5: Why did USPS place a box in front of a rival UPS store? Are they trolling each other?
T#6: Chicago is weird.

[Thorzdad]

UPS isn’t a rival, per se.The two have a working relationship, handing last-mile deliveries off to one or the other. And, a lot of UPS stores have PO boxes for rent. In fact, you can see them through the window on the back wall.

[subego]

Yes! I rent one of the boxes and have my packages delivered there.

As for traffic, it’s in a strip mall, one store back from the street.


Edit: and they’re only open from 10-6 on weekdays. Down from 7-7 pre-COVID.