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Rant Thread - What really grinds your gears?
- Thread starter Phases
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Verizon.
They sent me an email telling me how lucky I am because they are "upgrading" my unlimited plan to the new one at no extra cost. I'm not sure reducing to 720p is an upgrade though, nor is their new VerizonUp tracking system anything I'd want. But yeah, thanks for that anyway. At least I get more tethering that no one on my plan uses, I suppose that's something.
They sent me an email telling me how lucky I am because they are "upgrading" my unlimited plan to the new one at no extra cost. I'm not sure reducing to 720p is an upgrade though, nor is their new VerizonUp tracking system anything I'd want. But yeah, thanks for that anyway. At least I get more tethering that no one on my plan uses, I suppose that's something.
codezer0
Android Expert
Phones during Android Gingerbread:
- Removable batteries, including the ability to apply a larger, extended battery to most, affording 2~4 days of battery life per charge cycle
- expandable storage through SD slot
- Most had the ability to root within five minutes
- Flagship phone level price... ~$400
- The only ads on YouTube were those you voluntarily tuned in to
- More apps were available if you had root privileges on your phone
- All-or-nothing approach to app permissions
- Nonremovable batteries EVERYWHERE, ensuring you're renting it, and paying more for external chargers and extra chargers to outfit effing everywhere
- Phone makers claiming all day (or more) battery life, but only if you never use the thing
- Phones that don't even last one hour of gaming
- no external storage on supposed flagship phones
- Google's own phone is $800+
- App makers arbitrarily block you from even seeing, much less installing, their apps on rooted phones
- ads on startup
- ads on lock screen
- unskippable ads that load immediately on YouTube behind every video
- Apps asking for creeper level permissions when their operation doesn't require them at all
zuben el genub
Extreme Android User
The Millennials are ignoring all the marketing strategies so carefully crafted years ago.
A lot simply don't want stuff - they'd rather have an "experience" like a social gathering in a real London Tea shop in London.. They prefer cities and will use public trans or bike. Tradition doesn't weigh much with some.
I agree. I didn't want the stuff that a new couple should have after getting married.
Bought from thrift stores and sales. Still hate having flowers sent for special occasions. jewelery, fancy clothes. Since I sew, there is usually a pattern very similar to a brand name. I can copy what I want if I need it. The moral is - I'm ignoring your ads since they don't apply to anything I want. Throwing more and more ads at me to make something stick is useless. Bug me, and I never will even look at your mdse.
That is what is happening - more and more ads in desperation.
A phone today should be able to take over the old PDA usage. If you want a phone for entertainment, push to have such a phone made for your enjoyment. Not every phone fulfilling every use for everybody.
Actually there were plenty of apps asking for creepy permissions back in the Gingerbread days. The only real difference there is that the only control you had was not to install them. My real complaint here is that Google have become less upfront about permissions and gradually made it easier to install without looking at them.
And I have to say I've never had ads on lockscreen or startup, so that has to depend on what apps you (or your carrier) installs. Actually I still find most YouTube videos are without ads, and find unskippable ads at the start a minority - I suspect it depends a lot on what you watch (not that I use it very much anyway). But a lot of this stuff is inevitable when a market matures: at some point they want to make money out of it, and as most people seem to think all media and software should be developed for them for free that means ads.
As for the phone stuff (as opposed to app stuff), I've also never encountered a phone that won't last 1 hour's gaming, unless the battery has been destroyed. Only a few Android flagships lack removable storage, mostly Chinese brands (OnePlus, or Xiaomi's Mi series) and Google themselves - the rest tried it once or twice then brought it back years ago. Which leaves the sealed battery thing, which has been flogged to death, but fundamentally comes down to it both making the manufacturer's job easier and improving sales. You may conclude from that that the phone-buying public are morons, but it's them rather than the manufacturers who should be blamed for that - if they had actually pushed-back, as people did with removeable storage, then removeable batteries would still be with us.
As for the price of the Pixel, I think Google are trying to be Apple. It's not so much the price that makes me say that, but the fact that almost a year after it was released the official price of the Pixel is the same as the day it was launched, a trick that previously only Apple had even tried to pull (the number of times I've told people who were thinking of buying an iPhone in August to wait a month or two, because otherwise they'll be paying this year's prices for last year's kit. That stuff is obvious to us, but most people don't follow things like release schedules).
codezer0
Android Expert
Well, i for one, am inclined to call said phone buying public as morons, because their choices in design have done nothing but negatively affect me in this regard. Now, rather than the platform that could do more than an iPhone can dream of, we instead have every maker and their dog trying to ape it harder and harder. Google is especially guilty of this with the Nexus, and the Pixel.
zuben el genub
Extreme Android User
Plus they want all your info.
No one wants to think any more - all they want is instant gratification. Makes it harder for me to strip all the crap that I don't need out of a phone. That's about 90% of it.
I'm just attracted to faster processors. I'd like to look up a bird before the damn thing flies away. The faster you get through the rights code the faster you get to the program.
If you're getting ads on startup, lock-screen, etc. check the "free" apps and games you've been installing and updating, things like GO apps, Cheetah Mobile, Peel, etc.
Typhoon Pakhar
zuben el genub
Extreme Android User
Rain, rain go away.
bjacks12
Android Expert
I'd happily take some of the rain here in Las Vegas
I got .02 inches of rain yesterday. It's way dry here. I'd rather it be too dry than to be getting drenched like Texas.
Thoughts are with everyone down there.
Thoughts are with everyone down there.
We did get rather drenched and wind blown in Zhuhai.
If I only had a dollar for every mistake I've made.... man I'd be rich.
Their "cuisine"... 
...I think it was the fish.
...I think it was the fish.
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zuben el genub
Extreme Android User
Hope they had barf bags
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Deleted User
Guest
Have you noticed how companies go on about the importance of being a good team member, yet the culture quite often encourages an attitude of competition - appraisal scoring, comparison between team members etc.
To me this is all completely counter to the goal of good team working.
To me this is all completely counter to the goal of good team working.
Dngrsone
Android Expert
Not to mention there are no actual rewards for being a good team.
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Deleted User
Guest
No that never seems to get recognised. You know, like helping other people. Very often comes up on a job spec "Good team player", and on competency style interview questions "Describe a time when you were part of an effective team". You want effective team? I'll give you effective team. Grrrrr!
Not being able to understand Swahili.
zuben el genub
Extreme Android User
The Lion Sleeps Tonight