I just want to echo your sentiment with something I’ve been saying here for a while now:

Do not confuse information technology use for computer literacy.

At that point, you may as well just buy a school bus.

You say this, but have you ever tried to drive a car (sober) that is packed full of drunk people? It’s not easy, and they all might just get you pulled over anyway.

Outright prohibition never works. They have to get a lot more clever to work against addiction.

Reading the article, I see why this is a problem to be addressed. At the same time, I’m not sure how in the world you would directly “fix” this other than outright banning unruly customers after they cause problems.

The best course of action might be to quietly work with restaurant managers in major airports to start watering down mixed drinks, and serve lower-gravity beer and wine, on heavy travel days. I’m mostly sure this is how amusement parks operate; they just need to consult with Disney or SixFlags on this one. The threat of airlines (or the airport) banning heavy restaurant customers might be motivation enough. That way, restaurants make more money, airlines have (maybe) less nonsense to deal with, and there’s no documented limit on beverages.

Yup. Nobody else gets those cookies.

Yeah, I know that the super-flat planar look was the intent, but there’s a reason why you don’t see much in the real world that resembles the cybertruck. It turns out that the non-planar features of typical car panels are there to add rigidity. Flat sheet metal wants to bend, twist, wave, and even flap in the wind. So there are probably internal supports or struts welded to the panel backsides, in order to keep them flat. Problem is, that process tries to distort the panels due to heat from manufacturing.

And since they opted for stainless, this adds additional problems. In this case: you can’t hide imperfections with bondo and paint. The panels have to be perfect, every time. It requires tolerances that belong on a sports car, not a pickup.

Pretty sure you just triggered every developer and/or person who had to sit through a product meeting.

NGL, I was feeling very uncomfortable myself by the end of typing said list. Is it hot in here? I need to lie down.

Common language used to dismiss bad decisions like this:

• We need to track and meet our metrics for the quarter
• Engagement for $FEATURE is down, so we have to take measures to get people to take notice
• It’s opt-in/opt-out, so it’s the right thing to do
• It’s only a one time thing and then the system remembers¹ what the user selected
• Only new users are affected - our power users will put up with it
• It’s just a minor inconvenience, really
• It’s just a website

1 - Oh, did you turn off cookies or clear your cache? Sorry about that.

Oh, we’re on the same page there. I’m complaining about that too. Things are shifting from “make the environment easier for some people” to “painstakingly chisel out an expert mode like you’re escaping from Shawshank.” and I do not like it.

It has been pretty depressing to me that the tech literate have been so easily lulled into accepting such things in the name of “cool toys” and “security” virtually everywhere in modern life besides the PC/laptop/server spaces.

From my exposure to supporting said folks with PC related problems, its easy to see the reality here. Phones provide a streamlined experience with zero frills. They don’t want super flexible computing devices, they want appliances. More to the point, the level of care and maintenance needed to have a top-shelf PC experience is time and effort most people would rather not expend. Doing this right was inconvenient to begin with, and left the field wide open for anything that would be easier.

Oh. That’s a good one.

Wish Version Iron Man

Oh that’s good.

I also like: Rebate Rockefeller.

everything is covered in a thin layer of goopy brine

Ah, that explains the extensive use of wood and plastic. That environment would be a nightmare for anything made of steel.

So people keep asking me: “why build a massive research facility at the bottom of a salt mine?” Well, I’ll tell you: science! That’s why. Those safety-obsessed, bureaucratic government types are always slowing things down. Better to move this operation indoors so we can get to work. And that’s where you come in: get your assignment at the desk, and let’s make history.

I’m at the point where I’m maintaining three classic thumbball mice with a bag of replacement microswitches. I wouldn’t consider that viable for the typical consumer, but it works for me. Also these particular bluetooth models come with their own USB-A receiver, so I don’t rely on software updates either.

That said, the ploopy thumbball may be my next daily driver.

Think about it like a diamond-encrusted mouse.

Oh good grief. Do they really think they can adopt the subscription-for-heated-seats model, and get people to use their high-end computer peripherals as some kind of flex? I just don’t see people holding their “Logitech^tm Gamer PC Lease” over anyone else’s head.

My optimism has me thinking that this CEO is deliberately tilting at windmills in order to appease shareholders, because Logitech has been around long enough to be steady-state (not growing much) at this point.

but here we are, back there.

The upside is that if you’re ever prompted to install a thing to your browser to use a site’s features, it’s because the built-in sandbox is too restrictive for what they want. It’s an immediate red flag.

I also view prompts to “use our (phone) app” the same way. I’m already seeing your site, in my browser, with ten different kinds of adblock and tampermonkey scripts running. I already have what I want, and I’m not letting you anywhere near my data plan.

Clearly, it’s time for a “no means no” extension.

It’s gotta piss them off.

That’s not unusual, sadly. Sometimes, someone brings in a contractor in attempt to foist change, as they’re not tainted by loyalties or the culture when it comes to saying ugly things. So anger and disruption is the product you’ve actually been hired to deliver; surprise! What pains me the most here is when I see my fellow contractors walk into just such a situation and they wind up worse for wear as a result.

Edit: the key here is to see this coming and devise a communication plan to temper your client’s desire to stir the pot, and get yourself out of the line of fire, so to speak.