3 ms·

> The assumption that I need help buying a book is the biggest insult... Insult is too strong a word. Like many here, I think something like this should be opt

> The assumption that I need help buying a book is the biggest insult... Insult is too strong a word. Like many here, I think something like this should be opt-in. But I also think the same about "smart recommendations" that try to auto-complete a word I'm typing or add something to my calendar based on recent emails. I dislike them all and want them all to be opt-in. I think it's predatory by design -- but why anyone would be "insulted" is beyond me.

userbinator 5y ago
Being insulted is indeed the right feeling if you still have a sense of personal agency left.
Rapzid 5y ago
I'm honestly not sure what is or isn't opt-in on Windows at this point. It frequently asks you after updates to enable a bunch of stuff, but I just say no to everything and hardly anything stands out to me. It wouldn't surprise me if Windows asks about product suggestions or shopping enhancements(or something along those lines) at some point and that drives this functionality. EDIT: I don't usually use Edge so I just tried this and I received the lower price notice but not as the author describes. I got a little notice on the right side of the address bar that collapsed about 3 seconds later into the tag icon. I had to click on that icon to get the popup with the shopping details.
version_five 5y ago
Although "biggest insult" is over the top, its part of a pattern of Microsoft providing annoying "help" that makes their software distracting and harder to use, and in aggregate really does insult the user. Opening documents in some weird "reading mode", popping up that I can pick up where I left off every time I open a PowerPoint, adding captions to my photos I add to documents (and sending my confidential data to their servers so their ML can tell me that a chart I added is a picture of a chart), "looks like you're trying to write a resume", I'll denote my three points (a), (b), and ©, how would you rate our product, etc etc. Some people may want this stuff, I want my computer to leave me alone and let me work. MS has a pattern of disrespect to the user that overall I agree is insulting.

userbinator 5y ago

Being insulted is indeed the right feeling if you still have a sense of personal agency left.

Rapzid 5y ago

I'm honestly not sure what is or isn't opt-in on Windows at this point. It frequently asks you after updates to enable a bunch of stuff, but I just say no to everything and hardly anything stands out to me. It wouldn't surprise me if Windows asks about product suggestions or shopping enhancements(or something along those lines) at some point and that drives this functionality. EDIT: I don't usually use Edge so I just tried this and I received the lower price notice but not as the author describes. I got a little notice on the right side of the address bar that collapsed about 3 seconds later into the tag icon. I had to click on that icon to get the popup with the shopping details.

version_five 5y ago

Although "biggest insult" is over the top, its part of a pattern of Microsoft providing annoying "help" that makes their software distracting and harder to use, and in aggregate really does insult the user. Opening documents in some weird "reading mode", popping up that I can pick up where I left off every time I open a PowerPoint, adding captions to my photos I add to documents (and sending my confidential data to their servers so their ML can tell me that a chart I added is a picture of a chart), "looks like you're trying to write a resume", I'll denote my three points (a), (b), and ©, how would you rate our product, etc etc. Some people may want this stuff, I want my computer to leave me alone and let me work. MS has a pattern of disrespect to the user that overall I agree is insulting.