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I think there almost needs to be a "Reacher Law", in that there should be minimal friction to participating in society aside from maybe cash and an ID. I defin

I think there almost needs to be a "Reacher Law", in that there should be minimal friction to participating in society aside from maybe cash and an ID. I definitely find a default assumption of having a smartphone that's creeping in everywhere (android / iOS compatible & has an active data plan) to be increasingly cloying. Currently, all I can do is politely decline and insist that I neither have the Play nor Apple store; I still find it uncomfortable even giving away my phone number. I couldn't even get into my gym the other day, since they'd transitioned to app sign-in only (phasing out barcode tags); I'm forced to beg the attendant to look me up by phone number every time. *EDIT: I hope ranting about smartphones in a cashless-ness thread isn't too off topic

sneak 4y ago
I live in two countries, “I just got back to the country and don’t have a sim card with a US number yet” is a high status “I’m never giving you my fucking phone number”. For me it has the benefit of being true a lot of the time.
- MandieD 4y ago
  I’m stealing this for use on both sides of the pond. I’ve run into, for real, the issue of “essential” apps in Germany not being available in the US App Store, like public parking for the commuter lot in a town on the other side of the country.
  - viceroyalbean 4y ago
    I don't get region restricted apps. Sometimes it might make sense, but 99% of the time it's just unnecessary and achieves nothing except annoy travelers. Is there some incentive for app developers to region restrict their apps?
    - naasking 4y ago
      Maybe to cut down on bad reviews and spurious support requests?
dumpHero2 4y ago
just curious, what prevents you from getting an extra phone number and a phone just to go about your day to day needs? You need not share that number with anyone else? Heck, you can even switch it off, or silence it all the time.
- ironmagma 4y ago
  I am a big believer in sticking it to these organizations that make these foolish assumptions. The burden of responsibility should be on them, since it is they who wants to get the money out of this transaction.
  - ksidudwbw 4y ago
    Whatever happened to MaskMe? You could create proxies for your phone number, email, adress and credit card
- john_the_writer 4y ago
  Cost. I mean an extra phone number isn't free. 40$ a month just to get around people asking for your phone number.
ghaff 4y ago
>I hope ranting about smartphones in a cashless-ness thread isn't too off topic I don't think so. Certainly it's hard to argue that at least a feature phone that you're willing to give out the phone number for is well-nigh mandatory. As you say, go back not that many years and cash/travelers checks and appropriate ID (drivers license and/or passport) were really all you needed in general. In addition to phone, it's really hard without a credit card today as well.
- splitstud 4y ago
rkagerer 4y ago
Completely on-topic. Phone-based identification is armed with too much capability inside the black box and limited means for the user to have a clue what is being leaked to whom.
- hinkley 4y ago
  I think there was just a thread here last week about how homeless people get their stuff stolen or lost all the time. 2 Factor keeps people out when you can't reliably Bring Something. I don't generally want to say that too loud though because some politician will point out that they still have their eyes and fingertips so why can't we use biometrics instead.
  - janalsncm 4y ago
    99.9% of people have eyes and fingertips. If we’re going to require eye/fingertip authentication to function in society we need to solve for that last 0.1% as well.
  - rkagerer 4y ago
    why can't we use biometrics instead Might as well regress to hot iron cattle branding.
krolden 4y ago
Ive been doing some IT work at a cell phone store in a very low income area. There is a large number of people coming in to buy new phones or get their old ones repaired and many of them (especially the older ones) HATE that they need to have a smartphone. I hear at least one person a day complain about how they cant just have a normal land line anymore and need to have a smartphone to participate in society. Also they REALLY dont like hearing about how the phone they have now is obsolete and theres no way to get parts for it, or its just too far gone and they'll need to buy a new phone. I feel for all of these people as I totally agree with them.
- hinkley 4y ago
  I wonder how they'd react if I started bitching about having to have a car to participate in society.
  - AndrewUnmuted 4y ago
  - kgermino 4y ago
    I’d posit it’s quickly getting easier to live without a car than without a smartphone in the US. Plus, even if you live in an area where a car is required you have the option to opt out and move (housing crisis aside), which isn’t an option to avoid smartphone requirements.
    - chrsig 4y ago
      well, you could always move somewhere very rural with poor cellphone reception.
    - hinkley 4y ago
      The people complaining about smart phones and the people who created the car-obsessed society are substantially the same people.
      - 4y ago
loceng 4y ago
I could see something reasonable being a surcharge for allowing access to an "archaic" system - however then that fee should be subsidized to the business, by the centralized organizations, as such "archaic" systems are necessary mechanisms to counter potential tyranny-captured of centralized systems by very bad actors.
Findecanor 4y ago
Very on topic. Here in Sweden cashless payments using smartphones have largely replaced cash for person-to-person transactions. The proprietary payment app in turn relies on a proprietary app for electronic ID which authorises bank transactions. And those demand a relatively recent version of iOS or Android and that the phone is not rooted. The e-ID is only available to citizens and residents, which means that people such as foreign students or guest workers can't get one. (And then the privacy and security issues of the e-ID system is a can of worms...)
- azalemeth 4y ago
  It's the same in Denmark. I get charged extra by the bank for using cash and others look at me weird. I have a rooted Android phone and am privacy mad. Most Danes think I'm a weird foreigner (which, to be fair, I am!)
  - delecti 4y ago
    Conversely, loads of places in Germany don't even accept card payments. I go there occasionally for work and can't easily avoid getting at least some cash to make it through the week.
    - raxxorraxor 4y ago
      I hope it stays that way. Not interested in my transactions being that transparent at all. I also think it is convenient compared to a smartphone. The requirement of the phone not being rooted is another blunder. This is trusted computing against the user in my opinion.
  - pnw 4y ago
    Sounds like you need to study up on your Jante Law! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Jante https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Jante
redavni 4y ago
>I couldn't even get into my gym the other day, since they'd transitioned to app sign-in only (phasing out barcode tags) If it is QR code based, take a screenshot or picture of the QR code. I just login with the photo app anymore lol.
- 1-more 4y ago
  some things have those expire based on time. Off the top of my head NYC area passenger rail on Long Island Rail Road and Metro North have that for electronic tickets.
jedimastert 4y ago
> aside from maybe cash and an ID I get and fully support what you're going for, but friendly reminder that (in America) having an ID can actually be somewhat difficult in a variety of circumstances where people are most vulnerable to being left out. It's actually kind of a hot button issue
- meinersbur 4y ago
  Can you provide some details? The state where I am living (Illinois) goes through hoops to ensure that everyone can get an ID card, such as it being free if you are homeless.
  - MandieD 4y ago
    One of the issues is the documentation required to get one - the most obvious is a birth certificate, because of course everyone born in the US would have one, right? 1) Many people who were born in the US didn’t actually ever get one! This is more likely to affect people who were not born in hospitals, particularly older, poorer people. 2) Where is it? The state you were born in, and probably* the county. If you’re now in a different state, the procedure for getting it sent to you could be tricky. 3) How do you get a copy? For Texas, that used to be up to the county where you were born, with all the variability that implies (Harris Co: 4 million. Loving Co: 100.) Now that’s “state records office”… with a catch. For any of you here, it’s marvelously simple and not that spendy. If you don’t have a credit/debit card and/or don’t use the internet… that’ll be $80 and “up to” an 8 week wait. No idea about any other state. So what if you don’t have/can’t get a copy of your birth certificate? Every state is different, but they all accept some defined set of alternative documentation: school records, military records, medical records, attestation from the doctor/midwife that delivered you… all things that someone who is having a hard time laying hands on their birth certificate is sure to have to hand.
    - kwyjibo1230 4y ago
      Thanks for this. It makes clear the series of cyclical complications that follows "I don't have an ID and need one, but I don't have a smartphone or credit card" 1) Don't have an ID, just provide your birth certificate. Oh wait... that wasn't issued to me 2) Well I can try to order my birth certificate mailed to me. Oh wait... I don't have easy internet access, no smartphone or internet at my house. 3) I got online at the library, time to order my birth certificate. Oh wait... I don't have a credit card to pay. Maybe my birth county lets me mail cash (risky), or maybe they require me to show up in person, and potentially spend $100s on travel, in addition to missing work. 4) Okay, I go to apply for a credit card or open a bank account to pay. Oh wait... I need an ID. Rinse and repeat
sokoloff 4y ago
I agree on the cash point, but I’m not even convinced that ID should be required for minimal, daily participation in society. Maybe a lack of ID prevents you driving, buying alcohol, or voting, but if you accept those consequences, you shouldn’t have to provide ID to anyone.
- nine_zeros 4y ago
  You can't even get a bank account without an ID
  - sokoloff 4y ago
    All the more reason to ensure we support cash as a means of transacting in daily life.
  - brigandish 4y ago
    If we're talking daily participation, you don't (or shouldn't) need ID. For one off events like registration or entry, then ID is a fair requirement (sometimes). I don't know who is arguing for bank accounts without ID though.
ouid 4y ago
And my god, should you want a paper menu.
- trylfthsk 4y ago
  Thanks for reminding me of this little slice of hell. I can't help but feel it wasn't so long ago it was widely considered a bad idea to open arbitrary PDFs of questionable provenance.
greggman3 4y ago
I agree with you. It's getting harder and harder. Went to a restaurant Friday night with friends. Inside there are no menus, only QR cords and the UX is some of the worst ever (toastlab). There is also no way to pay except through the website which wants you to register an account. I don't want to be a dick to my friends but I also don't want to eat at this restaurant. The waiters said "put in fake info" and they acknowledged everyone complains about the menus. In the end my friends paid and I didn't have to bring up the issue.
- lxgr 4y ago
  I had a similar experience recently at one of my favorite restaurants. They do still have physical menus, but payment by default now works via scanning a QR code. This is especially frustrating, given that they only recently switched to a pretty cool POS handheld system that accepts contactless and allows tipping right at the touchscreen. But it seems pretty clear why they are doing that: Besides saving some time for the waitstaff, I only now realized that by using Apple Pay, they get at least my name and email address… I wonder if I‘ll end up getting spam by either the restaurant or the POS vendor. It also creates a completely new and entirely avoidable problem: I don‘t have strong signal in that restaurant, and they don‘t offer a wi-fi either. All in all, while the waiter probably saved 20-30 seconds (waiting for me to unlock my phone or get my card from my wallet, tap it, and select my tipping option), it took me almost 5 minutes to complete payment on my side.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    I suspect we’re going to see so many of these systems mothballed quite soon. I’ve noticed badly printed out menus at some of these places already.
  - lotsofpulp 4y ago
    > I only now realized that by using Apple Pay, they get at least my name and email address… I do not think the merchant gets a name or an email address. https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/715893 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/715893
balderdash 4y ago
Totally agree. Would add that it’s comical how perturbed people get when you’re buying something in person and they start asking you for your phone number/email etc. and your tell them no. You get this “does not compute” look, and a response like “well the system needs your phone number”!
- dragonwriter 4y ago
  Well, yeah, they aren’t going to tell you “the performance metrics on which I am evaluated are based on this, and the level of employee surveillance is intense enough that I know people who have been dismissed for making up info for customers that don’t provide it”, but...
- bombcar 4y ago
  Area code - 867-5309 usually gets the point across.
FpUser 4y ago
These requirements to use smartphone for everything is a cancer.
pyuser583 4y ago
I think there should be a “method of last resort” for essential services. Mail service, for example.
andirk 4y ago
The gym barcode keychain thingy worked perfect. It was indestructible! And now I have to have my phone in hand, on, bright, open app, click stupid button, line up phone. Re: gym, when I signed up I didn't have a phone at all. After being asked twice, I finally lied and said yeah it's um at home.
- nwah1 4y ago
  There was an app called Stocard that I used at one point. I prefer to have minimal keychain items. The problem with the app barcodes is simply that they are slow to load, nonstandard, and not open source. I think a common standard, lightweight, open source app would be perfect. Stocard is proprietary, but at least it loads quick and organizes all of the cards in a uniform way. I don't like these slow, buggy apps that bury their barcodes. The brightness problem is real, and getting the angle right can also be a challenge, although that seems like an issue with the current quality of barcode/QR readers. I assume that could be solved if anyone cared. Keychain barcodes are insecure, easy to damage, easy to lose, and provide zero real identity guarantee. Phones at least can offer the level of identity guarantee that 2FA does, and largely solves those other problems.
ls15 4y ago
> I'm forced to beg the attendant to look me up by phone number every time. Don't feel bad about asking them for access to the service that you paid for. Here are some good reasons for not installing their app: - I forgot my phone at home - My phone is broken, I stepped on it when I got out of the bed - I can't install any apps, the memory is full and I don't want to delete my family videos - I don't know my Appstore password right now - This is a work-provided phone, I cannot install any apps on it - My phone contains confidential client data, I cannot install any apps on it - I am an investigative journalist, is your app certified for high-security applications? - My kids have the phone, I didn't want to interrupt them playing games - Does your app run on Nokia? - Does your app run on Windows phones? - Is your app on f-droid, my phone only supports f-droid? - I am sensitive to radiation and cannot use any radio device - I am a minimalist and I live phone-free!
- petre 4y ago
  > I am a minimalist and I live phone-free! I tried that in an interview. They never called back. /s
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - badpun 4y ago
    That makes sense. Companies want a "maximalist", i.e. someone who's addicted to consumption. Such person has no other option but to continue working - their addiction demands it. Whereas a minimalist has a large degree of freedom and can often just ditch the job if it becomes too shitty.
    - hoppyhoppy2 4y ago
      I think it was just a simple joke about the inability to receive phone calls without a phone.
      - petre 4y ago

sneak 4y ago

I live in two countries, “I just got back to the country and don’t have a sim card with a US number yet” is a high status “I’m never giving you my fucking phone number”. For me it has the benefit of being true a lot of the time.

MandieD 4y ago
I’m stealing this for use on both sides of the pond. I’ve run into, for real, the issue of “essential” apps in Germany not being available in the US App Store, like public parking for the commuter lot in a town on the other side of the country.
- viceroyalbean 4y ago
  I don't get region restricted apps. Sometimes it might make sense, but 99% of the time it's just unnecessary and achieves nothing except annoy travelers. Is there some incentive for app developers to region restrict their apps?
  - naasking 4y ago
    Maybe to cut down on bad reviews and spurious support requests?

dumpHero2 4y ago

just curious, what prevents you from getting an extra phone number and a phone just to go about your day to day needs? You need not share that number with anyone else? Heck, you can even switch it off, or silence it all the time.

ironmagma 4y ago
I am a big believer in sticking it to these organizations that make these foolish assumptions. The burden of responsibility should be on them, since it is they who wants to get the money out of this transaction.
- ksidudwbw 4y ago
  Whatever happened to MaskMe? You could create proxies for your phone number, email, adress and credit card
john_the_writer 4y ago
Cost. I mean an extra phone number isn't free. 40$ a month just to get around people asking for your phone number.

ghaff 4y ago

>I hope ranting about smartphones in a cashless-ness thread isn't too off topic I don't think so. Certainly it's hard to argue that at least a feature phone that you're willing to give out the phone number for is well-nigh mandatory. As you say, go back not that many years and cash/travelers checks and appropriate ID (drivers license and/or passport) were really all you needed in general. In addition to phone, it's really hard without a credit card today as well.

splitstud 4y ago

rkagerer 4y ago

Completely on-topic. Phone-based identification is armed with too much capability inside the black box and limited means for the user to have a clue what is being leaked to whom.

hinkley 4y ago
I think there was just a thread here last week about how homeless people get their stuff stolen or lost all the time. 2 Factor keeps people out when you can't reliably Bring Something. I don't generally want to say that too loud though because some politician will point out that they still have their eyes and fingertips so why can't we use biometrics instead.
- janalsncm 4y ago
  99.9% of people have eyes and fingertips. If we’re going to require eye/fingertip authentication to function in society we need to solve for that last 0.1% as well.
- rkagerer 4y ago
  why can't we use biometrics instead Might as well regress to hot iron cattle branding.

krolden 4y ago

Ive been doing some IT work at a cell phone store in a very low income area. There is a large number of people coming in to buy new phones or get their old ones repaired and many of them (especially the older ones) HATE that they need to have a smartphone. I hear at least one person a day complain about how they cant just have a normal land line anymore and need to have a smartphone to participate in society. Also they REALLY dont like hearing about how the phone they have now is obsolete and theres no way to get parts for it, or its just too far gone and they'll need to buy a new phone. I feel for all of these people as I totally agree with them.

hinkley 4y ago
I wonder how they'd react if I started bitching about having to have a car to participate in society.
- AndrewUnmuted 4y ago
- kgermino 4y ago
  I’d posit it’s quickly getting easier to live without a car than without a smartphone in the US. Plus, even if you live in an area where a car is required you have the option to opt out and move (housing crisis aside), which isn’t an option to avoid smartphone requirements.
  - chrsig 4y ago
    well, you could always move somewhere very rural with poor cellphone reception.
  - hinkley 4y ago
    The people complaining about smart phones and the people who created the car-obsessed society are substantially the same people.
    - 4y ago

loceng 4y ago

I could see something reasonable being a surcharge for allowing access to an "archaic" system - however then that fee should be subsidized to the business, by the centralized organizations, as such "archaic" systems are necessary mechanisms to counter potential tyranny-captured of centralized systems by very bad actors.

Findecanor 4y ago

Very on topic. Here in Sweden cashless payments using smartphones have largely replaced cash for person-to-person transactions. The proprietary payment app in turn relies on a proprietary app for electronic ID which authorises bank transactions. And those demand a relatively recent version of iOS or Android and that the phone is not rooted. The e-ID is only available to citizens and residents, which means that people such as foreign students or guest workers can't get one. (And then the privacy and security issues of the e-ID system is a can of worms...)

azalemeth 4y ago
It's the same in Denmark. I get charged extra by the bank for using cash and others look at me weird. I have a rooted Android phone and am privacy mad. Most Danes think I'm a weird foreigner (which, to be fair, I am!)
- delecti 4y ago
  Conversely, loads of places in Germany don't even accept card payments. I go there occasionally for work and can't easily avoid getting at least some cash to make it through the week.
  - raxxorraxor 4y ago
    I hope it stays that way. Not interested in my transactions being that transparent at all. I also think it is convenient compared to a smartphone. The requirement of the phone not being rooted is another blunder. This is trusted computing against the user in my opinion.
- pnw 4y ago
  Sounds like you need to study up on your Jante Law! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Jante https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Jante

redavni 4y ago

>I couldn't even get into my gym the other day, since they'd transitioned to app sign-in only (phasing out barcode tags) If it is QR code based, take a screenshot or picture of the QR code. I just login with the photo app anymore lol.

1-more 4y ago
some things have those expire based on time. Off the top of my head NYC area passenger rail on Long Island Rail Road and Metro North have that for electronic tickets.

jedimastert 4y ago

> aside from maybe cash and an ID I get and fully support what you're going for, but friendly reminder that (in America) having an ID can actually be somewhat difficult in a variety of circumstances where people are most vulnerable to being left out. It's actually kind of a hot button issue

meinersbur 4y ago
Can you provide some details? The state where I am living (Illinois) goes through hoops to ensure that everyone can get an ID card, such as it being free if you are homeless.
- MandieD 4y ago
  One of the issues is the documentation required to get one - the most obvious is a birth certificate, because of course everyone born in the US would have one, right? 1) Many people who were born in the US didn’t actually ever get one! This is more likely to affect people who were not born in hospitals, particularly older, poorer people. 2) Where is it? The state you were born in, and probably* the county. If you’re now in a different state, the procedure for getting it sent to you could be tricky. 3) How do you get a copy? For Texas, that used to be up to the county where you were born, with all the variability that implies (Harris Co: 4 million. Loving Co: 100.) Now that’s “state records office”… with a catch. For any of you here, it’s marvelously simple and not that spendy. If you don’t have a credit/debit card and/or don’t use the internet… that’ll be $80 and “up to” an 8 week wait. No idea about any other state. So what if you don’t have/can’t get a copy of your birth certificate? Every state is different, but they all accept some defined set of alternative documentation: school records, military records, medical records, attestation from the doctor/midwife that delivered you… all things that someone who is having a hard time laying hands on their birth certificate is sure to have to hand.
  - kwyjibo1230 4y ago
    Thanks for this. It makes clear the series of cyclical complications that follows "I don't have an ID and need one, but I don't have a smartphone or credit card" 1) Don't have an ID, just provide your birth certificate. Oh wait... that wasn't issued to me 2) Well I can try to order my birth certificate mailed to me. Oh wait... I don't have easy internet access, no smartphone or internet at my house. 3) I got online at the library, time to order my birth certificate. Oh wait... I don't have a credit card to pay. Maybe my birth county lets me mail cash (risky), or maybe they require me to show up in person, and potentially spend $100s on travel, in addition to missing work. 4) Okay, I go to apply for a credit card or open a bank account to pay. Oh wait... I need an ID. Rinse and repeat

sokoloff 4y ago

I agree on the cash point, but I’m not even convinced that ID should be required for minimal, daily participation in society. Maybe a lack of ID prevents you driving, buying alcohol, or voting, but if you accept those consequences, you shouldn’t have to provide ID to anyone.

nine_zeros 4y ago
You can't even get a bank account without an ID
- sokoloff 4y ago
  All the more reason to ensure we support cash as a means of transacting in daily life.
- brigandish 4y ago
  If we're talking daily participation, you don't (or shouldn't) need ID. For one off events like registration or entry, then ID is a fair requirement (sometimes). I don't know who is arguing for bank accounts without ID though.

ouid 4y ago

And my god, should you want a paper menu.

trylfthsk 4y ago
Thanks for reminding me of this little slice of hell. I can't help but feel it wasn't so long ago it was widely considered a bad idea to open arbitrary PDFs of questionable provenance.

greggman3 4y ago

I agree with you. It's getting harder and harder. Went to a restaurant Friday night with friends. Inside there are no menus, only QR cords and the UX is some of the worst ever (toastlab). There is also no way to pay except through the website which wants you to register an account. I don't want to be a dick to my friends but I also don't want to eat at this restaurant. The waiters said "put in fake info" and they acknowledged everyone complains about the menus. In the end my friends paid and I didn't have to bring up the issue.

lxgr 4y ago
I had a similar experience recently at one of my favorite restaurants. They do still have physical menus, but payment by default now works via scanning a QR code. This is especially frustrating, given that they only recently switched to a pretty cool POS handheld system that accepts contactless and allows tipping right at the touchscreen. But it seems pretty clear why they are doing that: Besides saving some time for the waitstaff, I only now realized that by using Apple Pay, they get at least my name and email address… I wonder if I‘ll end up getting spam by either the restaurant or the POS vendor. It also creates a completely new and entirely avoidable problem: I don‘t have strong signal in that restaurant, and they don‘t offer a wi-fi either. All in all, while the waiter probably saved 20-30 seconds (waiting for me to unlock my phone or get my card from my wallet, tap it, and select my tipping option), it took me almost 5 minutes to complete payment on my side.
- bombcar 4y ago
  I suspect we’re going to see so many of these systems mothballed quite soon. I’ve noticed badly printed out menus at some of these places already.
- lotsofpulp 4y ago
  > I only now realized that by using Apple Pay, they get at least my name and email address… I do not think the merchant gets a name or an email address. https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/715893 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/715893

balderdash 4y ago

Totally agree. Would add that it’s comical how perturbed people get when you’re buying something in person and they start asking you for your phone number/email etc. and your tell them no. You get this “does not compute” look, and a response like “well the system needs your phone number”!

dragonwriter 4y ago
Well, yeah, they aren’t going to tell you “the performance metrics on which I am evaluated are based on this, and the level of employee surveillance is intense enough that I know people who have been dismissed for making up info for customers that don’t provide it”, but...
bombcar 4y ago
Area code - 867-5309 usually gets the point across.

FpUser 4y ago

These requirements to use smartphone for everything is a cancer.

pyuser583 4y ago

I think there should be a “method of last resort” for essential services. Mail service, for example.

andirk 4y ago

The gym barcode keychain thingy worked perfect. It was indestructible! And now I have to have my phone in hand, on, bright, open app, click stupid button, line up phone. Re: gym, when I signed up I didn't have a phone at all. After being asked twice, I finally lied and said yeah it's um at home.

nwah1 4y ago
There was an app called Stocard that I used at one point. I prefer to have minimal keychain items. The problem with the app barcodes is simply that they are slow to load, nonstandard, and not open source. I think a common standard, lightweight, open source app would be perfect. Stocard is proprietary, but at least it loads quick and organizes all of the cards in a uniform way. I don't like these slow, buggy apps that bury their barcodes. The brightness problem is real, and getting the angle right can also be a challenge, although that seems like an issue with the current quality of barcode/QR readers. I assume that could be solved if anyone cared. Keychain barcodes are insecure, easy to damage, easy to lose, and provide zero real identity guarantee. Phones at least can offer the level of identity guarantee that 2FA does, and largely solves those other problems.

ls15 4y ago

> I'm forced to beg the attendant to look me up by phone number every time. Don't feel bad about asking them for access to the service that you paid for. Here are some good reasons for not installing their app: - I forgot my phone at home - My phone is broken, I stepped on it when I got out of the bed - I can't install any apps, the memory is full and I don't want to delete my family videos - I don't know my Appstore password right now - This is a work-provided phone, I cannot install any apps on it - My phone contains confidential client data, I cannot install any apps on it - I am an investigative journalist, is your app certified for high-security applications? - My kids have the phone, I didn't want to interrupt them playing games - Does your app run on Nokia? - Does your app run on Windows phones? - Is your app on f-droid, my phone only supports f-droid? - I am sensitive to radiation and cannot use any radio device - I am a minimalist and I live phone-free!

petre 4y ago
> I am a minimalist and I live phone-free! I tried that in an interview. They never called back. /s
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- badpun 4y ago
  That makes sense. Companies want a "maximalist", i.e. someone who's addicted to consumption. Such person has no other option but to continue working - their addiction demands it. Whereas a minimalist has a large degree of freedom and can often just ditch the job if it becomes too shitty.
  - hoppyhoppy2 4y ago
    I think it was just a simple joke about the inability to receive phone calls without a phone.
    - petre 4y ago