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A major con for me is that I don’t want to get my phone out. If I use my phone to read the menu I’m also seeing notifications, they may distract me even if only

A major con for me is that I don’t want to get my phone out. If I use my phone to read the menu I’m also seeing notifications, they may distract me even if only by making me think about them. I’d rather just not check my phone for the duration of the meal. Also I have friends and relatives who have never owned a smartphone, some who would be essentially unable to do so. That said, another benefit is more scope for accessibility. I would bet that most restaurant sites are terrible for accessibility, but implementing screen reader or large font support would apply everywhere, whereas I’d also bet that most restaurant never have braille or large print menus.

scarface_74 3y ago
> If I use my phone to read the menu I’m also seeing notifications You can turn on do not disturb until you leave the current location on iOS. I do that a lot. You have all of the tools you need. It's like someone complaining that the sun is too bright when they have their cap turned backwards and their shades on top of their head.
- vdqtp3 3y ago
  > It's like someone complaining that the sun is to bright when they have their cap turned backwards and their shades on top of their head. It's more like you're saying that it shouldn't be a problem to require someone to stare directly into the sun because they should have brought eclipse glasses and be fine with using them
  - scarface_74 3y ago
    If that were the case, 95% of the US population would be going blind. It amazes me how many people are railing against technology while posting on HN...
    - zabzonk 3y ago
      It amazes me that you cannot seem to realise that many people have problems with the inappropriate uses of technologies.
      - scarface_74 3y ago
        And they are free to make choices and accept the inconveniences that come with those choices. I’m sure people complained about those horseless carriages years after cars became mainstream
        zabzonk 3y ago
        why do you think that so many people here are proposing that the choices you suggest are toxic? because they are stupid?
        scarface_74 3y ago
        Well, if you stay in the HN bubble you would think that in normal life, people are complaining that they can't run Linux on AirPods.... But in the real world, smart phone penetration is 95%, including 94$ of the homeless (I posted a citation earlier) > why do you think that so many people here are proposing that the choices you suggest are toxic? People also think that alcohol sales shouldn't happen on Sunday, and all other crazy stuff. I'm simply suggesting that if your choices are out of the society's norms, it's not society's responsibility to make affordances for you.
        zabzonk 3y ago
        somethings that you don't seem to understand: - this is not entirely about the homeless - this is not entirely about the elderly it is about companies using technology badly - something you either support or can't recognise.
        scarface_74 3y ago
        If we made a law forbidding companies from using software badly, every single SaaS business would disappear. > it is about companies using technology badly - something you either support or can't recognise. Would you believe that my wife and I refuse to use American Airlines partially because the app and the website is so bad? I stay away from a lot of services, software and hardware because of a bad user experiences.
- danpalmer 3y ago
  We have the tools, but QR code menus override the most basic tool – keeping my phone in my pocket. When I have to take my phone out and haven't pre-planned by switching to DND, I'm likely to see notifications. It's like complaining that the sun is too bright after deciding to stay indoors and consequently not bringing a hat, but then being forced to go outside.
  - scarface_74 3y ago
    Once again it seems like you want me to inconvenience myself because you don't want to make the effort. > It's like complaining that the sun is too bright after deciding to stay indoors and consequently not bringing a hat, but then being forced to go outside. You really didn't know that in 2023 you might have to use a QR code to see a menu? That's like going to Seattle and being surprised that it started raining.
    - danpalmer 3y ago
      I'm not from Seattle or the US so don't know that stereotype. In the same way, I don't expect restaurants to use QR codes for menus because it's fairly rare in my experience, so no I would not plan for it. I prefer it when venues like restaurants design for all and don't expect knowledge of local customs. > Once again it seems like you want me to inconvenience myself because you don't want to make the effort. This is not the conclusion most would draw from this. If anything it seems fairly well understood that QR menus are mostly beneficial for restaurants not diners.
      - scarface_74 3y ago
        If I open Scarface's Pork, Beef and Spirits should I be forced to design my restaurant for people who have a religious conviction against eating beef and pork?
the_snooze 3y ago
>If I use my phone to read the menu I’m also seeing notifications, they may distract me even if only by making me think about them. This is my concern as well. When someone is at a table with people, put the damn phone away and actually be present for those around you. QR code menus make "phones out" the default state of a table. So of course people will get distracted and split their attention between notifications and those around them.

scarface_74 3y ago

> If I use my phone to read the menu I’m also seeing notifications You can turn on do not disturb until you leave the current location on iOS. I do that a lot. You have all of the tools you need. It's like someone complaining that the sun is too bright when they have their cap turned backwards and their shades on top of their head.

vdqtp3 3y ago
> It's like someone complaining that the sun is to bright when they have their cap turned backwards and their shades on top of their head. It's more like you're saying that it shouldn't be a problem to require someone to stare directly into the sun because they should have brought eclipse glasses and be fine with using them
- scarface_74 3y ago
  If that were the case, 95% of the US population would be going blind. It amazes me how many people are railing against technology while posting on HN...
  - zabzonk 3y ago
    It amazes me that you cannot seem to realise that many people have problems with the inappropriate uses of technologies.
    - scarface_74 3y ago
      And they are free to make choices and accept the inconveniences that come with those choices. I’m sure people complained about those horseless carriages years after cars became mainstream
      - zabzonk 3y ago
        why do you think that so many people here are proposing that the choices you suggest are toxic? because they are stupid?
        scarface_74 3y ago
        Well, if you stay in the HN bubble you would think that in normal life, people are complaining that they can't run Linux on AirPods.... But in the real world, smart phone penetration is 95%, including 94$ of the homeless (I posted a citation earlier) > why do you think that so many people here are proposing that the choices you suggest are toxic? People also think that alcohol sales shouldn't happen on Sunday, and all other crazy stuff. I'm simply suggesting that if your choices are out of the society's norms, it's not society's responsibility to make affordances for you.
        zabzonk 3y ago
        somethings that you don't seem to understand: - this is not entirely about the homeless - this is not entirely about the elderly it is about companies using technology badly - something you either support or can't recognise.
        scarface_74 3y ago
        If we made a law forbidding companies from using software badly, every single SaaS business would disappear. > it is about companies using technology badly - something you either support or can't recognise. Would you believe that my wife and I refuse to use American Airlines partially because the app and the website is so bad? I stay away from a lot of services, software and hardware because of a bad user experiences.
danpalmer 3y ago
We have the tools, but QR code menus override the most basic tool – keeping my phone in my pocket. When I have to take my phone out and haven't pre-planned by switching to DND, I'm likely to see notifications. It's like complaining that the sun is too bright after deciding to stay indoors and consequently not bringing a hat, but then being forced to go outside.
- scarface_74 3y ago
  Once again it seems like you want me to inconvenience myself because you don't want to make the effort. > It's like complaining that the sun is too bright after deciding to stay indoors and consequently not bringing a hat, but then being forced to go outside. You really didn't know that in 2023 you might have to use a QR code to see a menu? That's like going to Seattle and being surprised that it started raining.
  - danpalmer 3y ago
    I'm not from Seattle or the US so don't know that stereotype. In the same way, I don't expect restaurants to use QR codes for menus because it's fairly rare in my experience, so no I would not plan for it. I prefer it when venues like restaurants design for all and don't expect knowledge of local customs. > Once again it seems like you want me to inconvenience myself because you don't want to make the effort. This is not the conclusion most would draw from this. If anything it seems fairly well understood that QR menus are mostly beneficial for restaurants not diners.
    - scarface_74 3y ago
      If I open Scarface's Pork, Beef and Spirits should I be forced to design my restaurant for people who have a religious conviction against eating beef and pork?

the_snooze 3y ago

>If I use my phone to read the menu I’m also seeing notifications, they may distract me even if only by making me think about them. This is my concern as well. When someone is at a table with people, put the damn phone away and actually be present for those around you. QR code menus make "phones out" the default state of a table. So of course people will get distracted and split their attention between notifications and those around them.