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Being a software dev has destroyed my sanity. This is a bit off-topic I guess, but I am growing so frustrated with dark patterns on the web and in life in gene

by avgDev 3y ago

Being a software dev has destroyed my sanity. This is a bit off-topic I guess, but I am growing so frustrated with dark patterns on the web and in life in general that I really want to build a cabin somewhere in a small rural area and throw my electronics in the trash. Just pay for basic services like electric. And only talk to people who I already know. Buying a car? Full of dark patterns. Gap insurance, bs fees, bs options. Buying internet? Full of dark patterns. Bundles cheaper than just net. WiFi for extra charge. Web is just all dark patterns turned to 100. If you don't know your stuff there are people everywhere just looking to take you for a ride, and sell you garbage you don't want or need. Bleh.

mutecipher 3y ago
I'm very "happy" to see that I'm not the only person sharing this sentiment.
gnulinux 3y ago
This is exactly me, I relate with this so much in so many layers. I feel completely out of control and it feels like no matter how hard I try, no matter how diligently I plan things out, everything everywhere get worse all at the same time. If my tools were working N out out of M today, they will work N-1 out of M tomorrow and it's impossible for anything to get better. It feels like any electronics I interact with are maddening nowadays. Yesterday, me and my partner needed to set up a timer for 1 hour, I set up it through our dumb kitchen timer, and my partner was wondering why I didn't use my phone timer. Look you don't understand EVEN LOOKING AT MY PHONE is a fucking nightmare at this point because there are going to be N notifications that need my attention.
- skydhash 3y ago
  I reduced my iPhone to a modern PDA but it required a bit of effort. The only social app I use is whatsapp because telecom services are useless. I’m increasingly going back to local-first tech and self hosting services.
carapace 3y ago
You're not insane. > build a cabin somewhere in a small rural area and throw my electronics in the trash That's a reasonable response to what we're seeing today. We are effectively in a phase of history where the folks that are good at making money have abstracted most of the rest of the economy beyond the point where it harms the fundamental purpose of human activity in the first place. For example, car companies are actually finance companies that use cars as the substrate (I almost said "vehicle") for extracting more money from consumers. We are being fought by large AIs (corporations are AIs that use humans for neurons.) To a first approximation, "Tune in, turn on, and drop out." is a good response. Take a breather, re-examine your relations with the economy and technology, design a better life, and go live that.
TooKool4This 3y ago
The financialization of everything to extract incremental value is exhausting. I feel its also very detrimental to society when every positive interaction has to involve money. Go to a theme park: buy a ticket. Then have the option to buy a fast-pass otherwise you will be in line all day. But wait, that only covers certain attractions and other ones need a faster fast-pass. [1] Food delivery: pay a fee to the delivery network, separate tip for the driver. Then some places will hide a fee by raising the prices of things ordered through the delivery network vs. calling in. Then how much you tip might determine if your food arrives warm or cold. [2] And so many more examples. I've started patronizing businesses and products that don't nickel and dime at every step. I guess the easiest thing to do is vote with our wallets. [1] https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/genie/ https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/genie/ [2] https://www.businessinsider.com/doordash-tips-orders-take-longer-arrive-food-faster-slower-delivery-2023-11 https://www.businessinsider.com/doordash-tips-orders-take-lo...
totallywrong 3y ago
Same here. I have completely lost all interest in new tech, devices, trends, etc. Using anything today is an excercise of finding out all the different ways it's trying to screw you over.
- the_snooze 3y ago
  Over the past decade, my view of tech shifted from "a force for good" to "a force multiplier." Powerful jerks are going to use it to be even bigger jerks at scale and pocket the profits. The line has to go up, no matter what.
rswskg 3y ago
another examples - Amazons results for simple products are just filled with trash
hackerbeat 3y ago
I remember how this clip got like a 100M views in just two weeks: https://youtu.be/skcqFTi3s_A?si=JhrW-bATyPKt5H5c https://youtu.be/skcqFTi3s_A?si=JhrW-bATyPKt5H5c - many folks must be feeling this way.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

by avgDev 3y ago

mutecipher 3y ago

I'm very "happy" to see that I'm not the only person sharing this sentiment.

gnulinux 3y ago

This is exactly me, I relate with this so much in so many layers. I feel completely out of control and it feels like no matter how hard I try, no matter how diligently I plan things out, everything everywhere get worse all at the same time. If my tools were working N out out of M today, they will work N-1 out of M tomorrow and it's impossible for anything to get better. It feels like any electronics I interact with are maddening nowadays. Yesterday, me and my partner needed to set up a timer for 1 hour, I set up it through our dumb kitchen timer, and my partner was wondering why I didn't use my phone timer. Look you don't understand EVEN LOOKING AT MY PHONE is a fucking nightmare at this point because there are going to be N notifications that need my attention.

skydhash 3y ago
I reduced my iPhone to a modern PDA but it required a bit of effort. The only social app I use is whatsapp because telecom services are useless. I’m increasingly going back to local-first tech and self hosting services.

carapace 3y ago

You're not insane. > build a cabin somewhere in a small rural area and throw my electronics in the trash That's a reasonable response to what we're seeing today. We are effectively in a phase of history where the folks that are good at making money have abstracted most of the rest of the economy beyond the point where it harms the fundamental purpose of human activity in the first place. For example, car companies are actually finance companies that use cars as the substrate (I almost said "vehicle") for extracting more money from consumers. We are being fought by large AIs (corporations are AIs that use humans for neurons.) To a first approximation, "Tune in, turn on, and drop out." is a good response. Take a breather, re-examine your relations with the economy and technology, design a better life, and go live that.

TooKool4This 3y ago

The financialization of everything to extract incremental value is exhausting. I feel its also very detrimental to society when every positive interaction has to involve money. Go to a theme park: buy a ticket. Then have the option to buy a fast-pass otherwise you will be in line all day. But wait, that only covers certain attractions and other ones need a faster fast-pass. [1] Food delivery: pay a fee to the delivery network, separate tip for the driver. Then some places will hide a fee by raising the prices of things ordered through the delivery network vs. calling in. Then how much you tip might determine if your food arrives warm or cold. [2] And so many more examples. I've started patronizing businesses and products that don't nickel and dime at every step. I guess the easiest thing to do is vote with our wallets. [1] https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/genie/ https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/genie/ [2] https://www.businessinsider.com/doordash-tips-orders-take-longer-arrive-food-faster-slower-delivery-2023-11 https://www.businessinsider.com/doordash-tips-orders-take-lo...

totallywrong 3y ago

Same here. I have completely lost all interest in new tech, devices, trends, etc. Using anything today is an excercise of finding out all the different ways it's trying to screw you over.

the_snooze 3y ago
Over the past decade, my view of tech shifted from "a force for good" to "a force multiplier." Powerful jerks are going to use it to be even bigger jerks at scale and pocket the profits. The line has to go up, no matter what.

rswskg 3y ago

another examples - Amazons results for simple products are just filled with trash

hackerbeat 3y ago

I remember how this clip got like a 100M views in just two weeks: https://youtu.be/skcqFTi3s_A?si=JhrW-bATyPKt5H5c https://youtu.be/skcqFTi3s_A?si=JhrW-bATyPKt5H5c - many folks must be feeling this way.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]