6 ms·

The intended analog is lightswitches with the text on them. https://cdn.thisiswhyimbroke.com/images/lightswitch-identifier.jpg https://cdn.thisiswhyimbroke.com

The intended analog is lightswitches with the text on them. https://cdn.thisiswhyimbroke.com/images/lightswitch-identifier.jpg https://cdn.thisiswhyimbroke.com/images/lightswitch-identifi...

ptx 3y ago
I've never seen lightswitches like those, but that's a terrible design as well, for the same reasons.
- nerdponx 3y ago
  They're ubiquitous in America, but approximately nobody pays attention to the text because the position is what indicates on/off, where "up" in "on".
  - HPsquared 3y ago
    Huh, I'd always considered that toggle switches are "down is on". (UK resident). That way it's the same as a standard rocker switch (the direction of rotation is the same).
    - ummonk 3y ago
      I’d expect a rocker switch in America to also be the same as our light switches - pressed at the top for on, pressed at the bottom for off.
      - nerdponx 3y ago
        That's generally a rocker switches work on devices in America, e.g. guitar amps: the side that is pressed is "on" or selected/enabled. Last time I was in Europe (Portugal), I remember having a lot of difficulty making sense of the light switches, but it was one of those apartments where you have two or three light switches controlling the same fixture, which is always confusing. Still, I think the American light switches are actually pretty good. Maybe one day we will get a Technology Connections video about light switches around the world.
      - DrSAR 3y ago
        Until you encounter a switch that's part of a three-way switch arrangement where up can be on or off depending on the position of the other switch in the circuit.
        Izkata 3y ago
        I've lived with these my whole life, in every place I've lived, plus with one or two switches that were sideways, so the first time I'd ever heard "up is on" was in a comment thread like this a few months ago. I didn't think there was any sort of standard, it's just always been "flip the switch if it's not currently what you want". This is in the US.
        nerdponx 3y ago
        It's still "on" in the sense of the circuit being closed.
      - NoPedantsThanks 3y ago
        [dead]
    - nerdponx 3y ago
      In this case I mean "down" as in "the long part is pointing toward the ground", not "some button-like thing is depressed towards the wall".
    - Spare_account 3y ago
      Agreed, in the UK: - 'angled towards the ground' is 'On' (https://cdn.aws.toolstation.com/images/141020-UK/800/10481.jpg https://cdn.aws.toolstation.com/images/141020-UK/800/10481.j...) - 'angled towards the ceiling' is 'Off' (https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/Products/size_3/MKK4870.JPG https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/Products/size_3/MKK4870....)
      - nerdponx 3y ago
        But that's completely backwards from a normal rocker switch!
    - perilunar 3y ago
      In Aus most light switches are rocker switches that are also "down = on". In aviation (and old cars) switches are usually toggle switches with "up = on". Strangely I'm ok with both. I think of rocker switches as opposite to toggle switches automatically. - https://www.google.com/search?q=rocker+switch https://www.google.com/search?q=rocker+switch - https://www.google.com/search?q=toggle+switch https://www.google.com/search?q=toggle+switch
beAbU 3y ago
With a light switch you can immediately verify that the switch is in the correct position by looking at the light you want to control. Text/labels/positions don't add anything of value. Also, it's usually safe to experiment with the toggle until you get the desired state. In software often none of this applies.

The intended analog is lightswitches with the text on them. https://cdn.thisiswhyimbroke.com/images/lightswitch-identifier.jpg https://cdn.thisiswhyimbroke.com/images/lightswitch-identifi...

ptx 3y ago

I've never seen lightswitches like those, but that's a terrible design as well, for the same reasons.

nerdponx 3y ago
They're ubiquitous in America, but approximately nobody pays attention to the text because the position is what indicates on/off, where "up" in "on".
- HPsquared 3y ago
  Huh, I'd always considered that toggle switches are "down is on". (UK resident). That way it's the same as a standard rocker switch (the direction of rotation is the same).
  - ummonk 3y ago
    I’d expect a rocker switch in America to also be the same as our light switches - pressed at the top for on, pressed at the bottom for off.
    - nerdponx 3y ago
      That's generally a rocker switches work on devices in America, e.g. guitar amps: the side that is pressed is "on" or selected/enabled. Last time I was in Europe (Portugal), I remember having a lot of difficulty making sense of the light switches, but it was one of those apartments where you have two or three light switches controlling the same fixture, which is always confusing. Still, I think the American light switches are actually pretty good. Maybe one day we will get a Technology Connections video about light switches around the world.
    - DrSAR 3y ago
      Until you encounter a switch that's part of a three-way switch arrangement where up can be on or off depending on the position of the other switch in the circuit.
      - Izkata 3y ago
        I've lived with these my whole life, in every place I've lived, plus with one or two switches that were sideways, so the first time I'd ever heard "up is on" was in a comment thread like this a few months ago. I didn't think there was any sort of standard, it's just always been "flip the switch if it's not currently what you want". This is in the US.
      - nerdponx 3y ago
        It's still "on" in the sense of the circuit being closed.
    - NoPedantsThanks 3y ago
      [dead]
  - nerdponx 3y ago
    In this case I mean "down" as in "the long part is pointing toward the ground", not "some button-like thing is depressed towards the wall".
  - Spare_account 3y ago
    Agreed, in the UK: - 'angled towards the ground' is 'On' (https://cdn.aws.toolstation.com/images/141020-UK/800/10481.jpg https://cdn.aws.toolstation.com/images/141020-UK/800/10481.j...) - 'angled towards the ceiling' is 'Off' (https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/Products/size_3/MKK4870.JPG https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/Products/size_3/MKK4870....)
    - nerdponx 3y ago
      But that's completely backwards from a normal rocker switch!
  - perilunar 3y ago
    In Aus most light switches are rocker switches that are also "down = on". In aviation (and old cars) switches are usually toggle switches with "up = on". Strangely I'm ok with both. I think of rocker switches as opposite to toggle switches automatically. - https://www.google.com/search?q=rocker+switch https://www.google.com/search?q=rocker+switch - https://www.google.com/search?q=toggle+switch https://www.google.com/search?q=toggle+switch

beAbU 3y ago

With a light switch you can immediately verify that the switch is in the correct position by looking at the light you want to control. Text/labels/positions don't add anything of value. Also, it's usually safe to experiment with the toggle until you get the desired state. In software often none of this applies.