I have refused to make any doctor appointments using their websites or the phone. The on-line sites cause me hypertension. Menus, menus, buttons, buttons. The bingo phone calls, if they ever answer within a reasonable time, go to really unhelpful people. I now drive and visit the office to make the appointment. Sadly I expect soon that the office will be an AI kiosk.
That is EXACTLY why I have a 7 generation out of date “smart” phone. It NEVER gets updated. It ONLY does what I want it to do — make and receive phone calls and carry my to-do list/shopping list with me at all times. That shopping list app is the sole item that keeps the promise — “computers: making your life faster, easier and paperless.”
I recently had a virus hunter sneak in like a virus. It was the free version & wanted to sell me its upgrade. Always use custom install for programs to avoid creepy bundling.
About 6 months ago, my email stopped working. My archive files were still there and I could open and read everything, but nothing was being received or sent. And I got a confusing error message that [like most error messages] told me absolutely nothing. I assumed I had a virus or had been spoofed [someone else was reading all my ads and solicitations], so I contacted a computer debugger who checked my system. He took the error message I had received and did the on-line query and discovered that over 65,000 people had already posted about the same problem. Of course, none of them had a solution — why should they? They aren’t coders or computer experts. They don’t have access to the code. They are just people who purchased a computer expecting it to work.
His solution was to change the browser I was using for my email, which had been Safari — Mac’s very own special browser! So, my email is now, ironically, on Google Chrome. And so far it is working well.
I have long resented being an unpaid, unappreciated ‘beta’ tester for computers and phones. The whole gimmick of updating software without adequate expert testing is disgusting. Would you intentionally drive a car that went from the drawing board to the showroom floor without all its capabilities being carefully tested? Look what happens in the air industry if adequate testing and maintenance isn’t being done. One dropped wheel or missing door and the whole industry is under scrutiny to see what went wrong and whom to blame [and possibly how to fix it]. Why should a computer or phone purchaser be the one left to find the flaws? And, just as important, why isn’t the company doing the “updates” responsible for providing ’"fix-it" assistance when those updates overwrite or otherwise screw-up existing systems?
Every time my computer updates, less and less programs work the way they’re supposed to. Just lost another one the other day. Will need to reload it and install the backed up data.
True!!! Windows 10 updates wiped out two hard drives in my laptop and caused me to switch back to Windows 7 which works perfectly with no demands by the system for updates.
I was a software developer for almost 50 years and the byword for everything I developed was compatibility with the earlier versions. These days the developers have to put their own brand on things, it’s change for the sake of change. The changes are seldom better, just different. Anyone gets used to away of using an app and then some narcissistic developer has a “better” way and changes things disturbing the entire set of users of any age.
There’s also a tendency towards forced obsolescence. The cloud server changes requiring a new app and the new app uses facilities only available on newer phones. Get a new phone or forget about using any older apps.
This isn’t necessary but the tech industry sees it as “progress”. I saw the whole thing beginning before I retired.
America in the past, even with the problems it had (systemic racism wasn’t one of them, by the way) and with its usual wars. political governmental corruption AND media (evil communications), was still better off as we had decent morals and livable economy without computers and the WWSW (World Wide Satanic Web).
I generally don’t update my programs. It took poor husband a week and a half to come up with a color scheme I could deal with after the last update (a year or so ago) to my browser which did not annoy me or make me ill when I looked at it.
As posted elsewhere I am still running some software – in particular Lotus Organizer – which will not run past Win XP. Husband has put a virtual XP machine in my Win 7 desktop and my Win 10 laptop. (I am on the laptop when I come online.) Only reason I updated to a new laptop is that the software I use and is new each year for tax prep for clients would no longer run on Win 7. I still have 2 older laptops I use on and off for games and such which I like – such as a version of Monopoly in DOS.
I first used computers back in high school in the early 1970s when I learned to program main frame computers, same continued in college – husband would copy my homework, but now he has to deal with the computers for me other than using and loading software into them.
Homerville Premium Member 5 months ago
For sure !
'IndyMan' 5 months ago
Between the phone updating and my computer updating, I can’t keep track of what day it is let alone how to work the ‘bloomin’ things ! ! ! !
jmworacle 5 months ago
In some cases it is a very short putt….
Zykoic 5 months ago
Those updates make on-line help site obsolete.
Sites rarely used are perplexing as they change the menus every six months.
I think it is related to personnel turn over as each new software codercreates his “way it should be done”.
Zykoic 5 months ago
I have refused to make any doctor appointments using their websites or the phone. The on-line sites cause me hypertension. Menus, menus, buttons, buttons. The bingo phone calls, if they ever answer within a reasonable time, go to really unhelpful people. I now drive and visit the office to make the appointment. Sadly I expect soon that the office will be an AI kiosk.
juicebruce 5 months ago
The Waiting Is The Hardest Part …
pathfinder 5 months ago
That is EXACTLY why I have a 7 generation out of date “smart” phone. It NEVER gets updated. It ONLY does what I want it to do — make and receive phone calls and carry my to-do list/shopping list with me at all times. That shopping list app is the sole item that keeps the promise — “computers: making your life faster, easier and paperless.”
Gent 5 months ago
Not to mentions phone getting slower and slower with each update. Hmmm….
kaycstamper 5 months ago
Esp. Windows 11…
chris_o42 5 months ago
I never update anything if I can help it. They keep wanting to “fix” it when it ain’t “broke”.
medagliadoro Premium Member 5 months ago
This now applies to new cars—and it is not even optional. You wake up in the morning to go to work and all your settings have gone kaflooie.
david_42 5 months ago
I’m glad the EU is mandating that critical controls must be physical levers or buttons. The infotainment system can do the polka for all I care.
PraiseofFolly 5 months ago
Oh, Geez! What weird option listing is on today’s Menu? Waiter!
ChukLitl Premium Member 5 months ago
I recently had a virus hunter sneak in like a virus. It was the free version & wanted to sell me its upgrade. Always use custom install for programs to avoid creepy bundling.
GreenT267 5 months ago
About 6 months ago, my email stopped working. My archive files were still there and I could open and read everything, but nothing was being received or sent. And I got a confusing error message that [like most error messages] told me absolutely nothing. I assumed I had a virus or had been spoofed [someone else was reading all my ads and solicitations], so I contacted a computer debugger who checked my system. He took the error message I had received and did the on-line query and discovered that over 65,000 people had already posted about the same problem. Of course, none of them had a solution — why should they? They aren’t coders or computer experts. They don’t have access to the code. They are just people who purchased a computer expecting it to work.
His solution was to change the browser I was using for my email, which had been Safari — Mac’s very own special browser! So, my email is now, ironically, on Google Chrome. And so far it is working well.
I have long resented being an unpaid, unappreciated ‘beta’ tester for computers and phones. The whole gimmick of updating software without adequate expert testing is disgusting. Would you intentionally drive a car that went from the drawing board to the showroom floor without all its capabilities being carefully tested? Look what happens in the air industry if adequate testing and maintenance isn’t being done. One dropped wheel or missing door and the whole industry is under scrutiny to see what went wrong and whom to blame [and possibly how to fix it]. Why should a computer or phone purchaser be the one left to find the flaws? And, just as important, why isn’t the company doing the “updates” responsible for providing ’"fix-it" assistance when those updates overwrite or otherwise screw-up existing systems?
ctolson 5 months ago
Every time my computer updates, less and less programs work the way they’re supposed to. Just lost another one the other day. Will need to reload it and install the backed up data.
the lost wizard 5 months ago
The biggest problem with my flip phone is that it won’t hold a charge for very long any more. Alas, I am old and keep resisting any upgrade. :)
Bill D. Kat Premium Member 5 months ago
True!!! Windows 10 updates wiped out two hard drives in my laptop and caused me to switch back to Windows 7 which works perfectly with no demands by the system for updates.
whelan_jj 5 months ago
I was a software developer for almost 50 years and the byword for everything I developed was compatibility with the earlier versions. These days the developers have to put their own brand on things, it’s change for the sake of change. The changes are seldom better, just different. Anyone gets used to away of using an app and then some narcissistic developer has a “better” way and changes things disturbing the entire set of users of any age.
There’s also a tendency towards forced obsolescence. The cloud server changes requiring a new app and the new app uses facilities only available on newer phones. Get a new phone or forget about using any older apps.
This isn’t necessary but the tech industry sees it as “progress”. I saw the whole thing beginning before I retired.
kathleenhicks62 5 months ago
“Google” drives me nuts and those “techs” that are messing with things every day need to get another job & leave this alone!
eddi-TBH 5 months ago
Interesting coincidence. My VPN updated just as I read this comic. Smooth sailing and I’m back after a short break.
sousamannd 4 months ago
America in the past, even with the problems it had (systemic racism wasn’t one of them, by the way) and with its usual wars. political governmental corruption AND media (evil communications), was still better off as we had decent morals and livable economy without computers and the WWSW (World Wide Satanic Web).
mafastore 4 months ago
I generally don’t update my programs. It took poor husband a week and a half to come up with a color scheme I could deal with after the last update (a year or so ago) to my browser which did not annoy me or make me ill when I looked at it.
As posted elsewhere I am still running some software – in particular Lotus Organizer – which will not run past Win XP. Husband has put a virtual XP machine in my Win 7 desktop and my Win 10 laptop. (I am on the laptop when I come online.) Only reason I updated to a new laptop is that the software I use and is new each year for tax prep for clients would no longer run on Win 7. I still have 2 older laptops I use on and off for games and such which I like – such as a version of Monopoly in DOS.
I first used computers back in high school in the early 1970s when I learned to program main frame computers, same continued in college – husband would copy my homework, but now he has to deal with the computers for me other than using and loading software into them.