Your pet peeve, technical or otherwise.

[rfclown]

I recently had the misfortune of having to use a phone menu, when I noticed a new "feature" that I found particularly obnoxious. When you would say a response (or key it in), there was a pause during which the system would play a typing sound for a few seconds- you know, clickety-click-click... the sound you hear when someone is typing on a keyboard.

Apparently the sacks of pigshit that decided to go this route believe that humans would be more comfortable hearing those sounds to simulate a human-to-human interaction, or worse, would think that their was actually a human typing their responses.

I experienced that same thing recently, and I had a very similar reaction. It was almost offensive in the sense that I could not believe they would think I was stupid enough to believe that's a real person typing. I swear if I sat down to engineer an automated phone system with the goal being to be as aggravating to the user as possible I would be hard pressed to do a better job. It really baffles me that companies think these systems are a good idea, the worse they get the more likely I am to just keep mashing zero until I get connected to a human.

My family moved to the south (US, Alabama) and I was being shown how to use a cash register (summer job).  I was told to "mash" the button. I looked at my trainer in bewilderment. "Mash" a button? When I "mash" something, like potatoes, it becomes a pulverized mess. I was raised to "push" buttons, not "mash" them. Not a pet peeve, but reminded me of linguistic differences. In Alabama, they also wore toboggans on their heads. Where I was raised, we rode toboggans down a snowy hill. Also, the generic term for a soft drink was "Coke". I've lived in several other US states and had used "pop", "soft drink" or "soda". But in Alabama, when a waitress asked someone what they wanted to drink, a person might respond with "A Coke". To which the waitress would ask, "What kind?", and the person might respond with "A Pepsi"

[themadhippy]

Also, the generic term for a soft drink was "Coke". I've lived in several other US states and had used "pop", "soft drink" or "soda". But in Alabama, when a waitress asked someone what they wanted to drink, a person might respond with "A Coke". To which the waitress would ask, "What kind?", and the person might respond with "A Pepsi"

similar confusion can happen in parts of Scotland were ginger  means fizzy drink.

[Sal Ammoniac]

One pet peeve that I'm experiencing more frequently recently is the claim by some that vinyl LPs are better than CDs. Now sure, "better" is a relative term, but many of these people claim that LPs are better in a technical sense than CDs, which is patently false. In every objective, measurable way CDs are better: SNR, channel separation, frequency response, etc.

I can completely understand some people liking the sound of LPs better, but that's due to the inherent limitations and distortions of the format that they've grown used to over time rather than any technical superiority. I can also understand liking LPs for other reasons like nostalgia, album art, liner notes, and the tactile feeling of putting a record on a turntable, but wish they'd stop making claims they can't back up with test results.

[themadhippy]

LPs are better in a technical sense than CDs,

Whats the sampling rate of a cd compared to that of an LP recorded purely analogue?

[Sal Ammoniac]

LPs are better in a technical sense than CDs,

Whats the sampling rate of a cd compared to that of an LP recorded purely analogue?

The CD standard is 16-bit sampling at 44.1 kHz. Music destined for CD is often recorded at higher sampling rates and bit depths to allow for more headroom in the mastering process, but all discs use the 44.1/16 standard.

[SeanB]

Your LP will be mastered from that exact same 44.1kHz original data stream.

As to IVR menus, the one thing you do not say when with retention or complaints is the lawyer word, as often then they will become stuck in a loop of you needing to talk to legal via your lawyer, here is the number for legal, and hanging up.

[TimFox]

Traditional analog LPs were recorded through a continuous process (no discrete sampling or digitization), with defined band limits from the magnetic tape system.  There was a short-lived vogue for issuing LPs that went directly to the disc cutter (no tape, no editing), which was a throwback to the very early days of gramophones.

[Nominal Animal]

That reminds me of one of my pet peeves, loudness war.

When the masters are converted to distribution, be it CDs or digital files, instead of using the full dynamic range, they let the data clip just so that the content sounds louder compared to others on the same media.  This is particularly noticeable in radio, and when playing random files (on shuffle); not on any single album.

It is possible, I guess, that certain bands release their vinyl records with more sensible dynamic range use (less clipping of the signal), compared to their CDs and digital files.
So, once again, it all boils down to us humans doing silly choices in the production chain; not to any real technical limitations or requirements.

[johnboxall]

Drivers who are not fully engaged in driving.

Stop driving and using your phone at the same time. I've just driven 4000-odd km in the last two weeks, and watching people veer all over the road is becoming all too common. The white double lines in the centre of the road will not protect you when you veer into the opposite lane with an approaching b-double.

We had another halfwit doing ~75 in the 100 zone in the right-hand lane of the Warrego Highway yesterday. I pulled to the left to see what was going on - driver was reading some papers. Then an empty beef bus roared up and let him have it. Must have shocked him a beauty, he swerved in front of me then hit the accelerator. Time to get a dash cam.

[Ranayna]

Ugh, drivers with their phones in the hand...
Sometimes i wish mobile phones simply would turn off at a certain speed. Convenience for the passengers be damned, but distracted drivers are getting worse and worse.

[james_s]

Ugh, drivers with their phones in the hand...
Sometimes i wish mobile phones simply would turn off at a certain speed. Convenience for the passengers be damned, but distracted drivers are getting worse and worse.

When I was riding the bus to the office prior to the pandemic I would see that EVERY DAY, multiple drivers. Most of them set it in their lap where they think nobody can see them playing with it. If it were up to me I'd make distracted driving a criminal offense, a felony if it results in any kind of accident, even a minor one. Maybe substantial fines, $5k for the first offense and the amount doubling for each additional offense would get people to think twice. It's as dangerous as driving drunk and yet people do it all the time.

[Sal Ammoniac]

It is possible, I guess, that certain bands release their vinyl records with more sensible dynamic range use (less clipping of the signal), compared to their CDs and digital files.
So, once again, it all boils down to us humans doing silly choices in the production chain; not to any real technical limitations or requirements.

One of the reasons people may prefer vinyl LPs over CDs for certain releases is because it's just not possible to push LPs as far as CDs with respect to loudness. Doing so would make the LP unplayable. This is not a limitation of the CD format, however, but a limitation of short-sighted record producers.

[PlainName]

Fuckwitted webapp developers developing phone apps   

HMRC app is a great example:

1. Sign in by laboriously typing your user ID of 12 random characters.
2. Ditto your password which you can't remember but fortunately have a note of same in Keepass on the PC.
3. "We will now send you a verification code via SMS to your phone"

Yes, the very phone they bloody well know I am trying to log in with. Naturally, switching to the text app aborts the login so after having memorised the code I have to go through it all again. Complete with sending a code again. Rinse, repeat, scream.

[Ed.Kloonk]

Fuckwitted webapp developers developing phone apps   

HMRC app is a great example:

1. Sign in by laboriously typing your user ID of 12 random characters.
2. Ditto your password which you can't remember but fortunately have a note of same in Keepass on the PC.
3. "We will now send you a verification code via SMS to your phone"

Yes, the very phone they bloody well know I am trying to log in with. Naturally, switching to the text app aborts the login so after having memorised the code I have to go through it all again. Complete with sending a code again. Rinse, repeat, scream.

..And the app needs to access your photos, contact list, GPS..

[PlainName]

It's a government app - they already know more than they really need to about me. And if they didn't, they did after my missus filled in the census form they sent her along with a £10 Amazon gift token bribe.

[Monkeh]

It's a government app - they already know more than they really need to about me. And if they didn't, they did after my missus filled in the census form they sent her along with a £10 Amazon gift token bribe.

They paid you to fill in the legally required census?

How do I get in on this?

[PlainName]

It's a thing from, I think, ONS. Since it's not, as you put it, legally required they need some incentive to get people to do it.

[Monkeh]

It's a thing from, I think, ONS. Since it's not, as you put it, legally required they need some incentive to get people to do it.

Oh, so not the census census. Shame. There I was thinking I could get them to pay me for my time instead of me paying them 20 times what theirs is worth.

[james_s]

Reminds me of another pet peeve, calling desktop software "apps". Microsoft did this starting with Win8 and continued right on into Win10 and it really makes me cringe. I don't even know why it bothers me so much but it drives me nuts. In my mind an "app" is a stripped down single function "mini-program" for a mobile device. It would even be reasonable to call something like Calculator or Notepad an "app" on a PC, but calling a full fledged desktop program like Office, Photoshop, CAD, etc "apps" is just stupid. It feels like some old guy trying to talk hip and cool and fit in with a bunch of teenagers.

[SilverSolder]

Reminds me of another pet peeve, calling desktop software "apps". Microsoft did this starting with Win8 and continued right on into Win10 and it really makes me cringe. I don't even know why it bothers me so much but it drives me nuts. In my mind an "app" is a stripped down single function "mini-program" for a mobile device. It would even be reasonable to call something like Calculator or Notepad an "app" on a PC, but calling a full fledged desktop program like Office, Photoshop, CAD, etc "apps" is just stupid. It feels like some old guy trying to talk hip and cool and fit in with a bunch of teenagers.

Exactly, and the old guy is too dumb to realize that he is the one that should be making the teenagers feel it is hip and cool to call them "applications", not the other way round!

[eti]

People saying MOSFET and a transistor. What do they think the T stands for? grumble grumble

I hear a lot of people saying that, they think BJTs are transistors and FETs something else. 

The “T” of the acronym “MOSFET” stands for “Transistor”, so they’re also right.

[DrG]

People saying MOSFET and a transistor. What do they think the T stands for? grumble grumble

I hear a lot of people saying that, they think BJTs are transistors and FETs something else. 

There are a bunch of these acronym redundancies that have become commonplace in language, presumably because they are more comfortable to speak. Personally, I think that it is difficult for people to maintain awareness of the acronym meaning after it has become commonplace in the language. They are treated like names of things that require identification of the thing, even though the acronym includes that identification (maybe I could say that better ).

"Is there an ATM machine here?" (ATM=automated teller machine).
"What is the VIN number on your Audi?" (VIN=vehicle identification number).
"When did you buy a new NIC card?" (NIC=Network Interface Card [but arguably network interface controller, so maybe a pass on this one]).
"Did you bring your CAC card?" (CAC=common access card).

[IDEngineer]

Related:

"Orientated"
"Preventative"
"Irregardless"

...and many others.

[Nominal Animal]

"Orientated"
"Preventative"
"Irregardless"

[MrMobodies]

Dark overlays/animations and dimming on dialogues and pretty much creeping to everything, newish android phone, I am trying to put a wireless and moved the notes in the background around the dialogue to see it as the key on the side but the background was so dark I couldn't see it. I couldn't find any way to turn that whatever it is off. To me I think it is very stupid and it hurts my eyes when excessive. Whether it was done for a decoration (maybe whoever done it thought it looked good) or if it was "help" users "focus" because 'somehow all the information in the background might confuse them with the dialogue in front.

A setting to leave the background alone, mostly like the previous android 5 or so (there were a few but not that dark) isn't that much to ask for?