h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I care.

We've got quite a few down here over the years

Owners of websites that constantly tinker with them for the sake of tinkering with them.

Case in point - BBC iPlayer. Used to be a brilliant product, intuitive, easy to navigate and filled with content. So of course they've fiddled with it. The latest incarnation looks like something a particularly dim schoolkid came up with.

Note to the people who run these things - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

That note applies to everything really. I weep for the intelligent, reasonable people who pay attention to it, surrounded by the countless more who don't.

My mother has an enormous persecution complex. She gets upset by everyone and everything, all the time, as though they are personally attacking her, even though 99 times out of 100 she's completely wrong in her assumptions. And then when I try to point this out to her and suggest that she try a little harder not to take everything personally, she acts like I'm the bad guy, who's attacking her for no reason.

It's like dealing with an overgrown spoiled brat. But as the son I'm not allowed to say that, because if I do then I'm "disrespecting my elders" or some crap like that, and she'll just dismiss me out of hand.

>>BBC iPlayer. Used to be a brilliant product, intuitive, easy to navigate and filled with content. So of course they've fiddled with it. <<
Agree: they have tried to make it "look pleasing to the eye" - so the boss can take a quick look at it and say wow that looks impressive, but for those who have to use it, it is functionally rubbish.

I have stopped watching Britain's got talent when it gets into the voting rounds - because they have over active camera work: the camera whizzes in and out of the performance from above far away then close up then it will whizz to the left then to the right - by which time I am heaving up as I get travel sick.

I also agree that tinkering and worse occurs everywhere. Michael Gove Education Minister is forcing change for changes sake to show he is an active minister who can pass legislation through parliament.

PH today: me. I have an exam so of course I'm winging it, as I have done all my life. I'll probably pass, but if I'd only get into gear earlier I'd do really well.

I can't imagine I'm going to change, I've always done this, and always regretted it.

Sho, I'm with you on exams. No matter what plans I make to do things differently this time, revise more, etc., I never do it and end up in a panic on exam day. That's why I picked OU courses that don't have exams.

Motion activated sinks and paper towel dispensers. They don't work. Ergo, they're not worth it. Why do people keep making these?

Presumably for reasons of hygiene. I think they're fine. You don't have to touch anything and it's not that often that they don't work. Sometimes finding the spot to activate them can be tricky, but once you're there, they're fine.

But hot-air hand dryers (sensor-operated or not) are the work of the devil and are a waste of time and electricity. They don't dry your hands, and they make far too much noise.

Hygiene nothing. Any benefit they provide (if indeed they provide benefit at all) is marginal at best.

It's not. Worth. The trouble.



Hand dryers are just a matter of preference though. Personally I like them better than paper towels, but I don't think that's a big deal.

(As long as they're not motion activated as well. A curse on all motion activated controls! May they all burn in the fires of Hell!!)

related to that - being in a public loo but wearing something with short sleeves so I have to find another way of opening the door to leave.

oh and as for exams (it was yesterday and was a disaster) for my course there is hardly any picking and choosing (out of 360 credits, 240 are compulsory modules) and 3 of them have exams. but only one more to go, then two without exams

Well you could use your hand. Thanks to countless millions of years of evolution and the vast medical infrastructure of our civilization, you'll probably be okay.

Take a bit of loo paper out of the loo when you go. Provided, of course, that there is some in there.

Stuff it down your bra till needed.

Voilà!

Ph: wearing in new shoes... there comes a point generally about three days after buying said shoes and wearing them short distance where you have to go a bit further and come away with blisters the size of moon craters

Wet door handles on the inside of toilets.

PP.

hence I loathe touching them.

(sorry, went too early)

I am at the idea of stuffing toilet paper down my bra - people might thing it's ALL toilet paper in there

Maybe someone who understands the technology will correct me on this, but shouldn't movement activated dryers be adjustable by the owner? I have the vague notion that there is some some sort of far/near adjuster inside to compensate for the sighting of the machine, for example near a door.

Or maybe I made that up.

Either way, if fitted it appears that nobody ever adjusts this, so the default setting of 'only activates if hand is pushed inside the nozzle' seems to be used universally.

Got these abominations at work. onn/off/on/off/on/on/off/off/on/off/off/off/off/on/on.... dries hands on toilet paper