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What's Some Tech That Was Better Than It Is Now? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

295 comments fedilink hide all child comments

When you connect a new device to a 'smart' tv, you must pay homage to the manufacturer with a ritualistic dance. Plugging and unplugging the device. Turning them on and off in the correct sequence like entering a konami code.

Every time you want to switch devices, the tv must scan for them. And god forbid you lose power, or unplug something. You are granted the delight experience of doing it all over again.

I have fond memories of the days of just plugging something in, and pressing the input button. Instant gratification. It was a simpler time.

What is some other tech that used to be better?

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 4 months ago (2 children)

So much. So, so, SO much.

Websites in general. More bloat, more CPU usage, worse design, less content. This is even worse for shopping sites, USAians probably only know Amazon, but people from other countries definitely know a big local name that used to have a much better site years ago compared to today.

Smart TVs are the worst. You're better off buying a shitty china android tv box than a smart tv, both will suck up and sell all your data, but at least the latter can be kept off when you don't need the "smart" part.

Smartphones. Not only the whole "LETS COPY APPLE" on hardware and software design, but also on how fast it's doing a lot of the stupidity that followed PCs: phones keep getting more powerful, programs keep getting slower and more resource intensive because ~~fuck you~~ "new features"

Ad tech. Yes, I'd glady go back to shitty popups over clickjacking, infinite redirects that don't show up on the "back" button, annoying anti-adblocks, 70% of pages being advertising and fingerprinting bloat, javascript/css having control to FUCKING HIDE AND DISABLE MY SCROLL BAR

Tinder. It was good 10 years ago, enshittification accelerated aroudn 2017. Free accounts have had a hard time getting any matches as far back as 2019, as I recall from experience. Nothing like having received "41" likes, going through 300 profiles with "nope" and not losing a single match.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

but people from other countries definitely know a big local name that used to have a much better site years ago compared to today.

No, that one was always slow. While the other has an atrocious product search.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

javascript/css having control to FUCKING HIDE AND DISABLE MY SCROLL BAR

That sounds like something you could definitely turn off in browser settings. It never happens in Tor Browser, which is just souped up Firefox.

Also:

~~Tinder~~ Every widely-used dating app.

They're all trying to be Tinder, because it's good business. It turns out, making an app for someone to delete is exactly as commercially self-defeating as it sounds.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Other dating apps weren't good back then, that's why I singled out Tinder. I remember that, before tinder, every app/site was all about charging premium subscription to read and send messages

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Honestly I'd prefer long-form profiles and pay-by-message over a slot machine filled with faces. I guess we just like different things.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Considering both cases must have >50% fake or inactive profiles, it's wasted money either way