Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[Stephen Price]

Perhaps his Ad blocking filtered out the warning messages?

On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 at 13:12 David Connors  wrote:

> On Fri, Jul 3, 2015 at 2:55 PM, Greg Keogh  wrote:
>
>> I never said I dislike Material Design, it's actually quite pleasant
>> (until something else becomes the fad and it all changes overnight). I was
>> only unhappy that it arrived without warning.
>>
>
> I can see how you missed it.
>
>
>
> [ ... ]
>
>
>> When I first got the phone I tried to get SMS working, but it was once
>> again utterly incomprehensible and it seemed to be asking me to sell my
>> soul to Google.
>>
>
> Come on, surely you're taking the piss. Lollipop's Google Messenger? The
> SMS app that works like every other SMS app on the planet is hard to use?
>
>
>

Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[David Connors]

On Fri, Jul 3, 2015 at 2:55 PM, Greg Keogh  wrote:

> I never said I dislike Material Design, it's actually quite pleasant
> (until something else becomes the fad and it all changes overnight). I was
> only unhappy that it arrived without warning.
>

I can see how you missed it.



[ ... ]


> When I first got the phone I tried to get SMS working, but it was once
> again utterly incomprehensible and it seemed to be asking me to sell my
> soul to Google.
>

Come on, surely you're taking the piss. Lollipop's Google Messenger? The
SMS app that works like every other SMS app on the planet is hard to use?

Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[Greg Keogh]

I didn't upgrade the OS during stress time, that happened last December
when I didn't read the BEWARE OF THE DOG notification.

I never said I dislike Material Design, it's actually quite pleasant (until
something else becomes the fad and it all changes overnight). I was only
unhappy that it arrived without warning. It also changed the appearance of
some command buttons/text and I didn't know what to touch. Although,
perhaps the control changes were caused by app and not OS updates (or
both). Textra (SMS app) was the worst offender as the buttons suddenly
turned into "darts" which looked like decorations or directions to other
screens, not commands at all.

When I first got the phone I tried to get SMS working, but it was once
again utterly incomprehensible and it seemed to be asking me to sell my
soul to Google. Web searches found countless other complaints and everyone
suggested I install and use Textra, which went well until a couple of
months ago they notified me that it was no longer free and a bright random
ad appears at the top of the contact list. Whoopie!

*GK*

On 3 July 2015 at 14:32, David Connors  wrote:

> On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 at 11:27 Greg Keogh  wrote:
>
>> I was unfortunately wedged by the urgency of showing someone my pictures
>> and taking photos and suddenly discovering the dramatic UI changes and
>> didn't have time to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things
>> over.
>>
>
> You are definitely the first person I have met who undertakes an operating
> system upgrade when they're wedged by urgency.
>
> I'm not entirely sure why you have such a strong dislike for Material
> Design that you do... IMO it is finally fulfilling the promise of a
> non-skeuomorphic design that world+dog has aspired to, but failed to
> deliver (anything that people liked to use).
>
> Google photos is amazeballs - notwithstanding the recent bad press/brain
> fart it did with that black woman in the us.
> --
> David Connors
> da...@connors.com | @davidconnors | LinkedIn | +61 417 189 363
>

Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[David Connors]

On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 at 11:27 Greg Keogh  wrote:

> I was unfortunately wedged by the urgency of showing someone my pictures
> and taking photos and suddenly discovering the dramatic UI changes and
> didn't have time to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things
> over.
>

You are definitely the first person I have met who undertakes an operating
system upgrade when they're wedged by urgency.

I'm not entirely sure why you have such a strong dislike for Material
Design that you do... IMO it is finally fulfilling the promise of a
non-skeuomorphic design that world+dog has aspired to, but failed to
deliver (anything that people liked to use).

Google photos is amazeballs - notwithstanding the recent bad press/brain
fart it did with that black woman in the us.
-- 
David Connors
da...@connors.com | @davidconnors | LinkedIn | +61 417 189 363

RE: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[Ken Schaefer]

Bandwidth (and the infrastructure and operations) to support it isn’t free or 
unlimited. Given that, you need some way of recouping the cost.

You could charge everyone the same and rather by queue (you just have to wait 
for your data), or you can ration by usage (use more, pay more).

Bandwidth isn’t any different to any other service in this respect.



From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] On 
Behalf Of Stephen Price
Sent: Friday, 3 July 2015 1:49 PM
To: ozDotNet
Subject: Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

Perhaps. I do believe that most of our imposed limitations are artificial 
fabrications to monetise. By creating a perceived shortage of something, 
creates an inflated value that would not otherwise have existed. Who says it's 
worth that? If it was suddenly it was found that there is no shortage of 
bandwidth the agreed price of said bandwidth would go down drastically. It's 
much like net neutrality, controlling data speeds for a price, but the inverse, 
controlling available download quantities for a price. Don't want.

On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 at 11:18 Ken Schaefer 
mailto:k...@adopenstatic.com>> wrote:


From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com 
[mailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] On 
Behalf Of Stephen Price
Sent: Friday, 3 July 2015 1:07 PM

To: ozDotNet
Subject: Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

Ken, lol. so true.

There are some underlaying questions that need answering. Like WHY are we still 
worrying about download quotas? Because we are being robbed. If the bandwidth 
is there it should be used. The system has a self modifying behaviour of going 
slow when its being over utilised. Its like putting a speed limit of 40km/hour 
on a major freeway. Make it the Autobahn! go as fast as you can

I’m assuming that this is “tongue in cheek” – you’re talking only about the 
link between your phone and the tower, but you know that actually getting data 
from somewhere requires and end-to-end connection.

Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[Stephen Price]

Perhaps. I do believe that most of our imposed limitations are artificial
fabrications to monetise. By creating a perceived shortage of something,
creates an inflated value that would not otherwise have existed. Who says
it's worth that? If it was suddenly it was found that there is no shortage
of bandwidth the agreed price of said bandwidth would go down drastically.
It's much like net neutrality, controlling data speeds for a price, but the
inverse, controlling available download quantities for a price. Don't want.

On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 at 11:18 Ken Schaefer  wrote:

>
>
>
>
> *From:* ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:
> ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] *On Behalf Of *Stephen Price
> *Sent:* Friday, 3 July 2015 1:07 PM
>
>
> *To:* ozDotNet
> *Subject:* Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story
>
>
>
> Ken, lol. so true.
>
>
>
> There are some underlaying questions that need answering. Like WHY are we
> still worrying about download quotas? Because we are being robbed. If the
> bandwidth is there it should be used. The system has a self modifying
> behaviour of going slow when its being over utilised. Its like putting a
> speed limit of 40km/hour on a major freeway. Make it the Autobahn! go as
> fast as you can
>
>
>
> I’m assuming that this is “tongue in cheek” – you’re talking only about
> the link between your phone and the tower, but you know that actually
> getting data from somewhere requires and end-to-end connection.
>

RE: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[Ken Schaefer]

From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] On 
Behalf Of Stephen Price
Sent: Friday, 3 July 2015 1:07 PM
To: ozDotNet
Subject: Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

Ken, lol. so true.

There are some underlaying questions that need answering. Like WHY are we still 
worrying about download quotas? Because we are being robbed. If the bandwidth 
is there it should be used. The system has a self modifying behaviour of going 
slow when its being over utilised. Its like putting a speed limit of 40km/hour 
on a major freeway. Make it the Autobahn! go as fast as you can

I’m assuming that this is “tongue in cheek” – you’re talking only about the 
link between your phone and the tower, but you know that actually getting data 
from somewhere requires and end-to-end connection.

Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[Greg Keogh]

>
> You already know my views on how Greg K should be hired by all major
> companies as a tester. If it can't get past Greg then its a fail. We'd all
> benefit.
>

Unfortunately, I'm not practically valuable for testing due to religious
reasons: I'm a resistentialist
 -- *Greg K*

Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[Stephen Price]

Ken, lol. so true.

There are some underlaying questions that need answering. Like WHY are we
still worrying about download quotas? Because we are being robbed. If the
bandwidth is there it should be used. The system has a self modifying
behaviour of going slow when its being over utilised. Its like putting a
speed limit of 40km/hour on a major freeway. Make it the Autobahn! go as
fast as you can.

On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 at 10:40 Ken Schaefer  wrote:

>  You should get a Windows Phone. There are no apps for it, so nothing
> ever changes.
>
>
>
> Cheers
>
> Ken
>
>
>
> *From:* ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:
> ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] *On Behalf Of *Greg Keogh
> *Sent:* Friday, 3 July 2015 11:27 AM
> *To:* ozDotNet
> *Subject:* Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story
>
>
>
> Yeah, when we get major updates to desktop software there is traditionally
> plenty of warning as you read about it magazines and get preview releases.
> Phones through don't seem to have the same culture, stuff just arrives, and
> there are so many apps from so many vendors that I suppose there's no
> simple way of maintaining awareness of everything that's changing. I
> certainly have no time or interest to read up on the ecosystem around my
> phone, after all, it's just a fancy tool and I expect it to work,
> consistently!
>
>
>
> I was unfortunately wedged by the urgency of showing someone my pictures
> and taking photos and suddenly discovering the dramatic UI changes and
> didn't have time to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things
> over.
>
>
>
> And yes, I too am confounded with anger by the growing number of
> weird gestures, verbose notifications and hidden commands on phones.
>
>
>
> *Greg K*
>

Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[Stephen Price]

Hey leave me out of this. ;)

You already know my views on how Greg K should be hired by all major
companies as a tester. If it can't get past Greg then its a fail. We'd all
benefit.

On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 at 07:50 David Connors  wrote:

> On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 at 09:22 Greg Keogh  wrote:
>
>> Okay, so what the hell is happening in the Android phone world.
>>
>
> Greg - you make me laugh.
>
> Stephen Price - where are you?
>
> David.
>
> --
> David Connors
> da...@connors.com | @davidconnors | LinkedIn | +61 417 189 363
>

RE: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[Ken Schaefer]

You should get a Windows Phone. There are no apps for it, so nothing ever 
changes.

Cheers
Ken

From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] On 
Behalf Of Greg Keogh
Sent: Friday, 3 July 2015 11:27 AM
To: ozDotNet
Subject: Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

Yeah, when we get major updates to desktop software there is traditionally 
plenty of warning as you read about it magazines and get preview releases.  
Phones through don't seem to have the same culture, stuff just arrives, and 
there are so many apps from so many vendors that I suppose there's no simple 
way of maintaining awareness of everything that's changing. I certainly have no 
time or interest to read up on the ecosystem around my phone, after all, it's 
just a fancy tool and I expect it to work, consistently!

I was unfortunately wedged by the urgency of showing someone my pictures and 
taking photos and suddenly discovering the dramatic UI changes and didn't have 
time to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things over.

And yes, I too am confounded with anger by the growing number of weird 
gestures, verbose notifications and hidden commands on phones.

Greg K

Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[Bec C]

There should be a setting to disallow updates on mobile data. I know iOS
has this. It's saved me so many times

On Friday, 3 July 2015, Greg Keogh  wrote:

> Here's a TGIF story that hints at a deep technical and business/culture
> problem with Android phones and Google. I don't think this problem is so
> bad on other phone brands, is it?
>
> * Last December I downloaded several app updates to my "unbranded"
> development Nexus 5 and I didn't read (or understand) one of the screens
> and I accidentally downloaded a complete OS update and blew $135 in 30
> seconds because I wasn't at home on the wireless. I had to ring Telstra and
> beg them for a discount, and luckily they gave me a $100 discount because I
> had never exceeded quota before. After rebooting the phone I find it has
> completely changed appearance to be "materiel design" and I can't find
> anything, and some buttons have turned into little "darts" leaving me
> floundering to even figure out how to send an SMS.
>
> * Two weeks ago I wanted to show some family photos on my phone to a
> friend. I click the usual "Photos" icon I'm presented with an unfamiliar
> incomprehensible screen about synching and Google+ apps. I don't have time
> to read this woffle, so I click crap everywhere to get out of it and back
> to my photos. I eventually arrive at the photos and find they have a new
> arrangement by date group, scroll differently and the older ones I want are
> missing. I scroll and click until hell froze but I could not find the
> photos and I was livid with rage that someone had subverted my phone from
> under my nose. The next day I stick the phone into my PC and eventually
> found the photos, and I also found an obscure "Data Folders" menu I
> previously missed that displays the old photos. After an hour of web
> searching I could not find a clear explanation for what had changed. It has
> something to do with the default photo app changing to Google+ (which I
> don't even voluntarily use).
>
> * One week ago I tried to take some photos at a concert and I suddenly
> find the camera app has completely changed with little preview "dots" and a
> weird 3D warping preview and I have no idea what the screen is showing or
> telling me. Once again I don't have time to sit down and fiddle around with
> menus and buttons to find the original phone screen, so I guess it's
> working and I press the button and it looks like it's taking photos. When I
> get home I discover I have taken no photos at all, but was actually inside
> some sort of panorama feature that I don't care about or need. By fiddling
> with the new camera screen menus I eventually find it has 4 "modes" and one
> of them is the plain camera. So this vital app changed under my nose and
> the default was something useless and confusing.
>
> You'd think the UI of a phone would be easy to navigate, but after having
> it for 18 months I still get completely lost trying to find some setting
> and often stumble into screens that I've never seen before and are
> incomprehensible (either because I never went there before or the OS or
> app has silently changed). The other day I was so f**ing angry with the
> phone's UI and navigation that I threw it across my desk, and it popped
> into a configuration screen I didn't know existed. Wonders never cease!
>
> Okay, so what the hell is happening in the Android phone world. Who's
> running this circus and who the hell has the right to completely change the
> OS and UI of vital apps secretly while I'm looking the other way? Imagine
> if they built aircraft like this ...who'd fly?
>
> *Greg K*
>

RE: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[ILT]

Yeah, when we get major updates to desktop software there is traditionally 
plenty of warning as you read about it magazines and get preview releases.  
Phones through don't seem to have the same culture, stuff just arrives, and 
there are so many apps from so many vendors that I suppose there's no simple 
way of maintaining awareness of everything that's changing. I certainly have no 
time or interest to read up on the ecosystem around my phone, after all, it's 
just a fancy tool and I expect it to work, consistently!

Also, Windows desktop programs vendors/producers/developers will usually retain 
older versions, and it is at least possible to uninstall an annoying new 
version of an application (cf a mobile device “app”), and use the older one if 
you want to. 

I guess complete or partial (Windows Update) OS updates or changes run counter 
to that, though. 

I use Windows Phone – the OS changes are glacial, so not so much of a problem…

I’ve also resisted Windows 8, 8.1, etc though on my wife’s desktop I have 
installed 8.1.1 (or so) plus a third-party start menu - so the thing isn’t so 
damned annoying. But I will upgrade all my Windows machines to 10, in 3 weeks. 

  _  

Ian Thomas
Albert Park, Victoria

Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[Greg Keogh]

Yeah, when we get major updates to desktop software there is traditionally
plenty of warning as you read about it magazines and get preview releases.
Phones through don't seem to have the same culture, stuff just arrives, and
there are so many apps from so many vendors that I suppose there's no
simple way of maintaining awareness of everything that's changing. I
certainly have no time or interest to read up on the ecosystem around my
phone, after all, it's just a fancy tool and I expect it to work,
consistently!

I was unfortunately wedged by the urgency of showing someone my pictures
and taking photos and suddenly discovering the dramatic UI changes and
didn't have time to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things
over.

And yes, I too am confounded with anger by the growing number of
weird gestures, verbose notifications and hidden commands on phones.

*Greg K*

Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[David Richards]

Greg,

I don't think this is an Android issue but rather a more universal people
issue.  I have a development nexus 5 and I was notified about the OS
upgrade but chose not to do it because I need it to be on the OS version
its on now.  The notification is sitting there still, taunting me to
upgrade.

The problem is, people tend to click important notifications or dialogues
without realising what they're doing.  In my opinion, this is a symptom of
overuse of these prompts to the point where people are barely aware of
them. "Format C:? All data will be lost!"... yes yes, I'm busy go away...
oh crap...  I'm pretty sure there's also one for whether to download via
wifi only.  For this reason I tend to avoid using this method to prevent
critical problems in apps.  It occasionally requires effort to convince a
customer of the danger.  Its even worse when the accept button happens to
be in the same place as another button a user is intending to press.  A
number of times I've tried to press a button only to have a dialog pop up
and be accepted just at the moment of clicking with me having no idea what
I just did.  My personal awareness of this make me slightly less inclined
to ignore such prompts but I still occasional do it.

So in your case, some part of the blame is your own and some part is
overuse of such notifications.  I think significant changes in OS versions
are to be expected and ordinarily you would be prepared for them.  However,
some of the problems you describe are another UI problem I've seen a lot in
recent years.  Namely, hidden interface components.  Everything from long
press (been around a while) to invisible magical mystery corners of doom,
they're all bad for users.  The first time I used windows 8, I had no idea
how to do anything.  I had to google how to use it.  I've stared at web
pages wondering how to do something only to eventually discover that when I
pointed at something, a button would appear out of nowhere.


David

"If we can hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes
 will fall like a house of cards... checkmate!"
 -Zapp Brannigan, Futurama

On 3 July 2015 at 09:22, Greg Keogh  wrote:

> Here's a TGIF story that hints at a deep technical and business/culture
> problem with Android phones and Google. I don't think this problem is so
> bad on other phone brands, is it?
>
> * Last December I downloaded several app updates to my "unbranded"
> development Nexus 5 and I didn't read (or understand) one of the screens
> and I accidentally downloaded a complete OS update and blew $135 in 30
> seconds because I wasn't at home on the wireless. I had to ring Telstra and
> beg them for a discount, and luckily they gave me a $100 discount because I
> had never exceeded quota before. After rebooting the phone I find it has
> completely changed appearance to be "materiel design" and I can't find
> anything, and some buttons have turned into little "darts" leaving me
> floundering to even figure out how to send an SMS.
>
> * Two weeks ago I wanted to show some family photos on my phone to a
> friend. I click the usual "Photos" icon I'm presented with an unfamiliar
> incomprehensible screen about synching and Google+ apps. I don't have time
> to read this woffle, so I click crap everywhere to get out of it and back
> to my photos. I eventually arrive at the photos and find they have a new
> arrangement by date group, scroll differently and the older ones I want are
> missing. I scroll and click until hell froze but I could not find the
> photos and I was livid with rage that someone had subverted my phone from
> under my nose. The next day I stick the phone into my PC and eventually
> found the photos, and I also found an obscure "Data Folders" menu I
> previously missed that displays the old photos. After an hour of web
> searching I could not find a clear explanation for what had changed. It has
> something to do with the default photo app changing to Google+ (which I
> don't even voluntarily use).
>
> * One week ago I tried to take some photos at a concert and I suddenly
> find the camera app has completely changed with little preview "dots" and a
> weird 3D warping preview and I have no idea what the screen is showing or
> telling me. Once again I don't have time to sit down and fiddle around with
> menus and buttons to find the original phone screen, so I guess it's
> working and I press the button and it looks like it's taking photos. When I
> get home I discover I have taken no photos at all, but was actually inside
> some sort of panorama feature that I don't care about or need. By fiddling
> with the new camera screen menus I eventually find it has 4 "modes" and one
> of them is the plain camera. So this vital app changed under my nose and
> the default was something useless and confusing.
>
> You'd think the UI of a phone would be easy to navigate, but after having
> it for 18 months I still get completely lost trying to find some setting
> and often stumble into screens that I've never

Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[mike smith]

On Fri, Jul 3, 2015 at 9:22 AM, Greg Keogh  wrote:

> Here's a TGIF story that hints at a deep technical and business/culture
> problem with Android phones and Google. I don't think this problem is so
> bad on other phone brands, is it?
>
> * Last December I downloaded several app updates to my "unbranded"
> development Nexus 5 and I didn't read (or understand) one of the screens
> and I accidentally downloaded a complete OS update and blew $135 in 30
> seconds because I wasn't at home on the wireless.
>

There's an option that prevents this from happening.  Also, you can set
cell data monthly limits...



> I had to ring Telstra and beg them for a discount, and luckily they gave
> me a $100 discount because I had never exceeded quota before. After
> rebooting the phone I find it has completely changed appearance to be
> "materiel design" and I can't find anything, and some buttons have turned
> into little "darts" leaving me floundering to even figure out how to send
> an SMS.
>
> * Two weeks ago I wanted to show some family photos on my phone to a
> friend. I click the usual "Photos" icon I'm presented with an unfamiliar
> incomprehensible screen about synching and Google+ apps. I don't have time
> to read this woffle, so I click crap everywhere to get out of it and back
> to my photos. I eventually arrive at the photos and find they have a new
> arrangement by date group, scroll differently and the older ones I want are
> missing. I scroll and click until hell froze but I could not find the
> photos and I was livid with rage that someone had subverted my phone from
> under my nose. The next day I stick the phone into my PC and eventually
> found the photos, and I also found an obscure "Data Folders" menu I
> previously missed that displays the old photos. After an hour of web
> searching I could not find a clear explanation for what had changed. It has
> something to do with the default photo app changing to Google+ (which I
> don't even voluntarily use).
>
> * One week ago I tried to take some photos at a concert and I suddenly
> find the camera app has completely changed with little preview "dots" and a
> weird 3D warping preview and I have no idea what the screen is showing or
> telling me. Once again I don't have time to sit down and fiddle around with
> menus and buttons to find the original phone screen, so I guess it's
> working and I press the button and it looks like it's taking photos. When I
> get home I discover I have taken no photos at all, but was actually inside
> some sort of panorama feature that I don't care about or need. By fiddling
> with the new camera screen menus I eventually find it has 4 "modes" and one
> of them is the plain camera. So this vital app changed under my nose and
> the default was something useless and confusing.
>
> You'd think the UI of a phone would be easy to navigate, but after having
> it for 18 months I still get completely lost trying to find some setting
> and often stumble into screens that I've never seen before and are
> incomprehensible (either because I never went there before or the OS or
> app has silently changed). The other day I was so f**ing angry with the
> phone's UI and navigation that I threw it across my desk, and it popped
> into a configuration screen I didn't know existed. Wonders never cease!
>
> Okay, so what the hell is happening in the Android phone world. Who's
> running this circus and who the hell has the right to completely change the
> OS and UI of vital apps secretly while I'm looking the other way? Imagine
> if they built aircraft like this ...who'd fly?
>

My sympathies.  Microsoft are usually the ones that do this to me with
inter-version changes in UI design in Office, OS, and VS.  I hate that for
similar reasons.

Re: [OT] Not so amusing phone story

[David Connors]

On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 at 09:22 Greg Keogh  wrote:

> Okay, so what the hell is happening in the Android phone world.
>

Greg - you make me laugh.

Stephen Price - where are you?

David.

-- 
David Connors
da...@connors.com | @davidconnors | LinkedIn | +61 417 189 363

[OT] Not so amusing phone story

[Greg Keogh]

Here's a TGIF story that hints at a deep technical and business/culture
problem with Android phones and Google. I don't think this problem is so
bad on other phone brands, is it?

* Last December I downloaded several app updates to my "unbranded"
development Nexus 5 and I didn't read (or understand) one of the screens
and I accidentally downloaded a complete OS update and blew $135 in 30
seconds because I wasn't at home on the wireless. I had to ring Telstra and
beg them for a discount, and luckily they gave me a $100 discount because I
had never exceeded quota before. After rebooting the phone I find it has
completely changed appearance to be "materiel design" and I can't find
anything, and some buttons have turned into little "darts" leaving me
floundering to even figure out how to send an SMS.

* Two weeks ago I wanted to show some family photos on my phone to a
friend. I click the usual "Photos" icon I'm presented with an unfamiliar
incomprehensible screen about synching and Google+ apps. I don't have time
to read this woffle, so I click crap everywhere to get out of it and back
to my photos. I eventually arrive at the photos and find they have a new
arrangement by date group, scroll differently and the older ones I want are
missing. I scroll and click until hell froze but I could not find the
photos and I was livid with rage that someone had subverted my phone from
under my nose. The next day I stick the phone into my PC and eventually
found the photos, and I also found an obscure "Data Folders" menu I
previously missed that displays the old photos. After an hour of web
searching I could not find a clear explanation for what had changed. It has
something to do with the default photo app changing to Google+ (which I
don't even voluntarily use).

* One week ago I tried to take some photos at a concert and I suddenly find
the camera app has completely changed with little preview "dots" and a
weird 3D warping preview and I have no idea what the screen is showing or
telling me. Once again I don't have time to sit down and fiddle around with
menus and buttons to find the original phone screen, so I guess it's
working and I press the button and it looks like it's taking photos. When I
get home I discover I have taken no photos at all, but was actually inside
some sort of panorama feature that I don't care about or need. By fiddling
with the new camera screen menus I eventually find it has 4 "modes" and one
of them is the plain camera. So this vital app changed under my nose and
the default was something useless and confusing.

You'd think the UI of a phone would be easy to navigate, but after having
it for 18 months I still get completely lost trying to find some setting
and often stumble into screens that I've never seen before and are
incomprehensible (either because I never went there before or the OS or
app has silently changed). The other day I was so f**ing angry with the
phone's UI and navigation that I threw it across my desk, and it popped
into a configuration screen I didn't know existed. Wonders never cease!

Okay, so what the hell is happening in the Android phone world. Who's
running this circus and who the hell has the right to completely change the
OS and UI of vital apps secretly while I'm looking the other way? Imagine
if they built aircraft like this ...who'd fly?

*Greg K*

Re: Amusing story

[Stuart Kinnear]

Amazing what sample data generators come up with these days.

- Stuart


On 2 July 2015 at 14:54, Grant Maw  wrote:

> Guys
>
> Not really a .net specific post, but I thought I'd share anyway.
>
> I'm working on a database at the moment that is used to record heart rates
> and other biometric data in high intensity exercise scenarios.
>
> We're working with an offshore company, creating what is essentially a
> copy of part of their existing database, with modifications to suit our
> particular requirements. The guy at the other end said he would give me a
> database diagram together with a dump of the relevant data into Excel so
> that I could see how it all hangs together.
>
> First off, he tried to shoehorn the data from about 20 different SQL
> tables into a single spreadsheet. Not a workbook with multiple sheets, a
> single sheet.
>
> I could probably live with that, except he grabbed the wrong data before
> he sent it to me. Instead of heart rate and respiratory data, I got a set
> of tables that provided links to porn sites and sex videos, handbag sales,
> pharmaceuticals, products made from Canadian geese, hair loss tonics,
> gambling sites, horse racing, Viagra and Cialis, and a variety of other
> things.
>
> It was clearly a data set that is used as the basis for a spam sending
> application. Talk about busted!
>
> I should be pissed off with them for wasting my time, but I'm laughing too
> hard. Needless to say I'll not be taking anything they say seriously from
> now on!
>
> Cheers
>
> Grant
>
>
>


-- 
-
Stuart Kinnear
Mobile: 040 704 5686.   Office: 03 9589 6502

SK Pro-Active! Pty Ltd
acn. 81 072 778 262
PO Box 6082 Cromer, Vic 3193. Australia

Business software developers.
SQL Server, Visual Basic, C# , Asp.Net, Microsoft Office.
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