Hmmm, no need to thank me for doing my civic duty unless, of course, you really want to.
I tried to log into my bank recently to do some online banking. The following notice appeared.
Online banking currently unavailable. Online banking is unavailable at this time. Please use mobile banking while we work to return services.
No, I am not going to launch into another rant about the unreliability of digital technology. I have pounded that drum enough times. A glitch here and there is no big deal. Caveat: No rant this time. I reserve the right to do so at a future date. I have to blow off steam occasionally or I will develop a nervous tic the likes of which you have never seen.
An Aside: I went into my local bank branch recently to use the ATM. I love ATMs! They are a great application of technology. However, the touchscreen was clearly not working properly. Simply touching the icons on the screen did not work. I had to hammer them with my knuckles, bruising them in the process, to complete the transaction.
I do not recall this ever happening when ATMs had actual buttons to push. Touchscreens are not particularly useful if they do not readily respond to my touch. Not a rant, you understand – just putting it out there.
A Second Aside: I bought a new(er) car recently after my reliable, 14 year-old Accent finally gave up the ghost. My new(er) car has push-button start. No more keys. Yeah! But there is an electronic fob that has to be in the car in order to start it. The fob is noticeably larger than a key. So what did we really gain? Not a rant, you understand – just putting it out there.
An Aside to the Above Aside: l learned that there are now devices that bandits can use to intercept the RF signal from my fob and steal my car. I had to buy something called a Faraday Bag to keep the fob in to guard against this risk. The Faraday Bag is the size of a dozen or more keys. So what did we really gain? Not a rant, you understand – just putting it out there.
A Third Aside: Our Smart TV has a function that can detect if the batteries in the remote are wearing out. A message appears on the TV screen advising that the remote batteries need to be replaced. Now that is useful technology!
Buuuuut, that message now appears on the screen every time I turn the TV on. I replaced the batteries in the remote twice but the message keeps appearing. I have ignored the message for the last month and the remote continues to function properly.
So it is very useful technology that becomes an annoyance because it does not work. So what did we really gain? Not a rant, you understand – just putting it out there.
Now do not go accusing me of slyly slipping in several rants! I just noted, calmly and objectively, a few technology applications that do not seem to be living up to their promise. Just putting it out there for your consideration and edification for the good of all.
No need to thank me. Just doing my civic duty.
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~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .
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Tags: Faraday Bag · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · push button start · technology glitch · touchscreenNo Comments