by zzo38computer | 2025-04-22 20:43:30+00:00
I do not agree with everything, but there are advantages and disadvantages of some of these things.

> I remember my desk used to be crowded with things like dictionaries and pencil sharpeners

I store these things on the shelf near the desk, rather than on the desk itself, but I still use them often enough.

> hotels and restaurants provide Public Internet Access by default

Nevertheless there are commonly problems with them, although what these problems are differs in different places.

> USB cables mean that for connecting or recharging

I think there are many problems with USB, including security issues and many others. I also think that it is better to have addressing by where they are connected to, and for charging to be done independently from data connection (although there are times where you want them together and this is useful, but the way it is done makes it difficult to separate them).

Having only a few different plugs is helpful, but it would be more helpful if these were better plugs rather than the worse ones.

> Software Patents have been expiring (eg. GIF, arithmetic coding, MP3)

I think patents are no good in general, but nevertheless it helps that they have expired.

> everything is available Subtitled, not just TV

This is good. Subtitles and captions are not only useful for hearing impaired but for anyone. Accessibility features in general can be useful for anyone.

> RAM: programmers able to assume users have 4GB RAM rather than 4MB RAM

Having more RAM is helpful. But, it is still a good idea to write programs that do not require so much RAM (or so much disk space), though. Unfortunately, too many modern programs do use more RAM and disk space than they should need to do.

> all cars have electrified Power Windows; I don’t remember the last time I had to physically crank down a car window

I prefer the manual windows; they work even if the car is off or doesn't work.

> LED lights are more energy-efficient, cooler & safer, smaller, turn on faster, last longer, and are brighter than incandescents or fluorescents

I think they are too bright and wrong colour and other problems. I like incandescent for general purpose lighting. (LEDs are still useful for some indicator lights and that stuff, but even then too often they have blue lights when other colours would do better.)

> the European Union & single Euro currency make the EU easier to understand & travel in it much less tricky and expensive

Although it does not affect me, I know some people who have been to Europe and believe that the older way is better.

> Intellectual Property Maximalism rollback: copyright terms have not and probably will not be indefinitely extended again to eternity to protect properties like Mickey Mouse or Sherlock Holmes

It is good that they have done this allowing them to be public domain, although I think it needs to be rollback even more.

> Low-Flow Toilets

I had read a article in 2600 where someone modified a toilet with 6 lpf, but they needed to flush twice to work, so they changed it so that it will be 10 lpf. Making it 10 lpf will save water then, compared to the 12 that was needed before, isn't it?

> most programs have a usable FLOSS equivalent and in some areas FLOSS is taken so for granted

In some cases they didn't but I and others have written some (e.g. Free Hero Mesh, which is a clone of Everett Kaser's MESH:Hero game, and I think it is much better than the original). However, often the FLOSS equivalent still has some problems (often failure to support non-Unicode text properly, but others are common as well); but they also often have many improvements than other programs as well.

> There are not many things in food that have gotten worse, and most have gotten better

Well, also often many items have been discontinued even if they were of a good quality.