The World's Worst Inventions
Channel: Linux.conf.au 2010 -- Wellington, New Zealand
Date: 2014-12-05

Presenter(s): Paul Fenwick
URL: http://2010.linux.conf.au/programme/schedule/view_talk/50256

Technology advances through the creation of new inventions. Devices, protocols, machines, and ideas all increase the breadth of human knowledge, and make life easier for us all... At least in theory.In reality, the advance of progress is littered with bad ideas. A profound lack of foresight, thinking, or just plain common sense has left us with countless artefacts of mis-design. What's worse, we often build upon such twisted horrors in the creation of new technology.Leeches that predict the weather, fire alarms that trap their users, mail transport protocols, POSIX privileges, stop buttons that look like start buttons, and pigeon guided missiles are but a few of the technical abominations that we will examine, many of which survive to this day.Join internationally acclaimed speaker Paul Fenwick as we examine some of the worst design decisions ever made.

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