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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]

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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] 14 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Uhh Linux is a kernel and on its own doesn’t even support graphics much less customising them.

I think we all realise that when someone says "Linux" in casual conversation on the internet, they mean existing well-known distros that include far more than just the naked Kernel, because no one who uses Linux is using just the Kernel, even headless servers aren't "just the kernel".

ANYWAY, I mostly am bitching about Gnome, but other DEs and WMs caught that bug as well to varying degrees. As have a dozen unconnected libre programs. Just for one example try finding a Matrix client that DOESN'T look like a shittier version of Discord (... And doesn't run on the Terminal)

There was even a collective of libre application developers that got together specifically to chastise people for using themes and to beg DEs to disable all theming by default because "muh app's branding and identity!"

Everything QT follows the theme - so much so I didn’t even realise how ugly some apps look on windows

Unless you're using Flatpaks. Then you have to spend an afternoon metaphorically beating your computer with a metaphorical hammer to get the apps (not just qt, gtk too) to look like the rest of the OS.

and in linux specifically I wish we had more ‘basic display driver’ like tools to handle emergency situations.

It's true. It would make the whole thing more resilient.

[–] Sethayy -4 points 4 months ago

Of course, but by just saying Linux you're bound to be wrong somewhere - I'm just highlighting its so broad its an essentially useless definition (42% of all computers run it by the way). Gnome is pretty shit for customisability, so what's more customisable than having another option?

By looking at 'just Linux' you couldn't be more wrong for the core argument.

It also shifts the blame to many smaller devs like matrix which tbh they're mostly doing work for free so who's gonna complain they don't want to add extra complexity, just get in that source code if you really care. And in the age of such easy frontend engines an experienced could probably whip up their own in a week.

Also ive never had issues with qt/flatpaks, using prism launcher as an example, its seamlessly followed my color scheme (not saying bugs don't exist somewhere I'm not seeing, but there certainly is 'just works support to some degree).

I you're gonna be mad people don't like something, yikes open source isn't for you - git as a whole all but is designed to handle disagreements without breaking its stride.