List #769: A Few Things About the Digital World that Bother Me a Lot

 A Few (among many) Things About the Digital World that Bother Me a Lot

1. the balkanization of media outlets (why can I buy DC comics from comixology's website, but not their "app")

2. privacy vs commerce  (I am Google's product)

3. idiots who write comments on youtube, amazon, etc. (no comment)

4. proprietary formats (this is better)

5. net neutrality being threatened 

6. the appification of the internet and the death of the web. 

7. leasing things in the cloud instead of having them

8. the "bleed" of the major tech companies in their quest for dominance (Facebook should not be a search engine, Google should not be a social networking site,  apple should make cool devices,  Amazon should sell content and products)

List #762: Things I Dislike about Google's Privacy Policy Switch

List #762: Things I Dislike about Google's Privacy Policy Switch

1. I now need to log out of Gmail (and thus every other google service... like this blog) every time I want to do a non-diluted search on the search engine.

2. "If you choose to keep using Google once the change occurs, you will be doing so under the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service." --Translation: "Dear User, We're too big to fail, and you can't live with out us, so Eff You"

3. "If you’re signed into Google, we can do things like suggest search queries – or tailor your search results – based on the interests you’ve expressed in Google+, Gmail, and YouTube... -- Not "Can do," but "Will do"

4. I like having my gmail open on my laptop. I also work in a library where I'm often doing and demoing Google Searches for students (Like "Here's how to find the best part of google -- advanced search -- since those Effers hid it). Those searches don't represent my interests, why should they pollute my own YouTube searches?

5."...We’ll better understand which version of Pink or Jaguar you’re searching for and get you those results faster:" --Okay, but what about when I want the OTHER version of Pink or Jaguar? How does it save me time when I have to retrain the almighty GoogleBot?

6. I have close personal friends, to whom I talk about close personal things. I sure don't want YouTube to think that I want to see videos on a Health or Personal Hygiene problem I might be asking my mom about, or a love-note to a lady.

7. It's making Google too much like an iPhone: everything rolled up in to one package, so when you lose it, you're effed.

8. It's made me drop nearly all of my google services that I formerly liked (except you can't drop them now) like Google Docs and stuff.

9. It's made me think about quitting the blog (or trying to import it to another place somehow); getting a totally different email address (hassle), and making a separate account so I can view Youtube privately (and also then deleting all of my youtube uploads... sorry ukulele brothers fans)...

10. ... Except I haven't found better alternatives

11. There aren't opt out features. (Google overlords, you're going to be able to harvest all the personal data from people who are too dumb to think this stuff matters, why do you need mine)

12. There's nothing that can be done to stop it. and even adding "google's privacy policy sucks" to every google transaction I do" is just going to make my personal google experience less good and not send them a message

13. There's no easy-to-find ability on any of their "help' or 'contact' pages to voice concerns or opinions.

List #710: Things Google has done that are less awesome recently

List #710: Things Google has done that are less awesome recently (but not yet evil)

1. Moved the "Advanced Search" option off of the screen and on to a menu

2. Removed the "+something" function from their searches (for the sake of their social network tool, which, sadly, isn't going to replace facebook)

3. The fixed "google bar" on top of gmail and google reader (it's too big -- shouldn't be more than a single 'line')

4. removal of the up and down arrows from scrolly-bars

List #682: Things I REALLY Hate about Facebook

List #682: Things I REALLY Hate about Facebook

1. That my connectivity to my non-local friends and family is so tied in to it

2. That the guy in the Aaron Sorkin movie that had no friends decided to be a d*ck

3. They continually change the look and interface to give more ads, and more junk-space, and less interesting content

4. Third Party "apps"

5. That they will no longer allow importing of RSS feeds (which means that I either have to A) Start writing my lists on Facebook, B)copy-paste a link every day, C) quit writing them because non one will see them, or C.1) get over myself and accept that no one cares)

6. How my facebook presence shows up on other websites I go to

7. The merging of the chat/messages feature

8. That news feed thing on the right side (that I got rid of with an ad-blocker)

9. That they do everything in their power to sync up with all the other big commerical sites to import crap, but they are getting rid of easy importing of content by users (see no. 5)

10. That Google hasn't bought them out yet. Get on that guys, maybe hire those Big Money Crew Thugs Heirs to help make an offer he can't refuse.

11. That I care enough to make this list.

List #681: 5 Reasons I Dislike Olives

List #681: 5 Reasons I Dislike Olives

1. Icky Salty

2. Pits

3. Icky Sour

4. Are the evil twin of Grapes

5. Remind me of Leeches

List #675: Area Sports Teams In Order of Least Apathy or Dislike

List #675: Area Sports Teams In Order of Least Apathy or Dislike (collegiate or professional)

1. Johns Hopkins Lacrosse (I think they're the only team I actively root for)

2. Washington College Field Hockey (go Claire!)

3. Baltimore Orioles (eh, I only go to games when they play the Twins, so I have to hate on them then... otherwise, eh)

7. The Football Ones

8. Washington Capitals (I get tired of explaining to the people in the world that I'd rather watch college or HS hockey, and the I don't think Ovechkin is the second coming of our lord and saviour)

9. Are there basketball teams?

List #674: Professions I Deeply Mistrust or Fear

List #674: Professions I Deeply Mistrust or Fear

1. School Counselors (one once told me my fear was invalid and silly, among other things)

2. Bouncers (they are scary)

3. Batman (I am a superstitious and cowardly lot)

4. Doctors (I think they're making it up most of the time)

5. Travelling/Phone Salespersonages (I also pity them)

6. Career Politicians

7. anyone whose job is to worry about "the Bottom Line"

8. Lawyers (most of them)

9. Auto Repairists

10. Coat Checkers (or anyone else that takes my stuff away from me)

11. Consultants/Observers/Quality Control

12. PR personages

13. Traffic Cops

14. Telephone Support

15. anyone that wants me to call them with information

16. Choir Directors

Bonus List: Professions I do Trust

1. Librarians

2. Nurses

3. Dentists

4. Beat Cops

5. Cycle Shop workers

6. Science Teachers

7. Most Scientists (depending on their source of funding)

8. Band Directors

Bonus List: Professions I'm on the fence about trusting

1. Administrators

2. Camp Directors

3. Activists

4. Musicians

List #666: 6 National or World Problems that I am Concerned About

List #666: 6 National or World Problems that I am Concerned About

1. Mexican Drug Cartels

2. The Greed of the "Haves" / The corruption of "American Dream"

3. Polar Ice Cap melt

4. Food Crises

5. Partisan Politics

6. iPhone commercials

List #662: Things I Read as a Teen or Young Adult That I Didn't Like

List #662: Things I Read as a Teen or Young Adult That I Didn't Like

1. Ethan Frome (but Age of Innocence was pretty good)

2. Beloved

3. Gary Paulson (sorry Minnesota, I couldn't get through 'Dogsong' either time)

4. Slave Dancer

5. The Tortilla Curtain (sorry Carleton College New Student Week Reading... at least you picked Persepolis a few years later)

List #645: Frustrations I'd Like to Vent Publicly, But Won't

List #645: Frustrations I'd Like to Vent Publicly, But Won't

1. The loss of ___ _______ _________

2. The potential reestablishment of _________ __________

3. Inability to ________ __ ________

4. __________ Presidential Candidates

5. _______ testing

6. People that don't __ _____ _____ and ____ ___ ___ _____

List #634: 5 Things about NuNuNuFacebook

List #634: 5 Things about NuNuNuFacebook

1. I hate it, but I will still probably use it

2. Greater control of what you see from specific people = GOOD! (surprise!)

3. The way it actually displays what you see = BAD

4. Giant Pictures in the whatever-they're-calling-it-these-days Feed = CLUTTER

5. Constant Twitfeed Status Box That Won't Go Away From the Upper Corner and Has Mouse-over Pop-ups = HATRED

List #633: Irksome Things Today

List #633: Irksome Things Today

1. Facebook Changes... Again

2. Forgetting my lunch AND dinner... looks like I'm Fasting today

3. The Field Hockey team we're playing doesn't have a JV squad

4. It's the first of 3 consecutive days where I'll be at work until at least 8 pm

5. Humidity

List #628:Food Waste that Annoys Me

List #628:Food Waste that Annoys Me

1. Kids that don't eat their crusts

2. Not taking a "Doggie Bag" from a restaurant

3. Oversized restaurant portions (please make them smaller and charge less money)

4. Not eating left-overs

5. Extraneous packaging.

List #618: Major Airlines and One Thing That Annoys Me about them

List #618: Major Airlines and One Thing That Annoys Me about them

1. Delta/Northwest: They charged me 150$ to fix a scheduling mistake caused by their poor interface

2. Southwest: They don't give you a seat assignment

3. United: My mom and brother get to fly for free, but I don't

4. Iceland Air: I can't fly them everywhere

List #563: Likes and Dislikes about Fishing

List #563: Likes and Dislikes about Fishing

Likes

1. Hanging out with Family, especially my Grandpa

2. Being on a Lake

3. Being on a Boat

4. Hearing interesting Stories

Dislikes

1. Leeches

2. Other bait

3. Not catching anything

4. Catching things (and having to deal with it)

List #552: Least Favorite Minor Ailments

List #552: Least Favorite Minor Ailments

1. Bitten cheek

2. Scratchy Throat

3. Headache

4. Stomach Queasiness

5. Body Achiness

List #530: Top 5 Least Favorite NHL Teams

List #530: Top 5 Least Favorite NHL Teams

1. Dallas Stars (for dropping from the 'North')

2. Colorado Avalanche (for not being the Nordiques)

3. Philadelphia Flyers

4. Carolina Hurricanes (for not being the Whalers)

5. New York Rangers (though I feel bad for hating on an original 6 team)

Bonus List: Teams I just kind of dislike

1. Detroit Red Wings (used to hate, but have grown to respect)

2. Chicago Blackhawks (old rivalries die hard)

3. Washington Capitals (proximity and Ovechkin worship)

4. Boston (for being from Mass. and for not losing enough in the finals right now)

List #529: Things I Dislike About Hockey

List #529: Things I Dislike About Hockey

1. Fights

2. Massachusetts

3. Pro teams south of Chicago

4. Overtime Shoot-outs

5. Ticket Prices

List #513: Things I Hate About Sweating

List #513: Things I Hate About Sweating

1. It makes me damp

2. It ruins clothing

3. It makes me smell

4. It happens whenever I'm outside

5. It is a sign of humidity

6. It makes it uncomfortable to sleep

Bonus List: 2 Thing I like about sweating

1. It flushes the bad stuff from your system and keeps you healthy

2. It can be the result of time in a Sauna

List #484: 5 Unsolicited and Unrelated Opnions

List #484: 5 Unsolicited and Unrelated Opnions

1. Taxes are good

2. The "Armageddon begins on May 21st, 2011" People in DC are obnoxious

3. People that don't use turn signals should be put in jail

4. Poison/Infect is unfun and unfair in EDH/Commander

5. Reality Television is the television equivalent of a weed