does everything need to be a fucking app?

"farscythe - makin da cawfee!" (farscythe) 05/31/2019 at 07:19 • Filed to: None

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trying to renew my permit of residency here why oh why do i need a fucking app for that... i mean.. im still logging in with all my social security details just like i would and previously did on their website and i dont see how having all those details and a smartphone makes this any safer than having all those details and a pc

not that it fucking matters coz the apps broken as fuck... coz of course it fucking is... its 2019 and the gubment has only just managed to get a mostly working website up its gonna be another 20 years before they figure out how to app

right...staying calm.. oh hey they have a slightly older school activation method where they send me a sms with a verification code ill try that

*recieves sms*

sweet

*activates pin*

to verify this is your phone we’ve sent your real activation code by snail mail it will arrive within 3 working days........

MOTHERFUCKERS!@!EGRJKGKJGDKGER

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 05/31/2019 at 07:31

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I hate everything going to “app” or even a lot of things going “online only”.

Seems it’s just more reasons for people to stare into their dumb boxes all day.

facw > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 05/31/2019 at 07:32

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At least this shit has mostly died down:

Still though, I’d guess the answer is they want a mobile app (a good idea these days), but don’t want to spend the money develop three versions (iOS, Andorid, and Web), and yet are too crappy to develop a good responsive web version that can just be wrapped into an app.

McMike > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 05/31/2019 at 07:38

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There is a town center near me that started charging for parking a few years ago. (bigger story was that all the tenants are threatening to sue over lost revenue, some are moving out, etc )

I’ve seen the progression of garage parking. I’ve seen the man in the booth, the pay kiosk that processes your ticket, parking meters, pay at the exit with a credit card, etc... Any are acceptable.

What did they do?

Make it app-only. The only way you could park was by using the app. If you didn’t want to use the app you had to use a kiosk, create an account, and pay with a credit card. It took cash, but would not make change.

WTF? I’m there for one day for a seminar, and I have to commit to this shit? It’s PARKING, not online banking

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 05/31/2019 at 07:41

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right there with you... but apparently we’re all just gonna have to live with it...i mean.. the older method of just turning up with a bunch of paperwork and making an appointment sucked’

but at least it fucking worked

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > facw 05/31/2019 at 07:42

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yeah but last time i was able to do it on the pc

why is that option suddenly gone just coz they maked an app now.... it worked.... mostly

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > McMike 05/31/2019 at 07:46

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yarp...stupid shit like that is why i have a smartphone now

its pretty much been forced on me (i had a nokia brick before and when the simcard on that expired i just went without a cell phone for a couple years... i like it that way)

but yeah... ended up having to get a smartphone coz if i wanted to get paid i’d need to use some agencys app to accept my contract :S

(apparently physically signing it infront of them doesnt count)

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 05/31/2019 at 07:49

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I’m not sure what’s worse: Turning up with a bunch of paper work to an appointment or trying for hours to do something online that would have originally taken a 5-min appointment......

SiennaMan > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 05/31/2019 at 08:19

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Online only at least vaguely makes sense since if setup halfway decently, they can hire fewer people. App only smells like someone made an expensive decision that they need to justify to politician s..

Snuze: Needs another Swede > McMike 05/31/2019 at 08:30

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Reston?  This sounds like Reston. 

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 05/31/2019 at 08:34

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For what its worth youd probably have waited hours for that 5 min appointment. So the question is whats worse? Waiting for hours to interact with a person or spending hours playing IT Person ans figuring out dumb apps.

I remember as a wide eyed child the visions of the future where tech made everything easier.  Somehow its made everything harder.  

TheRealBicycleBuck > McMike 05/31/2019 at 08:59

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The place where I park *every day* was bought by another company. They installed new kiosks and said that they were going to get rid of the attendant. The old system was ok - you walked to the kiosk, paid, then put the receipt on the dashboard. It took cards or cash, but didn’t make change. That sucked for people who wer e there for just a day and only brought a $20 bill.

The NEW system asks for the car’s license plate. Now people have to walk to the kiosk, realize that they have no idea what their license plate is, walk back to their car to get the number (the smart ones take a picture) , then walk back to the kiosk. After they get a receipt, they have to walk back to their car and leave it on the dash board.

Why do they need the plate number? They don’t use it for anything. They don’t have license plate readers, so they aren’t scanning plates to see if they paid for parking. The proof of payment is the receipt on the dashboard.

Almost every day I see people who can’t get the machine to accept their cash or their card. There’s always someone confused about how it all works since they are suburbanites and never come to downtown where they have to pay for parking. There’s always people asking directions. As you can imagine, t he first day with the new system and without an attendant at the lot was chaos. With no one there to answer questions and keep order, people started calling the company directly.  

The attendant was back the next day. :)

412GTI > TheRealBicycleBuck 05/31/2019 at 09:31

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That sounds really stupid. All around my city there are p arking m eters that require license plate # and take either cards or cash. No print out required because they actually use the license plate to check who’s paid.

I always just tell people who visit to take a picture of their plate so they don’t have to walk back after inevitably forgetting th ei r number.

TheRealBicycleBuck > 412GTI 05/31/2019 at 09:40

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Houston also has street-side meters that take cash or card or can be paid for by an app. The people who use those are familiar with the system.

The people who use this lot aren’t familiar with such systems. This lot is near the city and county courthouses, so many of the people parking there are coming downtown for the first time to report for jury duty or because they have to deal with the city on personal business.

Street-side parking makes plate scanning a viable option because the plates are readily accessible. In the lot, people like to pull through or back in, making the rear plate inaccessible. While Texas does require front plates, there are plenty of cars that don’t have them because they are from out-of-state. A perfect example is my current rental. It’s registered in Florida, so there’s no front plate.

I wish they had just stuck with the receipt on the dashboard.

MonkeePuzzle > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 05/31/2019 at 09:43

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as if being forced to install an app for something that should have just been an online form isn’t bad enough, just wait for when that app forces some update or something that hangs the phone, or starts sending notifications, or turns out was a russian spy malware all along.

I’m with you, one time use things should never be an app. they CAN be an app if a more frequent user might be convenienced  by having an app.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > MonkeePuzzle 05/31/2019 at 09:47

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im mostly pissed off coz they took away my option to do it online without the app

i do not understand why that option had to go just because they have an app now

MonkeePuzzle > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 05/31/2019 at 10:00

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exactly. keep the online option. and make an app for heavy users. but keep both. 

Grindintosecond > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 05/31/2019 at 10:11

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App. Oh, yeah sign up for an account too just to make a reservation somewhere youll never go again. Or just to buy one thing once on line....set up an account. Oh that passsword doesnt work....

I hate this future.

just-a-scratch > McMike 05/31/2019 at 10:54

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I had a similar experience visiting Milwaukee. All street pay parking was by Android or iPhone app. I had a Windows phone art the time.

For Sweden > McMike 05/31/2019 at 11:24

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Austin, Texas had this when I visited last fall. You pay parking meters with an app, and the app takes a minimum $10 deposit. Also the app is Austin-specific, not ParkM e or something similar.

If I ever visit Austin again and rent a car, those remaining $7 will be available, hopefully.

PartyPooper2012 > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 05/31/2019 at 12:00

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Amazed at the comments here. Still no Old Man Yells at Cloud meme.

Imagine this - with the use of app, maybe we have less gubmint employees and (this is a really long shot here) maybe they will lower taxes because of it

I know I know. I’m funny. ... but what if?

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > PartyPooper2012 05/31/2019 at 12:14

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Lower taxes?

Hahaha government is a for profit organisation

Anyway I’d be okay with the app if it fucking worked...I guess

And yes I'm shocked no one used old man yells at cloud yet

PartyPooper2012 > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 05/31/2019 at 13:10

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Ugh! I guess I have to do all the work around here