# Least favorite technological inventions of the 20th century **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 30, 1999, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576 "1999-11-30T16:59:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/1 "1999-11-30T16:59:00Z")
What are your least favorite technological inventions of this century? Certainly Credit cards suck right up there with the worse along with weapons of mass destruction and genetic engineering ( maybe). ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/2 "1999-11-30T17:03:00Z")
The big red shiny button that will enable Nickrz to catapult your thread into MPSIMS. * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![colvile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@colvile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colvile)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/3 "1999-11-30T17:10:00Z")
IMHO, the list would have to include anything that enabled people to reproduce either rap music or “The Macarena.” That, and those stupid buttons that pedestrians press to cross the street. (The ones that are supposed to make the light change, not the overhead flashing amber lights to (in theory) stop traffic to let pedestrians cross.) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/4 "1999-11-30T17:15:00Z")
The atomic/hydrogen bomb wins hands down. * * * La franchise ne consiste pas à dire tout ce que l’on pense, mais à penser tout ce que l’on dit. H. de Livry ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/5 "1999-11-30T17:18:00Z")
(forgot the name) those little Japanese pocket pets that you had to feed, clean, and play with or they’d die. ---
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/6 "1999-11-30T17:45:00Z")
Cellular phones. Now you can be a slave to everyone who has your phone number (or a random-digit dialer) even when you’re not at home. Who cares about paying attention when you’re driving? Talk, baby, talk! Television. I don’t blame credit cards for all the crap that goes on with credit cards. The real problem was, they were invented as convenience and have sort of mutated into a necessity. Folks are always telling me I should have one around in case of emergencies. What you mean like, I need something and have no money? That’s not an emergency, that happens every day. I haven’t had any trouble since I cut mine into little pieces, but one day, I’m going to be out of gas, nowhere near a bank machine, with a gas station attendant who won’t take the little scraps of paper off my car floor as collateral… I’ll nominate chemical weapons in preference to nuclear weapons, mainly because the former are used more often. * * * Nothing I write about any person or group should be applied to a larger group. - Boris Badenov ---
**Author:** ![JamesCarroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/7 "1999-11-30T17:47:00Z")
Those “Calvin peeing” stickers, professional wresting, and NASCAR (but then again at least the boobs who actually like watching rednecks drive in a circle for three hours aren’t breeding during that time) ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/8 "1999-12-01T06:24:00Z")
[rant]Whoever decided it was legal to start a new child-perversing craze every year. This year, Pokemon. Last year, Furby. Before that, those things that the other guy was talking about that you have to take care of. Ad Nauseum. It’s stupid, it’s inane, it’s asinine. And the fucking parents are no help. They buy the shit, give in when Johnny demands a Pikachu doll. [www.hecklers.com](http://www.hecklers.com) has a Headline about some kids causing a riot over fucking Pokemon trading cards. This just pisses me off. I don’t know about you guys, but when I was a kid, not too long ago, in the 80’s, this shit didn’t happen to me or anyone I know. It’s new, in the last 5 years, 10, tops. And it’s stupid. It’s just frickin retarded that these stupid parents and stupid people let this happen. [/rant] –Tim * * * We are the children of the Eighties. We are not the first “lost generation” nor today’s lost generation; in fact, we think we know just where we stand - or are discovering it as we speak. ---
**Author:** ![cricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@cricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cricket)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/9 "1999-12-01T06:31:00Z")
electric toothbrushes! Really,are people that lazy? ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/10 "1999-12-01T06:39:00Z")
Anybody remember Signetic’s “Write Only Memory?” This actually made it into their product data book. [http://www.ganssle.com/misc/wom.html](http://www.ganssle.com/misc/wom.html) * * * **Dopeler effect:** The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly. ---
**Author:** ![Keeves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Keeves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeves)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/11 "1999-12-01T06:40:00Z")
> [@](#): > > the last 5 years, 10, tops No, I think those Cabbage Patch Kids are closer to 15 years old. Any other guesses about which toy started it? ---
**Author:** ![SqrlCub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SqrlCub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SqrlCub)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/12 "1999-12-01T06:46:00Z")
The worst invention is… are you ready?.. are you sure?.. **\\INFOMERCIALS\\** Especially if it is part of the RONCO Corporation. HUGS! Sqrl * * * Gasoline: As an accompaniement to cereal it made a refreshing change. Glen Baxter ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/13 "1999-12-01T06:46:00Z")
> [@](#): > > This just pisses me off. Homer, air molecules piss you off. * * * Back off, man. I’m a scientist. ---
**Author:** ![SqrlCub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SqrlCub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SqrlCub)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 1999, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/14 "1999-12-01T06:47:00Z")
Crap my tag didn’t work…I was saying infomercials. HUGS! Sqrl * * * Gasoline: As an accompaniement to cereal it made a refreshing change. Glen Baxter ---
**Author:** ![dgiddens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@dgiddens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgiddens)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/15 "1999-11-30T19:43:00Z")
I assume from JamesCarroll’s reply that he’s never been to a NASCAR race. They don’t interrupt their breeding for the races, they use it as foreplay. ---
**Author:** ![Nickrz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 1999, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-favorite-technological-inventions-of-the-20th-century/11576/16 "1999-11-30T19:50:00Z")
DON’T TOUCH THAT MPSIMS BUTTO