# Poor designs in everyday life **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 10, 2019, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-designs-in-everyday-life/832358 "2019-04-10T21:36:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-designs-in-everyday-life/832358/201 "2019-05-05T16:28:42Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > …Also, my oven displays not just the time, but also the date and year. Which isn’t a problem, exactly, it’s just… why? I can top that: My microwave oven DOESN’T display the date and year. But every time the power is interrupted, it makes me SET the date and year before I can use it. That’s right, I need to set a number that has no function and isn’t displayed anywhere. I think it was used for the higher-priced oven in the same line that had a delayed-cook feature, or kept “to do” notes, or something. But it’s awfully annoying that every time the power flickers, or that circuit breaker is turned off, I need to set the date. Every time I set it, it happens to be 11/11/11, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-designs-in-everyday-life/832358/202 "2019-05-05T17:48:52Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I can top that: My microwave oven DOESN’T display the date and year. But every time the power is interrupted, it makes me SET the date and year before I can use it. That’s right, I need to set a number that has no function and isn’t displayed anywhere. I think it was used for the higher-priced oven in the same line that had a delayed-cook feature, or kept “to do” notes, or something. But it’s awfully annoying that every time the power flickers, or that circuit breaker is turned off, I need to set the date. > > Every time I set it, it happens to be 11/11/11, by the way. If it displays time it probably wants the date and year because of daylight savings time. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-designs-in-everyday-life/832358/203 "2019-05-05T17:53:47Z")
Pretty crappy anyway, since DST works differently in different locations and you can’t tell in advance when will a government decide to change how it works. > [@BigT](#): > > I guess I’m the only one who flushes by standing to the side of the toilet, so my right arm doesn’t cross anything? To do that in my bathroom you’d need to stand on the sink, or inside the shower. If you were in the shower you’d have to put your arm through the glass. Bit complicated. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-designs-in-everyday-life/832358/204 "2019-05-05T18:55:49Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > To do that in my bathroom you’d need to stand on the sink, or inside the shower. If you were in the shower you’d have to put your arm through the glass. Bit complicated. Me, too. Although mine is a tub/shower, so no glass. Bit of a pain to climb into the tub every time I want to flush , though. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-designs-in-everyday-life/832358/205 "2019-05-06T03:49:34Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > If it displays time it probably wants the date and year because of daylight savings time. I don’t think so. If that were the case, it would change time by an hour sometime. And it never has. I think it’s just a design flaw. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-designs-in-everyday-life/832358.md?page=10)