# Quit creating "smart" products that do things I didn't ask them to do! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 9, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-creating-smart-products-that-do-things-i-didnt-ask-them-to-do/356100 "2006-05-09T18:41:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-creating-smart-products-that-do-things-i-didnt-ask-them-to-do/356100/61 "2006-05-13T02:11:33Z")
> [@Martini Enfield](#): > > You know, I’ve always found people (especially in the US)'s reluctance (or refusal) to wear seatbelts rather puzzling. > > I don’t want to hijack the thread, but I did want to mention that I _always_ wear my seatbelt- even if I’m only driving a kilometre down the road, or out hunting in a 4WD on private property. I feel naked and uncomfortable without it when I’m in a car. Yeah it’s definitely safer, not many people would debate that. But Americans value personal choice and freedom, and many don’t like too much nannying from the government (unless it’s in the name of anti-terrorism :mad:). Maybe it’s a stubbron resistance that goes all the way back to our independence from England. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-creating-smart-products-that-do-things-i-didnt-ask-them-to-do/356100/62 "2006-05-13T02:38:44Z")
> [@Hunter Hawk](#): > > Sorry. What I meant was, “Please describe the steps needed to reproduce the problem, in excruciating enough detail that either a drug-addled howler monkey or a Microsoft programmer, whoever is stoopider, could see the issue on his own system in order to investigate it in more detail.” Okay, that’s what I thought, but it seemed a strange question. Step by step: 1. while in MSword type a hyphen (just one, mind you) that does not connect two words like - or -" 2. autoformat replaces it with a slightly longer hyphen (blink and you won’t catch it) 3. Attempt to upload to a story website that only takes things in plain text and be bitched at by the program that every line your hyphens appear in contain “special characters” that aren’t recognizable. 4. open document in notepad and do a search for hyphens. Find none since notepad doesn’t recognize them as hyphens either. Scan through until you find one, copy and paste it into the “replace” box and type in a normal hyphen in the box for “replace with.” 5. resubmit story, and it goes through fine. (though, now I skip directly to 4, obviously) The problem is that they’re only minutely longer than a “normal” hyphen, so most people won’t notice unless they’re forced to. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-creating-smart-products-that-do-things-i-didnt-ask-them-to-do/356100/63 "2006-05-13T11:09:04Z")
> [@congodwarf](#): > > I’m with you on this. My last phone had 5 stupid buttons and even more menu options for things like internet access. I didn’t want them so I didn’t pay for them. So, I had all these buttons and menu options taking up space and confusing me. > > When I got my new phone, I paid $100 for a phone when I could have had a better one for free. Why? Bcecause the most unusual thing my phone does is text message. I didn’t want a camera. I didn’t want an MP3 player. I don’t need internet access or games or any other kind of downloadable crap. That’s why I have a computer at home. The only reason I got the texting is because I detest actually talking on the phone. Hear, hear! I had a cellphone that worked very well for many years and I was pretty happy with it. I’d either dial or look up a number, make the call, talk, hang up. Very nice. Of course, it couldn’t last forever. Only about five years. I _do_ wish I had had a camera when I went to buy the new one. The customer service lady asked me what the final straw was on the old phone, what caused it to break. “I dropped it out of an airplane.” :eek: Actually, it wasn’t _that_ bad - the airplane was on the ground at the time and the phone hit the pavement under it. Sort of like dropping it out of a minivan. Anyhow, after that half the buttons wouldn’t work and the display was wonky. Anyhow, when she was listing phone features - apparently the only thing phones _don’t_ do nowadays is laundry - I asked her if she had any _rugged_ phones. Something sturdy and durable. Apparently, that’s one thing they _don’t_ make. And I really think they’re missing a niche market here for folks like me, and campers and hikers and hunters and small boys who play rough with their toys. I don’t use even half the features on my current phone. I did get the leather holder/belt clip, which does provide some padding (Yes, this one also got dropped out of any airplane, but this time the ground I was on was soft grass so no harm done). Unfortunately, I have now broken the clip part. But at least the phone part still works. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-creating-smart-products-that-do-things-i-didnt-ask-them-to-do/356100/64 "2006-05-13T11:34:42Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > 1. autoformat replaces it with a slightly longer hyphen (blink and you won’t catch it) 's called an “EN-dash”, because it’s the same width as the letter “N” (as opposed to an “EM-dash” which gets included when you type --) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-creating-smart-products-that-do-things-i-didnt-ask-them-to-do/356100/65 "2006-05-13T14:15:59Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I don’t use even half the features on my current phone. I did get the leather holder/belt clip, which does provide some padding (Yes, this one also got dropped out of any airplane, but this time the ground I was on was soft grass so no harm done). Unfortunately, I have now broken the clip part. But at least the phone part still works. Same boat here. I ended up with way more phone than I need. Or less, depending on how you look at it. Now, my Wife is in the market for a new phone. She will never learn all the bells and whistles. Not that she can’t, she just won’t use them. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-creating-smart-products-that-do-things-i-didnt-ask-them-to-do/356100/66 "2006-05-13T15:02:26Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > That’s only of severely limited use. That’s because Windows Explorer chooses to remember the settings with which you most previously viewed a folder, and uses that info when traversing the subfolders. So even if you have no intention of viewing the subfolder contents, Explorer can insist on showing you the thumbnails anyway–y’know, just in case. After all, they know what you _really_ want to do. Do you ever want to view as thumbnails? If not (I never do), set your view the way you like it and then in go to Tools, Folder Options, View, and click Apply to All Folders. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-creating-smart-products-that-do-things-i-didnt-ask-them-to-do/356100/67 "2006-05-13T18:09:08Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Okay, that’s what I thought, but it seemed a strange question. > > Step by step \ Gotcha, thanks. As someone mentioned earlier, changing the autocorrect settings will prevent this from happening. Then if you ever _do_ want to use dashes instead of hyphens, you can press ctrl+minus (that’s the minus key by the number keys, not the hyphen key) for an en dash, and ctrl+alt+minus for an em dash. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-creating-smart-products-that-do-things-i-didnt-ask-them-to-do/356100/68 "2006-05-13T22:51:43Z")
> [@Greenback](#): > > I drive a 2000 Ford Taurus that insisted on beeping when I didn’t belt in. Most of the time, I put on my seatbelt even if I’m just crossing a parking lot, _however_ my Ford F250 pickup drives me nuts with the “put on your seatbelt” beeps sometimes. I own a ranch. When I’m driving out in a field, jumping in and out of the truck, loading or unloading fencing materials, rocks, hay bales, baby goats, or whatever, I don’t want to be constantly clicking and unclicking the seatbelt. I’m only going 5mph or less anyway. I want a way to tell it to just shut up! Same thing with my wife’s Dodge, which locks the doors any time it feels like it. I hop in the Dodge, unlock all the doors, drive across the driveway to the shop, get out and grab an armload of stuff, and the hatch and back doors are locked! ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-creating-smart-products-that-do-things-i-didnt-ask-them-to-do/356100/69 "2006-05-14T00:58:36Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > Most of the time, I put on my seatbelt even if I’m just crossing a parking lot, _however_ my Ford F250 pickup drives me nuts with the “put on your seatbelt” beeps sometimes. I own a ranch. When I’m driving out in a field, jumping in and out of the truck, loading or unloading fencing materials, rocks, hay bales, baby goats, or whatever, I don’t want to be constantly clicking and unclicking the seatbelt. I’m only going 5mph or less anyway. I want a way to tell it to just shut up! > > Same thing with my wife’s Dodge, which locks the doors any time it feels like it. I hop in the Dodge, unlock all the doors, drive across the driveway to the shop, get out and grab an armload of stuff, and the hatch and back doors are locked! That feature , most likely has a fuse in the fuse box somewhere, pulling it will stop the annoyance feature, but you would probably want to check and see if the fuse controls other things, before pulling it. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-creating-smart-products-that-do-things-i-didnt-ask-them-to-do/356100/70 "2006-05-14T04:11:46Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Now my pet peeve is cell phones. I got a new phone that charges off a USB cable, and has a mini CF card in the phone. Great, this will make programing my phone numbers a snap. Right guess again. The only thing that I can download over the USB cable or via the mini card are ring tones and MP3s. God forbid that anyone might want to use their phone as a phone. Some engineer was so jazzed about downloading ringtones he forgot to allow us to download phone numbers easily. :wally No, that is a deliberate design decision, intended to make money for the company. They have software that will do this, but you have to buy it as an extra-price item. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-creating-smart-products-that-do-things-i-didnt-ask-them-to-do/356100.md?page=3)