# Things done to products to meet public expectations **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 2, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089 "2011-06-02T15:34:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/1 "2011-06-02T15:34:33Z")
I’m compiling a list of things done to products that have no use, other than that the public expects them to be that way. [ul] [li]Soaps, detergents and other cleaners have foaming agents added because people think foam=clean, but it doesn’t do anything.[/li][li]I heard silent vacuums didn’t sell at first because people thought they had no power, so vacuums had to be loud. They’re on sale now, so maybe people have wisened up.[/li][li]I also heard car doors are expected to sound a certain way when they slam, which prevents them from being made of composites.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/2 "2011-06-02T16:17:17Z")
I imagine food colorings will contribute a lot to this thread, e.g., all colas must be brown ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/3 "2011-06-02T16:40:00Z")
Here are some other old assumptions about vacuum cleaners, in regards to Dyson’s challenges in getting his into production: > **[How James Dyson Revolutionized the Vacuum](https://www.newsweek.com/how-james-dyson-revolutionized-vacuum-67039)** > > James Dyson is not afraid to reimagine the vacuum industry or how consumers see it. (Namely: they have to have bags and can’t have clear containers for the dust.) A lot of people expect antibacterial sprays and mouthwashes to sting. There are a few products advertising milder formulations, but you can tell from the commercials that they’re fighting the public expectations. And we all know that good cleaners have to smell bad. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/4 "2011-06-02T16:44:12Z")
This was in the early days of direct-to-home satellite broadcasting, when people were still used to seeing those two-meter-diameter, wire-mesh antennas in backyards. A company (RCA / Thomson?) had developed a much smaller satellite antenna that worked correctly. It was rectangular. People in usability tests and focus groups didn’t see it as a proper antenna, so they decided to change the shape to oval. (I’m quoting from memory, I read this in a book called _Usability in practice_, many years ago.) ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/5 "2011-06-02T16:44:17Z")
Anti-bacterial soaps. They are actually detrimental to good hygiene. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/6 "2011-06-02T16:50:24Z")
I guess the [“close doors” button](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/595/do-close-door-buttons-on-elevators-ever-actually-work) in [elevators](http://gizmodo.com/380741/things-you-dont-know-about-modern-elevators) sort of counts, too. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/7 "2011-06-02T16:54:25Z")
Boxed cake and pancake mixes. It is entirely possible to turn milk and eggs into powder, thus cake mixes could truly be “Just add water” and be perfectly good. But consumers felt like they weren’t truly cooking the cakes, and felt a lot better about having to add milk and eggs. (Yes, Aunt Jemima does have a milkless/eggless mix, but it can be really hard to find.) ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/8 "2011-06-02T16:55:08Z")
I’ve heard that boxed cake mixes require the cook (and I use that term loosely) to add an egg because it seemed better that way. ETA: _shakes fist at **tdn** _ ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/9 "2011-06-02T16:56:04Z")
I once worked for a company that made telephone switching equipment, and desk-top business phones. There was a steel weight added to the handset, to make it “feel” like a quality product, the theory being that light handsets felt cheap. If you’re at work right now, pick up your phone handset. It should weigh almost nothing, but I’ll bet it feels nice and solid and heavy, right? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/10 "2011-06-02T16:56:17Z")
Beer in a glass bottle vs. a plastic bottle. Beer is actually kept colder longer in a plastic bottle. Plastic is a better insulator than glass. But consumers, especially in the US, resist beer being sold in plastic bottles, because of perception. The glass bottle feels colder on the lips of the drinker than a plastic bottle, so the drinker perceives that the glass bottle keeps the beer colder longer, which is false. Bottlers will not switch to the plastic bottle even though, the plastic bottle costs the same to produce as glass. Results in less breakage and loss and lower distribution costs due to less weight. ---
**Author:** ![Oldeb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ea666f/32.png) [@Oldeb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oldeb)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/11 "2011-06-02T17:44:45Z")
The “click” noise for touchscreens was added because people were used to hearing the click of the keys on a keyboard and didn’t think the touchscreens were working. This one seems to be fading out as people get more used to them. My favorite is the [comfort noise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfort_noise) added to VoIP calls. To save on bandwith VoIP only transmits sounds that are over a certain a decibel level, the rest of the time they are simply silent. So many people thought the call had been dropped because they were use to the hiss of regular phones that they decided to artificially recreate it _on the receiving end_. So your end of the phone produces low level static when the other person isn’t talking even though there is nothing being transmitted at all. ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/12 "2011-06-02T18:03:00Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I once worked for a company that made telephone switching equipment, and desk-top business phones. There was a steel weight added to the handset, to make it “feel” like a quality product, the theory being that light handsets felt cheap. > > If you’re at work right now, pick up your phone handset. It should weigh almost nothing, but I’ll bet it feels nice and solid and heavy, right? We just had new phones installed a couple of months ago when the University switched over to VOIP. My handset **is** heavier than it should be. I weighed it and it is 183 grams. My cell phone is 128 grams and has more functionality than the handset alone. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/13 "2011-06-02T18:26:23Z")
[quote=“AaronX, post:1, topic:584089”] . . . [li]Soaps, detergents and other cleaners have foaming agents added because . . .[/li][/QUOTE] When laundry detergents first came out, people were used to using soap flakes, which had a large volume. The little bit of detergent you needed to add didn’t feel like enough. So manufacturers added inert ingredients to bulk the volume to match soap flakes. Decades later, people had forgotten soap flakes, so one company started adding less filler and advertising that their detergent was now so powerful that you could use a quarter as much and still get your clothes clean. Everyone jumped on that - save money with less material and lower shipping costs while looking more powerful. Ka-ching. IIRC, they’re still using filler, just not as much. I bet they use thickener in liquid detergents, too, because a waterly liquid would be percieved as weak. And they’re all either clear, white, green or blue. Can you imagine a red or brown detergent? I’m guessing the actual detergent is white when dry and clear when dissolved. ---
**Author:** ![TerpBE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@TerpBE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TerpBE)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/14 "2011-06-02T18:30:13Z")
The Jitterbug - a cell phone targeted to the ~60+ demographic - emits a dial tone when you open the phone and have a signal. Seniors apparently didn’t feel comfortable making calls unless they heard the dial tone first. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/15 "2011-06-02T19:14:08Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > IIRC, they’re still using filler, just not as much. **I bet they use thickener in liquid detergents, too, because a waterly liquid would be percieved as weak.** And they’re all either clear, white, green or blue. Can you imagine a red or brown detergent? I’m guessing the actual detergent is white when dry and clear when dissolved. I usually buy hippy-dippy, biodegradable, “natural” laundry detergent. Even after doing this for so long, it always surprises me when I go to pour it and it’s very thin and watery. It’s hard to forget about all those years of using really viscous detergent. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/16 "2011-06-02T19:20:46Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > I’ve heard that boxed cake mixes require the cook (and I use that term loosely) to add an egg because it seemed better that way. > > ETA: _shakes fist at **tdn** _ Try black bean brownies. No water, no eggs, no oil. Just black beans (purried) added to brownie mix. Bake as normal. Mmmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/17 "2011-06-02T19:47:53Z")
I’ve been reading [_The Big Thirst_](http://www.amazon.com/Big-Thirst-Secret-Turbulent-Future/dp/1439102074). There’s a section in this book that talks about the “yuck factor” of recycled water, i.e. sewage processed into potable water. No matter how clean the recycled water is, it’s never pumped straight into the water purification facility. It first gets pumped into an underground aquifer or a river, the same one that is used as a source for the municipal water. This adds no physical benefit, since the recycled water is cleaner than what’s already in the aquifer or river. It’s done purely for the sake of public perception. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/18 "2011-06-02T19:54:01Z")
A few years ago, food companies were producing tomato ketchup(catsup?) in colors such as blue or green instead of the traditional red. I didn’t think much of it and apparently no one else did either. I only see red ketchup for sale nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/19 "2011-06-02T19:54:40Z")
> [@Oldeb](#): > > The “click” noise for touchscreens was added because people were used to hearing the click of the keys on a keyboard and didn’t think the touchscreens were working. This one seems to be fading out as people get more used to them. The click sound is actually useful and functional; it provides a feedback, letting the user the “click” has been recognized. Without it, it can be difficult to find out if the device has sensed your “tap” on the screen. In fact it’s becoming more common to use [“haptic feedback”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haptic_technology) - which usually means the device vibrates very briefly instead of emitting a “click” sound. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089/20 "2011-06-02T19:57:51Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Try black bean brownies. No water, no eggs, no oil. Just black beans ( **purried** ) added to brownie mix. Bake as normal. Mmmmmm. Is this the same as ‘pureed’ or is it another food term I don’t know? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-done-to-products-to-meet-public-expectations/584089.md?page=2)