# Things that infuriate you well beyond their actual importance **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2024, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712 "2024-09-04T02:18:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 124
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2025, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2461 "2025-11-30T04:28:22Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Me too! Who is Ruth and what on earth is a Chris steakhouse? Chris was the original owner, and Ruth bought the franchise. So, it is indeed- Ruth’s (as in belonging to Ruth) Steakhouse named Chris for the original owner. personally i do not care for the name, and the food is overpriced. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2025, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2462 "2025-11-30T04:30:15Z")
Ruth also hated the name. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2025, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2463 "2025-11-30T04:32:54Z")
(Johnny Carson) “I did not know that.” ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2025, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2464 "2025-11-30T14:03:16Z")
She did, but she changed it because the restaurant burned down and the sale agreement said she could only use “Chris steakhouse” at the original location. She needed people to know it was the same restaurant at a new location, so she added her name at the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2025, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2465 "2025-11-30T18:40:09Z")
Wikipedia has apparently decided to incorporate an “update”. It’s not good. Every time I open a Wikipedia page it’s cluttered up with junk I don’t care about. There’s a banner at the top, asking me to sign in to my account. There’s a sidebar on the left, with a menu of accessing other features. And there’s a sidebar on the right, giving me access to editing tools. This significantly reduces the amount of space that’s devoted to the actual subject of the page you wanted to read. You can close these various unwanted junk items but every time you go to a new page, they reappear. Maybe there’s some way to turn them off permanently but, if so, it’s not presented in any obvious manner. I feel I’m not alone in that the primary reason I go to Wikipedia is to look something up. I don’t give a damn about the software that’s involved in running the site. The software should be as invisible as possible. This is putting the software on display at the cost of the content. This is bad design. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2025, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2466 "2025-11-30T19:11:44Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Every time I open a Wikipedia page it’s cluttered up with junk I don’t care about. There’s a banner at the top, asking me to sign in to my account. There’s a sidebar on the left, with a menu of accessing other features. And there’s a sidebar on the right, giving me access to editing tools. This significantly reduces the amount of space that’s devoted to the actual subject of the page you wanted to read. I don’t see that. Is it possible that you have opened wiki pages on a computer in the mobile version? Because that has a different layout, and is indicated by an ‘m.’ at the beginning of the URL. I also want to note that wikipedia is a freely accessible, ad-free service solely financed by donations (which I’ve been giving yearly for the last ten years, though only small amounts, but every buck counts), and is under constant attacks from reactionaries and industry tycoons (you know who I’m talking about), so you may rethink if you’re in a position to rage about minor layout changes. ETA: here’s how a wiki page appears on my laptop, on Win 11 and Chrome: [![](https://i.imgur.com/QU4PRCP.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/QU4PRCP.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2025, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2467 "2025-11-30T20:03:51Z")
Wikipedia has five selectable skins, and numerous options for customizing the appearance within each skin. If you create an account, your appearance selections will be saved and used on all pages. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2025, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2468 "2025-11-30T20:10:27Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I don’t see that. Is it possible that you have opened wiki pages on a computer in the mobile version? Because that has a different layout, and is indicated by an ‘m.’ at the beginning of the URL. The url is https: / / en . wikipedia . org / wiki / Main\_Page (spaces added so this site doesn’t parse the link). No “m” and it appears to be the regular site, not the mobile one. I’ll readily acknowledge this may have been something I did inadvertently (especially if other people, like you, aren’t experiencing this). But the fact there’s no obvious way to turn this off is annoying. > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I also want to note that wikipedia is a freely accessible, ad-free service solely financed by donations (which I’ve been giving yearly for the last ten years, though only small amounts, but every buck counts), and is under constant attacks from reactionaries and industry tycoons (you know who I’m talking about), so you may rethink if you’re in a position to rage about minor layout changes. Which is why I posted in this thread. (I also donate to the upkeep of Wikipedia.) ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2025, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2469 "2025-12-01T02:22:36Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > ETA: here’s how a wiki page appears on my laptop, on Win 11 and Chrome: That’s how it used to look on my laptop. A week or two ago, however, that changed. The main menu, which appeared in the old view, and in your screen shot, as a hamburger button to the left of the Wiki logo at the top left corner of the screen, now appears in the left sidebar, above the Contents menu: Main page, Contents, Current events, Random article, About Wikipedia, Contact us, Donate, Contribute, Help, Learn to edit, Community portal, Recent changes, Upload file, Special pages. In the right sidebar, the Tools menu, which in the old view and in your screen shot is just after “View source” and “View history”, right above the , now appears in the right sidebar above the Appearance menu. It’s 29 lines, so I won’t repeat it here. And as Little Nemo said, I can click on the “Hide” buttons at the top of these menus to make the screen look like yours, but as soon as I go to a new page both menus reappear. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2025, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2470 "2025-12-01T13:23:14Z")
/highjack -My cousin just sent me an Oscar Wilde quote. I responded with H.L. Mencken. Just interesting that you choose to post about Oscar Wilde / ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2025, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2471 "2025-12-01T13:29:12Z")
That was just a coincidence. When I went to take a screenshot, I went to the front page of wikipedia, and it had Oscar WIlde as one of the articles of the day, so I clicked it and took the screenshot. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2472 "2025-12-01T15:51:52Z")
I think I’ve already complained about the EV solar that is installed. It’s all good really, it just not up and running yet. We are waiting on Excel energy to install a special meter. OK. I get that. Not their fault. But… the solar company just sent me a $500 check. Yeah, can’t complain I guess. But why did you send me a check with no other paperwork explaining WHY you sent the check? No phone call, no email, no text. Just a check in an envelope. Nothing else in the envelope. If I cash it am I blindingly agreeing to something no one has contacted me about? No, no, no. Talk to me dammit. I contacted them about this. Waiting for a response. Doesn’t seem right. ---
**Author:** ![Awb78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@Awb78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Awb78)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2025, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2473 "2025-12-01T16:59:01Z")
I live in MN, but my internet provider is based out of SD. Every time I use Google maps (not logged in), it starts me out in SD. Every time I do a search for a product in a chain store, is shows me the SD store availability. And every site that might have “adult” content blocks me unless i register w/ ID. My phone know when I’m in MN, but if I use my wi-fi, it does the same as if I were hardwired. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2025, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2474 "2025-12-01T17:09:04Z")
That’s cool. But it came in the middle of my cousin and I discussing philosophers. We are all over the board in our discussions. They can last for hours if we don’t just shut it down. To the point that ‘Shit, the sun is coming up, should get some sleep’. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2025, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2475 "2025-12-01T17:43:21Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > We are all over the board in our discussions. They can last for hours if we don’t just shut it down. To the point that ‘Shit, the sun is coming up, should get some sleep’. That’s really cool. I have many cousins I like very well, but I wish I also had a cousin who I could philosophize with like that. ---
**Author:** ![Sooner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sooner/32/7875_2.png) [@Sooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sooner)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2476 "2025-12-02T05:09:17Z")
My wife asked me to pick up her prescription at CVS the other day. Less than busy lady at desk asked me to enter her information on screen. Nothing under her actual name. Nothing under abridged name. Found it third time on nickname. That was much more painful than necessary, ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2477 "2025-12-02T13:34:05Z")
I’m not sure what you mean by “abridged name” or what kind of nickname you are talking about - but if they had her prescriptions under “Peggy” instead of “Margaret” that kind of suggests that all parties involved ( doctor. pharmacy,insurance) know her as Peggy. ---
**Author:** ![Cachalot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@Cachalot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cachalot)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2025, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2478 "2025-12-05T23:31:51Z")
Funny, I don’t have that kind of experience at my CVS. Must be something to do with the network at your local one. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2025, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2479 "2025-12-05T23:42:02Z")
Online ordering sites that do not allow one to set default options, but require certain things to be selected EVERY DAMN TIME. I do not trust Walmart’s delivery to manage sane substitutions (e.g., subbing non-diet beverages for diet, which is a problem in a household including a diabetic, subbing unflavored gelatin for sugar-free pudding mix), so very much want to just set the “no substitutions” option as my default. This would make for a much happier customer if it were easier to make sure I get the items that I actually need/want, so OF COURSE I have to find that none-too-conspicuous option on EVERY order or risk getting stuff that’s unsuitable for my purposes. Especially tricky when I’m trying to order delivery because I’m not feeling well enough to do my own shopping. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2025, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/2480 "2025-12-06T00:30:00Z")
> [@Cachalot](#): > > Funny, I don’t have that kind of experience at my CVS Not that kind of experience in what way? Like “they don’t have those silly kiosks in my neck of the woods” or “those things are the bee’s knees, snappy and so much faster than waiting for a person” If it’s the latter, and mine are pokey because of networking, then it was a mediocre software engineer who wrote the code: Anyone doing a network call for each keystroke needs to get some perspective on the relative cost of data access. There’s a cool table quoted in [this Coding Horror article](https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-infinite-space-between-words/) where a CPU cycle was scaled to 1 second and various other access times were scaled up. Memory access was 6 minutes. SSD access - 2-6 days. HD access - 1-12 months. Internet SF to NY 4 years (based on 40ms…reality would be double that, at 8 years). Based on that handy list of scaled latencies, it’s easier to see why putting network access in a keyboard loop, like for autocompletion, is a bad idea. Want to do it right? Put in a brief "quiet time " delay before making the lookup, so if the user continues typing the lookup doesn’t happen until they stop typing for, say, 200ms. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712.md?page=123) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712.md?page=125)