# This is not an SNL Skit. Maybe Technology is Bad. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806 "2019-06-20T14:28:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/1 "2019-06-20T14:28:50Z")
This [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BB6wj6RyKo) is real and is proof of that concept about how something is funny…gets stupid and if you power through gets funny again. Also, if anyone has to “reset their lightbulb” maybe they deserve to be stuck in the dark. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/2 "2019-06-20T14:47:12Z")
Just.Wow. Also, if you screw up the order and do 2 sec on, 2 off, 2on, 8 off, 8 on, 2 off, 2 on, then off and on again you enable the nuclear launch codes. It’s a feature not a bug. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/3 "2019-06-20T14:50:11Z")
I know a guy who’s brilliant in some ways but not in others. I’ve always said he’s the type of person who’d try and invent a better spoon. Maybe he was involved with this. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/4 "2019-06-20T14:54:57Z")
I reached a point where I thought I might start screaming if he said _turn on for 8 seconds_ one more time. What a bizarre implementation. Top comment: > [@](#): > > I reset mine by using a dumpster. ---
**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:** [June 20, 2019, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/5 "2019-06-20T14:56:08Z")
I don’t understand the outrage. If you don’t want smart bulbs you don’t have to buy them. If you do want smart bulbs, then you have to accept that they’re running software and may in certain situations need to be reset like any other device running software sophisticated enough to have a network stack. You don’t want the reset sequence to be simple enough to be triggered accidentally, and it is (hopefully) used infrequently enough that the length of the sequence isn’t a major issue. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/6 "2019-06-20T14:57:27Z")
This is a bad take, chief. If you don’t like it, don’t buy smart lightbulbs. People who do want to be able to control their lights from their phone or change colors or set up complicated systems of “Automatically turn the lights in the bathroom on at 6:30am, the kitchen at 7:00am then off at 8am then back on again at 5:30pm unless it’s a Saturday or Sunday then move everything up half an hour” need lightbulbs with software. Which means they need a way to reset it. Do you also roll your eyes at the “turn the car key to accessory then off then to accessory for 5 seconds then off again then to accessory for 10 seconds” processes to change whether one click of your key fob unlocks all the doors of your car or just the driver’s door? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/7 "2019-06-20T14:57:58Z")
You’re lost, **markn+** ; you went past “smart light bulb”. ETA: I see **Inner Stickler** joined him! ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/8 "2019-06-20T14:59:29Z")
I do not need a lightbulb that will trigger OCD. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/9 "2019-06-20T15:02:25Z")
> [@simster](#): > > I do not need a lightbulb that will trigger OCD. So don’t buy them then? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/10 "2019-06-20T15:09:02Z")
To clarify: The linked video is literally not intended as humorous at all, and is legitimately a real engineering process. Remember back in the day when parody of real life was possible? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/11 "2019-06-20T15:17:12Z")
**markn+** and **Inner Stickler** , a proper design would be “To pair the bulb with a device, press the “pair” button on the side of the bulb. To reset the bulb and unpair it from all devices, press and hold the “pair” button for at least ten seconds, after which the bulb will blink three times to indicate that it is successfully reset”. Under no circumstances should a sequence this long and involved ever be required, for any function. What’s that? There’s no “pair” button on the side of the bulb? That just raises even more horrible implications. What does it do, automatically go into pairing mode every time it turns on? Then it’s guaranteed to end up paired with a lot of things that you don’t want it to be, and you’d need to reset it (using this asinine procedure) often. Or does it have some similarly convoluted on-off sequence you need to go through just to be able to use it at all? That’s bad design, too. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/12 "2019-06-20T15:19:01Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > I don’t understand the outrage. If you don’t want smart bulbs you don’t have to buy them. If you do want smart bulbs, then you have to accept that they’re running software and may in certain situations need to be reset like any other device running software sophisticated enough to have a network stack. You don’t want the reset sequence to be simple enough to be triggered accidentally, and it is (hopefully) used infrequently enough that the length of the sequence isn’t a major issue. Maybe you don’t understand the outrage because there is none. It is just funny and stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/13 "2019-06-20T15:58:25Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > **markn+** and **Inner Stickler** , a proper design would be… I’m happy to allow that the design is less than ideal but as norman doors teach us, that’s a problem not limited to technology. Not being a software engineer in the lightbulb division at GE, I am willing to assume that if they could have done it a simpler way, they would have. As it is, they’ve kindly made a short and detailed video freely available for consumers to reference if they do need to reset it and can’t find the manual that came with the product. Or, you know, glory in your superiority. Whatever gets you through the day. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/14 "2019-06-20T16:03:52Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I’m happy to allow that the design is less than ideal but as norman doors teach us, that’s a problem not limited to technology. Not being a software engineer in the lightbulb division at GE,\*\* I am willing to assume that if they could have done it a simpler way, they would have. \*\* (1)As it is, they’ve kindly made a short and detailed video freely available for consumers to reference if they do need to reset it and can’t find the manual that came with the product. > > **Or, you know, glory in your superiority. Whatever gets you through the day**.(2) 1. Why? 2. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/15 "2019-06-20T16:07:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > To clarify: The linked video is literally not intended as humorous at all, and is legitimately a real engineering process. > > Remember back in the day when parody of real life was possible? Wait! that’s REAL? Or is saying it’s real the joke? I’m so cornfused. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/16 "2019-06-20T16:10:50Z")
I must be a luddite. I don’t even have a clock on my coffeemaker. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/17 "2019-06-20T16:11:14Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > 1. Why? Why not? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/18 "2019-06-20T16:14:09Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I’m happy to allow that the design is less than ideal but as norman doors teach us, that’s a problem not limited to technology. Not being a software engineer in the lightbulb division at GE, I am willing to assume that if they could have done it a simpler way, they would have. As it is, they’ve kindly made a short and detailed video freely available for consumers to reference if they do need to reset it and can’t find the manual that came with the product. > > Or, you know, glory in your superiority. Whatever gets you through the day. Well, if it was my video I would have just said “turn on 8 sec, off for 8 sec. Repeat 4 times and bulb will flash to indicate reset”. I sure as hell wouldn’t video the whole damn process. But then, I am superior. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/19 "2019-06-20T16:17:28Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Do you also roll your eyes at the “turn the car key to accessory then off then to accessory for 5 seconds then off again then to accessory for 10 seconds” processes to change whether one click of your key fob unlocks all the doors of your car or just the driver’s door? Yeah, because on my car it’s a setting on the dash. And my car has an actual key to start the ignition, not a fob that lacks security so that a thief can follow my vehicle until I get out, then steal it with a cloned fob. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806/20 "2019-06-20T16:18:05Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Why not? Fair enough. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-not-an-snl-skit-maybe-technology-is-bad/835806.md?page=2)