My Tech Rant

I would be so happy--

to never see another QR code

to never again receive a text from the Democratic Party

to shop with paid checkers instead of self-check aisles.

to have no need of passwords

Back in the day, late nineties, early 2k, I was reasonably tech-proficient.  I took a few classes at the Apple Store and wound up buying the first iPod on the UTSA block. Students were duly impressed to see a teacher walking around with earphones and listening to music on a little device they were just beginning to hear about!  Pretty soon they all had one, then the next year they had Mini's, the coolest tech gadgets for a minute or two.   

Now iPods are dinosaurs in the tech world, as am I!

You can't park at the Pearl or the airport (or just about anyone) without your iPhone.  Scan the Fricking QR code, then answer questions, then you're okay. 

Instead of learning HOW to do all that, I just don't go to those places if I don't have to--and when I do, I'm a mess.  I have to call the number on the posted QR code and figure out how to leave.

Even worse, so many restaurants don't even bother with paper menus.  Scan the QR code and read the tiny menu on your phone.  

As for countless yearlong texts from candidates from Maine to Florida, the Democratic Party isn't doing itself any favors--it's made me resolve never to give money to anyone online again, not even a fiver, because the damned texts proliferate like mushrooms on the phone.  I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one in this camp.  The number of incoming texts is torture.  You can reply "stop" and block the number, but once your number is out there, it's passed around like crackers at a party; you can't get it back. 

Joanne's --the sewing and crafts store that kept human checkers up to the end--is now permanently closed.

Michael's--who has only self-check-out, is (I believe) on its last legs.  It's not fun to go there anymore, so I have started ordering directly from Amazon instead.

I would be happy never to contribute to Jeff Besos' big store again, but it's too late.  We can't roll back the time and revive the countless stores that have gone out of business and switch our allegiances back--but I wish we could.