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Comment by stragies | Hacker News Reader

Yeah, that tweet is click-bait meant to generate outrage clicks and follows. Most of the submissions on the front-page have -at best- incomplete titles.

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I'd have given the poster the benefit of the doubt but then they come out with hate-inciting nonsense trash like this: https://twitter.com/isislovecruft/status/1487947782585417728

I don't even know what to make of that anymore. Just because it's self-deprecating doesn't make it okay.

...do you feel attacked by the word 'nerd'?

I mean the tweet is putting the blame at the wrong people (it's a business decision after all), but I wouldn't go as far as call it "hate-inciting nonsense". You're not under attack.

I have a problem with the top reply being about bullying.

...what do you think "bullying" is?

The twitter poster in question, isislovecruft, has a bit of a volatile persona online. They have been involved in multiple controversies over the years. Not to discredit their work, but they seem to relish in the tech social media spotlight.

Jesus, that's appalling.

>hate-inciting

I don't see it.

yes, clearly it is the user's fault that their dishwasher wont work without an update.

As the GGP said, the menu can be exited without updating by scrolling down. The interface isn't intuitive, but it's not a hard block.

Agree, but I think there are a number of us that don't want a menu that needs exiting on our dishwasher.

Then don't purchase a smart dishwasher. I won't be purchasing one either, nor will I purchase a smart microwave or a host of other smart appliances. The person who made the tweet, made the exact opposite decision AND connected their appliance to the internet.

Sure, but that's a separate issue from title accuracy.

If the UI does not make clear the actions you are allowed to perform, it isn't letting you do something.

Eh. I'm not saying that bad or deceptive UI isn't something worth talking about, but I think there is a really tangible difference between something being difficult to find and being impossible to do.

In some contexts, sure. There's a step change between an appliance doing this--where you are expected to have limited capabilities--and something like a general-purpose computer doing this.

An appliance going "nope, I have one path for this" is, tbh, to be expected. A dishwasher washes dishes, and the idea that there is a secret-sauce way to tell it to do something it isn't actively presenting to you is not something a reasonable person is going to expect. It's why my dishwasher has like eight buttons on the top--it enumerates everything it can do. So if that appliance is hiding its verbs, then a reasonable person is going to assume it doesn't have any.

But what about not needing to do a software update when all I want is to wash dishes?

It would be best if most machines didn't talk to us, at all. Press a button: it runs. Nothing more.

buro9 has just explained that it will work without the update. The person in question also had the choice either to not buy a wifi enabled smart dishwasher, or not connect it to the internet. My own smart TV is not connected to the internet.

maybe I'm misunderstanding the GP - but they seem to say that they have the same dishwasher and that you can skip the update

... if you know the secret button sequence to break out of the menu.

I can't think of a good reason to have a network-connected dishwasher. I don't think I'd ever start it remotely, as I still have to clear the table and rinse the dishes. The washer gets started when I'm done loading it. I can check detergent levels while the door is open.

Pretty much the same for all my other appliance for that matter.

> ... if you know the secret button sequence to break out of the menu.

I did see the twitter screenshots, but as I don't own the device myself I couldn't really judge if the GP's instructions are readily apparent to the average user.

Also, I don't disagree with you. But the OP seemingly bought such a device and connected it to their wifi. Maybe they are living in a furnished apartment with pre-configured wifi? Anyway - thankfully we are not yet in an era where ones only choice is a connected dishwasher - can still buy used, older models etc.

edit: One would hope that you can factory reset the dishwasher to make it forget the wifi information, if it has been configured by someone else.

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