I enjoy a good Twitter row as much as the next geek.
We had a fun showdown this morning with some “unpopular” opinions. Some critical tweets posted about how Google is using gestures on the next version of Android. Some critical replies to those tweets. Rinse. Repeat. Good solid nerd fun, and of course I had to throw my two cents into the fray.
Unpopular hot take:
Significant changes to phone design should have come with more significant changes to navigation than just changing a bottom mounted button to a bottom mounted swipe. Just think, with pressure sensors in our screens, our entire display could be a home button.— Juan Carlos Bagnell (@SomeGadgetGuy) July 23, 2019
Now, I don’t believe this is a controversial idea. The most dangerous concept here is asking someone to consider the implications of using their phone in a slightly unfamiliar way. Geeks have become some of the most reactionary tech consumers when it comes to the notion of change, but I’ll have to save that for another editorial.
I got a handful of replies. Some folks agreed, some disagreed, but I got a couple of replies that took me by surprise. Not people voicing concerns over their own use, but feigning concern for their family.
That could be noble. I know quite a few gadget geeks who really do worry about how a UI change might affect their family. The best gadget reviewers NEVER belittle a switch from Android to iOS or vice versa. Changes like that can be tough on people. Familiarity matters.
Alas not today. The justification was not pointing out the stress or confusion which comes from change. The big fear was their own frustration in having to deal with non-techie family.
“Use 3D touch as a home button? Yeah, try explaining that to grandmother!” Continue reading “Why do gadget fans hate grandmothers so much?”
