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Functionally retarded

Created 2022-06-29

I was interested in getting a deposit account, which would be

linked to my current account, for some reason. I walk into the

branch to make a casual enquiry, but decide that I'd apply online

instead.

My online bank account has the worst banking website I've ever

seen. It's pretty, for sure, but so slow and bloated. Stuff moving

around all over the place. I couldn't figure out how to actually

to have gone missing. So I'm probably going to go back to my

branch and open an account in person.

For about a week I had not been able to log into my online account

anyway. I don't know what went wrong. I was a little worried that

the bank didn't like the fact that I was using Linux or Firefox,

or whatever. I think it was just a case that their website was

more screwed up than usual. I was eventually able to get some kind

of login. I needed to verify my login via SMS. I received the

messages after the login session expired, though. I did

/eventually/ get things to work, though.

This is the typical case of prioritising looks over functionality,

something that those using Gemini or Gopher will never need to

worry about (mercy). Just as governments propose and militaries

dispose, I think we have a case here that management and marketing

are not taking input from developers themselves. I'm sure we've

been in these situations before, where those in charge are not

taking advice from the poor schmucks that have to implement the

ill-informed ideas.

This is all in complete contrast to when I was walking around an

airport one time. There were a couple of people sitting behind a

desk. It wasn't a check-in desk or information desk, but some

other kind. I don't remember its function. What I do remember,

though, was seeing a torn-off strip of paper. On that strip of

paper were letters on the far right, followed by information like

passenger name and telephone number.

Amazing. A letter code on the left-hand side, data thereafter. So

simple. You would be able to write a parser for that output easily.

No XML or any of that crap. It led me to coin the term "Fear of

the Courier Font". The Courier Font is simple. It is monospaced,

easy to produce formatted output. It has this strange corporate

aversion. We don't want straightfoward, we want fancy. And so it

goes. We end up with the most convoluted monstrosities because

plain and simple just doesn't jibe with these corporate

sensibilities.

Like that time Craig from accounting told be to submit a report

to my company's boss (it was a subdivision of headquarters). But

he said to make sure I tarted it up, gave it nice formatting,

because nobody wanted to see boring-old text that nevertheless did

its job perfectly adequately. Screw you Craig, I'm up to my arse

in alligators.

See. Fear of the Courier Font.

And that's what grinds my gears.