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
register for an account. The advisors for their online chat seemed
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.