Item One : Frustrating
I did not want U2’s Sounds of Innocence album. I do not want it. I delete it from my library.
Over and over.
It returns.
(I’ve had to remove it from my device three times today in fact.)
The help pages tell me to “just” delete it from my device.
It comes back.
It says to delete it from my iTunes library from a desktop so that it won’t download anymore. I have.
It comes back.
It’s been seven fucking years and it just keeps putting itself back on my devices.
Apple Dudes: you push it to me despite ANY setting I try on my personal devices. It even shows up on my work device. FOR WHICH I HAVE NO CORRESPONDING MUSIC LIBRARY ON ANY MACHINE AT ALL, IN ORDER TO REMOVE IT THERE. Not that removing it there would actually work, but there genuinely isn’t a computer with related account to delete it from, so it’s not even an option…
So I’ll just be somewhere minding my business, not knowing it has downloaded itself (again) onto this work device that I put nothing on at all, and my phone will sync up and start playing the only album it can find because again I do not put music on my work device (or not by choice)— this album which I did not want do not want will never ever want.
Hey I’m sorry U2, I am sure you worked really hard on this album and I’ve no doubt there are people who really love it, but nothing is everyone’s cup of tea. And this is not mine. (And any stats Apple gives you on usage and downloads and “at least partial listens” is deeply flawed because it is ignoring that sometimes it does that all by itself. Whether we want it to or not. No desire or volition is required on our part. I can promise you some percentage of “partial plays” is people like me having it suddenly show up again and having to stop it and delete it for the umpteenth time.)
We complain to Apple and still we are just miserably and resignedly deleting it over and over.
And still it returns.
(There was briefly a way to theoretically remove it forever. Apparently that no longer works. Because here it is, unpleasantly surprising me again. Multiple times over.)
What the actual …? There’s malware that’s less pervasive. It’s like digital herpes.
So thanks but no thanks okay? It was a nice thought but I would like to pass please.
And if after this many years Apple has not figured out how to help us BLOCK IT FOREVER then maybe the good folks there are not very smart after all.
Which reminds me…
Item Two: Security Lapse
If I get a phone call I never want to see again it’s a huge PITA that I have to click into the contact and block them there.
This means at least some of the time, our human-sized fingers navigating on tiny screens are accidentally dialing these scammers.
So why there isn’t a swipe to block option is beyond me.
But it’s worse when it is an unwanted TEXT.
Now, sure, I can easy delete a text. No problem. But if I’m getting scam/offensive texts on repeat? Not just a text I don’t want to read today, not just something I no longer want and could unsubscribe from… stuff that no one has ever asked for and I never want to see even in passing and I need to be able to block. Better yet: block and report.
Now these days a text can contain malware that you don’t even have to click the link to have it attack your device. Just opening the text message itself can unleash hell on the unsuspecting.
So how do you block unwanted texts?
According to the brain trust at APPLE, apparently you just open that text right up and click around a lot until you block that sender.
Guys. Really? REALLY?
No, sliding into a separate folder of “unknown senders” is not good enough. When an obvious spambot is sending me digital filth, I want a permanent block. I want a block and report option for some of the garbage that comes through. I’m sure people getting trolled want this too.
Swipe option to block sender. Please. I have literally never wanted to PIN a conversation (which apparently you want me to, because that option is forever in the way) but I can’t block one?
What else?
TECHNOLOGY issues should be solvable. With so much that needs fixing in the big world, can someone PLEASE solve some of the small stuff, so it’s not such an irk? Nobody has brain space for this little nitty shit.
Okay so those are my top 2 tech related “this seems eminently fixable so why is this still a problem” items for today.
Do you have one to add? Comment up!
aka gringita 