Proposal for new News Contents

[Griffin NoName]

I am setting up a pressure group for the News to stop containing stuff about wars and famines and political stuff and global warming and well anything which is of little interest to the real world.

Instead I propose all News channels carry headlines of the day's Global technology changes and how to cope.

First up:

Phone providers scupper length of ringing before divert to voicemail and make it user set by code and not fixable by provider.


Suggestions please.

[pieces o nine]

Second up: shops changing to 'check yourself out' bots which imperiously bark orders such as:

SCAN LOYALTY CARD NOW.
[*loyalty* card? I'm not pledgin no legions to this store.]

SCAN FIRST ITEM NOW.

PLACE ITEM IN BAG NOW.
PLACE ITEM IN BAG NOW!
PLACE ITEM IN BAG NOW!!
[even if it is *one* item, already in a bag or having a handle. I don't *want* five trillion plastic bags under the sink or in the landfill.]

DO YOU HAVE COUPONS.
SELECT MODE OF PAYMENT.
SUBMIT COINS IN COIN SLOT BEFORE SUBMITTING BILLS IN BILL SLOT.
TAKE YOUR RECEIPT.
TAKE YOUR BAG AND LEAVE.
NOW.
[Solution: put item in dambag, pay at bot prompt, then yank item out of flimsy plastic bag, and walk quickly -- but casually -- past armed security guard. ha-HA!]


phew. should this have gone into the 'rant' section?

[beagle]

Suggestions please.

Buy an anorak and join us.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/

You know you want to...

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Second up: shops changing to 'check yourself out' bots which imperiously bark orders such as:

SCAN LOYALTY CARD NOW.
[*loyalty* card? I'm not pledgin no legions to this store.]

SCAN FIRST ITEM NOW.

PLACE ITEM IN BAG NOW.
PLACE ITEM IN BAG NOW!
PLACE ITEM IN BAG NOW!!
[even if it is *one* item, already in a bag or having a handle. I don't *want* five trillion plastic bags under the sink or in the landfill.]

DO YOU HAVE COUPONS.
SELECT MODE OF PAYMENT.
SUBMIT COINS IN COIN SLOT BEFORE SUBMITTING BILLS IN BILL SLOT.
TAKE YOUR RECEIPT.
TAKE YOUR BAG AND LEAVE.
NOW.
[Solution: put item in dambag, pay at bot prompt, then yank item out of flimsy plastic bag, and walk quickly -- but casually -- past armed security guard. ha-HA!]


phew. should this have gone into the 'rant' section?

Ben there, done that.

Only the thing that often trips ME up is the "Skip bagging Y/N?" question.

I'm not paying attention as long as it beeps at the right time-- and this stupid question for EACH purchase.... I randomly jab the screen-- 1 in 2 times, I hit "Y" but put it into the bag anyway....

Prompting the idiot-in-charge requirement to come over and reset the idiotic screen, as it begins to SCREAM "EXTRA ITEM IN BAG" ....

It took several mistakes, before I realized what the stupid question MEANT.  Duuhh.  It allows one to put an item directly into the shopping trolley/cart.   

Now, I put my bags there initially, and press "Y" for each item... then, I NEVER  have the weight-check-in-the-bag thingy fail.

I'm such an anarchist...! 

[Griffin NoName]

You can confuse ours by getting cash back. They can't do it without a human.

[beagle]

That's probably the banks. They really hate parting with money these days.