Pet Hates, and one of my biggest.

***Zardon*** · Jan 21, 2003, 08:35 AM

This thread kind of came into fruitation due to the fact that a friend reminded me on the phone today about one of my most hated companies, McAfee.

normally I dont get into flaming or talking about companies as the site owner of Driverheaven I like to try and remain as impartial and neutral as humanly possible. But this company really do annoy me. So much I thought I would post this here. I dont frequent the flaming section, as I would like a little bit of cival comment and debate on this.

So why do I not like Mcafee? Well apart from previously being a beta tester for their products for several years and seeing generally how abysmal their software is, something still sticks in my throat, let me recap.

Several years ago there was this bright, clever, small but effective company called neoworx. Most of you probably dont know them, some of you may remember a product called Neotrace.

Neoworx produced some great little applications, such as Neowatch (a 9x based firewall), and the above mentioned IP and site tracer, they had some pretty good support on their forums, and personally I loved their products.

One day Mcafee decides to come along and take over Neoworx, with a nice cash sum and all paid customers got an email stating the details with the assurances that we would be getting free updates for a new Neowatch firewall for XP, with updates to fix some timeout problems, incidentally this was in the process of being made when the takeover came into play.

Months later and several dozen emails, online chats with Mcafee agents, always the comments would be "sir, the free upgrades will be soon, its still going into operation", or some such BS like that.

My friend told me he got an email a few weeks ago (I did not), regarding a paid for upgrade to Mcafee firewall. He declined, and he forwarded me his email. My friend has quite a good grasp of the english language and basically he told McAfee to stick their substandard firewall up their ass, sideways and to swivel for a long period of time.

McAfee are just one of those massive corporations that gobble up creativity, good ideas, "improve" *cough* small optimised code into massive bloatware, and destroy everything good about buying and using software.

so what pet hates do you have? women who dont shave their legs? bill gates? Apple? lets hear.

kbleft · Jan 21, 2003, 09:12 AM

I think Microsoft gobbles up a lot of creativity. I remember a time when an aweful lot of programs on my computer were paid-for shareware. I bought them because they (1) did something useful, (2) did that something simply, and (3) did it well. Now most of the great shareware ideas have been incorporated by Microsoft, but they just don't work as smoothly, or nearly as well, as when I had a sweet little program. My pet peve is that windows was designed to be compartmentalized and customized, but it loses a lot of its individuality when EVERYTHING is integrated into the OS. I would really like a simple gui OS from Microsoft. Then I'll patron independent software developers for their good ideas.

reno · Jan 21, 2003, 01:25 PM

I hate how everyone tries to revive their ailing, crappy businesses with injuctions, sanctions, and anti-trust lawsuits.

Sun Microsystem, for YEARS, tried to get Microsoft to STOP incorporating Java in Windows...now, Sun is taking legal action so that they DO! What the hell?

Netscape sucks, AOL is losing out big...their CEO quits...QUICK! Anti-trust Microsoft! Maybe that will get us some free publicity, and force our free market into a netscape required market! Yay!

Hi, I'm Joe Blow Small Software Maker. 15 years ago, I made an open source CD Player...but now Microsoft has their OWN CD player, integrated even, in their operating system! I want some royalties! Anti-Trust!

Bah, obviously, people are buying microsoft products because they WANT to. Redhat is even available in in large quantities for less than 20 bucks...but people don't bother, because they have windows anyway! Netscape has crappy HTML implementation, and no one likes it anymore (because they used to have to pay for it) so why not use a FREE browser? Just because crap is integrated doesn't mean you can't add new stuff and take out other stuff, heck, I use XMPlay for media, not Windows Media Player...and *I* sure don't have any problems.

This crap is the same as Chevy saying they need their engines in Ford trucks because Ford is outselling them and creating a monopoly with THEIR engines. Come on!

Integration is like this: You buy a car. It comes with a cassette deck. You want a CD Player. You buy one, install it. It works. You happy. CD Player making company happy.

Windows is like this: You buy windows (or a PC with it already installed). It comes with Windows Movie Maker. You want Adobe. You buy Adobe, install it. It works. You happy. Adobe happy.

(edit: To add even more! Would you like it if the next mercedes you bought only came with a steering wheel? No tires (because you want your own, independant company ones), No stereo (because you want to support Pioneer), No engine (because you want to support some custom builder), No shocks or struts (because you want some custom ones)? Windows provides the basics, which is GOOD for the price you pay! Then, you buy what you need to be better....it's THAT SIMPLE!)

Why should I have to pay for or download programs that I only need on a very basic level? Should Adobe force Microsoft to bundle in Photoshop with windows because Paint is integrated into windows? Should Norton force Microsoft to include Speeddisk and Firewall because Microsoft bundles in integrated formatting and firewall tools? No! You buy those things out of necessity. If all you need is an easily hackable firewall, don't bother buying a new one! If all you need is Paint, don't buy Photoshop!

All these companies are trying to gouge the leader because THEY lost the competition. Aren't we capitalists? Isn't this a FREE market? When the government controls industry...isn't that Communism? I think these companies, and the judges giving them these rulings, are un-American.

Bah!

UberLord · Jan 21, 2003, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reno
Sun Microsystem, for YEARS, tried to get Microsoft to STOP incorporating Java in Windows...now, Sun is taking legal action so that they DO! What the hell?

As I understand it, MS signed a contract with Sun to ship a Java compliant JVM with Windows. MS rolled their own which - suprise suprise - wasn't 100% compatible plus they "extended" it a bit. After Sun complained to the courts about MS's breach of contract MS simply said (as they lost the case) that they'ed remove Java from Windows - problem solved. However, Sun went back to the courts saying that MS was still in breach of contract for not supplying a complaint JVM. Which they were. Now MS are being all arsy about it.

Sun's in the clear here. They're being a bit pig headed about it granted, but nowhere near as MS is.

tigerarmyAFI · Jan 21, 2003, 04:39 PM

one thing that i do really HATE is the luna theme for windows xp and/or future themes, and any of the custom themes i've seen. Luna makes me feel sick, its like "windows for pre-schoolers" or something, i mean do the buttoms really have to be that big? I will never use a windows operating system that doesn't support the "classic" theme. i can see myself using windows 2000 forever now as im sure ms will be planning on completely removing the classic theme from future releases, and i dont like XP as personally i think:
Win2k + unnecessary bloat + ugly themes = Windows XP.
By unnecessary bloat i mean massive use of hard disk space and the amazing amount of ram it chews just to have windows running, theres just no point in it for me, as windows 2000 has everything i need or want from an operating system.

DallasStar · Jan 21, 2003, 06:38 PM

My biggest pet peeve: teachers that cannot teach or teachers that do not know what they're talking about.

Example: My Psychology teacher.

How do I know this?: In class, when we were "learning" about classical conditioning (he requires us to read the chapters, but doesn't do ANY teaching in class), I said to him "Mr. ******, I need some clarification on what Trace Conditioning is. Could you please explain it to me?" And take a guess at what his answer was....... He said: "Oh.......... its like...... a traaace......... get it?"..... And then I thought "Is this guy really my Psychology teacher?...Not for just any Psychology class, but for what should be the most advanced Psychology class in the school?" How is it that a teacher can teach students a subject that the students are more familiar with than he is?

I find it absolutely ridiculous that people like this are able to pretend that they know what they're talking about and get jobs to teach students who depend on them for their own futures. Now.... my classmates and I.... what're we supposed to do for the AP and IB exams for Psychology? We're stuck with an idiot teacher and a thick book which we read and understand to an extent, but are not given clear clarifications for the parts that we don't completely understand or the parts that the book didn't define clearly enough.

digitalwanderer · Jan 21, 2003, 08:21 PM

Me biggest pet peeve is probably people who don't use their turn signals while driving. (I know it's a stupid one, but it's mine.

) I just keep thinking how many accidents could be avoided if people just used their stinking turn signals!

***craig5320*** · Jan 21, 2003, 08:51 PM

cyclists, man there annoying, get out of my way.

Frodo301 · Jan 21, 2003, 09:53 PM

I hate it when people smack their mouths chewing gum. On a more serious note old people driving 20 miles an hour in a 55 zone drives me nuts. They should screen these guys as they age to make sure they are still able to drive a car.

HsuGotaQ · Jan 21, 2003, 10:07 PM

My biggest pet peeve is freakin girls wearing about a square inch of fabric on their most beautifully detailed bodies that bark at you because (as one girl told me off once) : "Your nothing but a farkin perve! Get out of my face you jerk and don't look at me!".

Okay, well it's not that bad (

), but the fact still stands that they openly barks at you because you looked at them. Good lord! What was she thinking "dressing up" like that. She could have been naked and I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. I mean woman's clothing is going one way, the hooker way. I've got nothing against the sexy look, but seriously a lot of girls are starting to look like the way the dress, hooker like (am I allowed to use this word?). There is sexy, but looking like your participating in a wet t-shirt contest automatically gives the males (or lesbians) the right to observe the marvel in front of us.

(sorry... left over from a bad night out clubbing last saturday)

Vampyromaniac · Jan 22, 2003, 12:04 AM

Quote:

"Just because I'm dressed this way, does NOT make me a ho'!"
. . . which is true gentlemen, just because they dress a certain way, doesn't mean they are a certain way, don't ever forget it
But ladies, you must understand that that is F-ing confusing.

That would be like me, walking around the streets in a cop uniform. Somebody might come up to me
"Oh! Thank god. Officer, help us! Come on, they're over here, help us!"
And I'd say "Oh! Just because I'm dressed this way, does not make me a police officer!"

You understand what I'm saying?
It's like, all right ladies, fine! You are not a ho' . . . but you ARE wearing a ho's uniform, I'll tell you that S- right now.
. . . misunderstandings can happen.

reno · Jan 22, 2003, 02:08 AM

Scientifically speaking, it's the guy reflex.

As in New Orleans. Girl flashes...guys grab at her boobs. The more we see, the more we feel it's okay to come into closer contact with it. That's why groups of hot chicks at beaches are drowning hazards.