Bug List

What are some things that "bug" me? Throughout the course of a few days, I took note of some aspects of daily life that I found to bother me. Some are reasonable, some are frivolous.

1. The bus-tracking app is sometimes inaccurate; the inaccuracy of a bus’s arrival time could mean the difference between being late for a meeting or a class.

Why? Inaccurate tracking and timing in the app could be due to a programming error. This programming error could be improved through a software update.

2. I can only park far away from certain buildings on campus because I can only buy the Park & Ride decal.

Why? Undergraduate students living off-campus are only eligible for Park & Ride decals. I wouldn’t mind that aspect, but sometimes the bus tracking unreliable. Refer to #1.

3. When the stovetop indicates that there is a hot burner but isn’t specific about which one. As someone who sometimes uses different burners when cooking a dish from scratch, this can be a little confusing.

Why? This probably was just a design aspect. Why? The company probably thought a more specific indicator would increase the cost, thus not choosing to include it in the design in order to keep the price low enough for customers.

4. When I’m using UF Wi-Fi to work on an assignment, then it suddenly disconnects.
Why? This could be a technical issue. It is sometimes quickly resolved by resetting the Wi-Fi adapter, however that’s only an occasional solution. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

5. When somebody cuts me off without using their signal when I’m driving.

Why? Either they’re in a rush to get to their destination or they’re just inconsiderate.

6. When I’m watching a lecture online and my laptop’s fan suddenly goes into high power and the CPU processor utilization goes to 100% then drops to normal levels.
Why? This could be a technical issue, but I figured that a laptop from a top company like Microsoft should have a simple fix for this. I haven’t found a solution for this yet.

7. When I have to repeat something to someone when I’m talking to them one-on-one.

Why? That person was probably focused on something else that they deem more important. This one does not bug me as much as the other items on the list.

8. When I am caught walking behind a group of people who occupy the whole width of the sidewalk.

Why? The people in the group are probably caught up in their conversation to notice anyone walking behind them. I also don’t want to seem awkward and interrupt their conversation.

9. Receiving Facebook notifications to play some random mobile game.

Why? The notifications are probably automated by the game’s app. Otherwise, people wouldn’t choose to invite as many Facebook friends to play some Facebook game.

10. When students are not able to choose which charge to pay online. Rather, any online payment is allocated towards the oldest charge.

Why? Someone who designed the system thought it would be simple for students and would reduce potential late payments.

11. When people leave their keyboard sounds on their phones in a quiet environment.

Why? People who do this probably don’t mind the keyboard sounds therefore don’t consider what other people in the room think of it.

12. Trying to avoid driving over potholes on a busy road.

Why? Potholes are caused by water weakening the soil beneath the road pavement. I try to avoid driving over them to prevent wear and tear on my vehicle.

13. When the end of an iPhone charger cord gets easily damaged.

Why? The material used to coat the wire isn’t very durable to bending.

14. When the audio for some TV commercials is noticeably louder than the shows being watched.

Why? Either, the show’s audio is lower than normal or the advertisement believes that louder audio grabs the audience’s attention. To do the latter, the advertiser could process the audio to make every part of it as loud as possible within FCC legal limits.

15. A lack of reasonably placed speed limit signs on an unfamiliar road.

Why? Drivers who are more familiar with the road already know what the implied speed limit is. However, someone who’s unfamiliar with the speed limit is just left to guess until they find a sign or could risk getting a speeding ticket.

16. When a public restroom is out of paper towels and I just washed my hands.

Why? This one can be explained simply by many people using the bathroom within the intervals of whenever the paper towels get replaced by new ones.

17. When pens used to write on a receipt at a restaurant are out of ink.

Why? The restaurant staff probably do not consider ink in the pens to be of the high priority. That’s understandable, but sometimes it’s awkward writing on a receipt with a dry pen.

18. When the wind in a storm is able to bend an umbrella I’m using.

Why? The design and / or material of the umbrella is not durable to certain wind speeds.

19. When a shoelace becomes untied while walking on a busy sidewalk.

Why? This could either be a design flaw of the shoelace or me not tying a decent knot at the time. If it’s the latter, this could be solved by simply taking more time to tie the knot and actually making sure it’s durable.

20. A few times, my laptop randomly decides to restart install new updates when I turn it on.

Why? This could either be a technical problem or my laptop’s software was purposely designed to do randomly install new updates when I turn it on.

As I began compiling the list, I found it easy to record a few technical difficulties that bothered me on occasion. Once those were completed, I definitely encountered “writer’s block”. I eventually came up with more things that bothered me, but while I was writing them, I thought to myself, “Is it reasonable to complain about such a thing?” It was certainly more difficult to find different items to add to the list towards the end. Since I found it difficult to record new items after recording the “technical difficulties” on my list, I suppose that I base most of my perspectives on potential improvement for technology, rather than applying that perspective to other aspects of daily life.