Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Cost-Increasting Bells and Whistles

It's endemic - if we had raised most of these younger folks to be self-determinant and accepting of personal responsibility, and to understand the creativity and self-growth that can arise from sensibly delayed gratification, there would be so much less market for the the bells and whistles. Too many of our progeny crave the stuff in order to feel indulged, entertained and "in".
Face it, a lot of us like some of this extra but unneccesary stuff and we go for it here and there - an aspect of our nature - but the flood of self-indulgent product/media/etc. today is beyond any anticipation. For example, when I visit family in MN in that frigid winter, I enjoy their heated car seats - for a few minutes. But, would never pay to have them in one of my vehicles. Wear a heavier coat !!

That truck photo above from ringworm is very good - right on the mark. The only new vehicle we have bought in 55 years of marriage is now 15 years old and anything "extra" ordered on it was practical stuff that would make it a better working truck. Well - it does have CD player - but we are musicians. We have a lot of other vehicles around here - every one of them over 40 years old and running great. Zero gadgets.

The only way I can begin to understand the popularity - no, make that neccessity - for our plethora of hand- held communication/internet gadgets and all of the "instant connection" stuff associated with the vast social media activity is that there are way to many unchallenged, undeveloped, un-responsible younger minds and personalities around us. But, we planted and cultivated the crop.

What I really hate is stuff that constantly talks to me, or worse, purports to read my mind and think ahead for me. Exceptions perhaps being certain safety features. And don't get me going on the ubiquitous beeping.

Worst of course are computers that seem to have to constantly tell the user what they are doing, in geek-speak, of course.

Can you imagine a vehicle like a computer?

Now your key is in the ignition.

Ignition is sending current to the engine.

Fuel is now flowing.

Whoops, can't start right now, run correction and try later.

(While driving) Your car has encountered an error. We are sorry it has to shut down. We hope you're not in traffic.

See list of FAQs for possible solutions (that probably won't work)



Paul

Just more chit to break so a service center. An fix it for you.
There is no true progress in the marketplace.
None.
You are a consumer. The purpose of the market is to enrich stockholders and grow corporations. If the company produces a product that lasts then there is no chance of a future purchase by the initial customer.
Planned obsolescence is the key.
The opposite would be that after 100 years of personal vehicles we could have solar paint, 6star crash rated vehicles that are user fixable.
But just like everything else, products are not getting less expensive e and more durable they are getting more fragile, complicated, and expensive.

Rubbish. Most are quite the opposite and run with a fair bit of wit. That said, we do take our work dead serious.

Mine doesn't talk, but does have useful information available when you want it.

* Miles left on tank of gas/oil change
* Gas mileage
* Tire Pressure on each tire
* Trailer brake control setting
* Backup camera and warning system
* Auto-dim rear view mirror
* Side mirror retractor
* Remote start/ Alarm system
* Satellite Radio

I DON'T care for:

* Seat belt warning bell (I disabled that.)
* GPS emergency locator system
* Bluetooth Connect service
* Navigation (My $150 Garmin is better than their $1500 option)

well then none of the rest of us understand your humor







note: original post was very tongue in cheek....mainly a shot a a couple friends here.....was going to school for geological engineering for awhile and now working for the state highway department i deal with engineers a fair bit.....

I like simplicity but I do like some things about my pickup:
power windows...I can adjust the air flow from the driver's seat
power mirrors...especially when towing
power locks...I can lock all 4 doors without having to run around the truck

One thing I hate...the backup lights on my Dodge pickup quit working a year ago. It's something in the circuit board that a dealer has to reset.

They are parked in the back or on an different lot where extra vehicles are parked. But to be honest I see more options for basic transportation from Japanese companies than American, but they make them. Even if your local dealer doesn't have them on hand you can get them.

The ones parked out front have stickers ranging from $45K-$60K, but you can buy a full size 4X4 truck that will seat 5 for under $30K. If you can live with a regular cab under $25K.

If you want a smaller Toyota or Nissan you can take another $5K off that.

I just wish they could make a dog-proof, door lock switch.

Whitey jumps on the arm rest every time I get out and hits the lock.



Keyless entry is awesome when you get locked out(3-4 times a week...).




Power windows and mirrors are the only way to go.

Would love a forward and rear mounted camera as well.


I fuuckin' hate the courtesy wipe, just get the mud streak semi removed and the courtesy wipe smears it all over.

I have the rear. I need one in the bed for hooking up my gooseneck.

Took it as that though this place routinely gives those with a college education and engineers in particular chit a fair bit.

once they got rid of leather main bearings, it really went to chit.

starter motors, too. fugging engineers..

who would want a motor that lasts 300,000+ miles, anyways?

RE dogs... Sam I know you are in rougher weather than we have but I keep a spare key in pocket or window down some with window lock on, since my remote locker died and I'm too tight to want to buy another, mostly cause I don't like the bulk in my pockets....

I've gotta say that I like all the fancy stuff on my truck. Backup television thingie, Bluetooth and remote start.

Beats the crap out of my 1969 Jeepster that drowned the distributor every time we went though a mud puddle. No kidding, the Buick V6 engine had a front-mounted distributor and it took a heavy rain through the fan to kill it.

I personally rather like all the things on modern cars. My late wife was 4'11 1/2" tall and with a commensurate weight and reach. Her shotgun and rifle stocks were so short we could find no recoil pads that could be cut down small enough to fit. The only things she wanted on a vehicle were what most here call convenience items and I totally agree with her. She had to have remote door locks and power windows to feel safe and she would go wild over the keyless entry and start on my Hyundai Genesis coupe. I live in Southern Arizona and summers without AC are miserable,either in the car or house. Although in a house you can make do with an evaporative cooler most of the summer till the monsoons. Where I live probably a large percentage of the vehicles are PU trucks. The only thing is I never see anything being hauled in them. My last full size PU was a SWB Ford F150 with auto and 5 liter V-8. I also had a full leather interior and never in the 5 years I had it did it haul a load of anything. Engines and Transmissions are complex today to serve a purpose not primarily more money. If an auto maker did not bring out improvements each year they would soon be out of business because no one would buy their product. The engine in my Hyundai is a v-6 with DOHC and the transmission is an 8 speed automatic that I have as yet to feel the 8 shift points it's so smooth. The engine puts out 350HP. I have worked with engineers all my adult life and find them no different than any other profession in their thought of everyday items. In fact my Grandaughter is a Chemical Engineer and one of the most logical thinking people I know. All on this forum obviousl have a personal computer,probably a cellphone and an Ipad and such and don't rant about the 'moneysucking engineers' who design them primarily to extract more money else why would you have to buy a new model to get new features they could design them to be upgraded Apple is probably the worst of the bunch especially with the new IWatch which will require a Apple PC of IPhone to work and the Iphone has to be an I6. Obviously no one on here ever worked for a living at a large corporation in any position above worker level. Absolutely have no idea of what effective cost planning is. Just one old mans personal views of life in these United States.

Only issues I have with design engineers is that they often fail to take into consideration other parts of projects.

Spark plugs where you can't get to them, or have to raise the engine... same with water pumps and the like.

Or in building design, I get it you have sized your duct to 18 inches. But even though you drew it through the truss, the truss openings are no larger than 12 inches... that happens ALL the time.
Or 2 inch pipe from A to B. Copper. And no way to get there. So the plumber goes to put it where it has to go and they pitch a fit, don't want to furr anythign out to cover it.
Ok so lets reroute it... but it now is so long it goes over the design frame for that size and has to be sized up... or even a circ pump put on the hot water etc....

Left and right hands do not jive.

The most brilliant problem solver I know though... a great friend.... does all kinds of structural solves, mechanical solves etc.. even has mostly a robot set of arms do all the work on loading his ammo except pull the big lever... He is.. a ...Chemcial engineer... I keep telling him he missed his field.... He mutters somethign about wage differences...

Yes, it's called the Marketing Department.

Try putting the hole in the foundation wall, not the footing.

I posted this on the wrong topic and covered my mistake on the other post after I deleted my post.

I.want the dimmer switch put back on the floor where it belongs, dammit!!