Ask HN: Why is today's Internet experience so user hostile?
53 by julianpye | 35 comments on Hacker News.
Ever tried to help a relative over the holidays to set up their home-banking? Lost in the juggling of your multi-factor device garden? Tried to get useful search results from Google recently to find yourself in advert hell? Longing for the old Amazon experience when today's seems like running the gauntlet of grey-imports and scam-price offerings? Logged out of a site for 6 months and returning to a completely confusing new site where nothing is like it used to be? Today's Internet experience has become user-hostile and it almost calls out for returning to the 90s: walled gardens aka Compuserve experience, dedicated devices for home-banking and standalone cameras. What has led to this experience? On the top of my head I can see the following reasons: * Release Often as KPIs for developers The release often KPI for promotion and bonuses has led to constant changes to 'systems that are working fine' to become ever-changing user experiences. While daily users can gradually phase-in changes, most sites that are casually used will confuse users with completely new error-prone experience. * Payment Security and Financial Regulations At least in the EU fraud has led to various tech-related regulation calling as an example for separate apps for IDs and for transaction verification. While it is well-meant, it leads people to check bank statements less often and anecdotally in my family confuses especially elderly users to the point of introducing more opportunity for scams and fraud. * Patch-work nature of ID & Verification Captchas, Two-factor SMS, password rules and Authentication Apps have been patched onto the original user/pass system. The experience has become truly annoying with some clear winners: anecdotally more and more people simply use Google/Facebook OAuth as logins to sites. This is fine from a UI perspective, but lacks consumer regulation - what happens if you lose your access and who can you contact if your accounts get compromised/scammed/blocked? * KPI switch from customer first to business model first Having gained their audience share, Amazon and Google have switched from a 'customer is king' perspective to one which suits their business model most. What are other reasons?
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