‘What is this for?’ I ask myself. Well, it’s obviously there to tell me what I’m pointing at; it serves no other purpose. But I already know what I’m pointing at. That’s why I’m pointing at it. I wouldn’t mind if it only popped up when I pointed at something like a symbol, the meaning of which might be lost on me. But it pops all the time - when I point at a picture, a post title, a bookmark item... Everything.
Why do they do this? Is it just part of the information overkill principle that’s been gathering pace over the last decade or so***, or simply a case of the technocrats becoming ever more patronising?
* A word I made up.
** That was brave of me, considering my accustomed dread at downloading any sort of software from the internet.
*** Something else that amuses me is the modern habit of putting journey time boards up on main roads entering cities. As if there isn’t already a dense enough forest of direction signs, warning signs, prohibition signs, advertising hoardings etc, etc to distract the motorist, we have to have:
Scrotumly 3 minutes
Ballston 5 minutes
Williville 2 minutes
Just drive, for heaven’s sake. When you get there, you’ll be there. A girl in New Orleans taught me that one. She was black, beautiful, laid back and dismissive of this idiot, anal Englishman who seemed to think he’d somehow get there quicker if he knew how long it would take. Quite right.
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