this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2023
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I've loved Technology Connections ever since I saw his riveting hour long video on dishwashing detergent. I don't even have a dishwasher.
I used to think dishwashers were kinda rubbish before I watched his video and learned how they actually work and the best way to use them. I recommend that video to lots of people now. Great channel.
I'm still a bit annoyed on how my parents reject dishwashers as a result of the last one being kind of shit.
It didn't help that they decided to replace the rinse aid with vinegar because "it's cheaper and works just as well as regular rinse aid" no. It did not. It was terrible.
They never went for dishwashing tablets or name brand detergents because of the price either. But they failed to understand what the pre-wash section means, telling me off if I tried to use it, or explain why it makes sense to use it.
I love my parents, but they can be frustrating to deal with when it comes to tech. Dad knows just enough to be dangerous, (as a result he's first port of call for tech support) with mum, if you get frustrated when trying to help or to correct a mistake she's about to make she'll tell you to stop acting like a know it all, despite the fact you're getting frustrated because she's not listening to you properly.
God forbid if they find out that I learned something from someone on the internet because "you can't trust it" and then they'll be even more frustratingly non compliant - a YouTube video, even a well sourced one (in the case of the dishwasher, a primary sourced one) they can still find flaws - "he cut a window in there, and it's a different model therefore it's not going to perform the same, so I don't trust it"
I understand it's necessary to question anything, but why when it comes to tech are they more cynical than me - someone who uses tech for a living? They trust me completely for information regarding buying, building and repairing computers, and software/ software alternatives, letting me do research for them, but that's about it - despite the fact that I do all that research on the internet. And they're also constantly amazed at all the weird bits of trivia and fact I know, again from the internet.
But the moment its got something to do with what they're doing, the internet isn't trustworthy enough. It's fucking stupid. I get that I don't know everything, but I understand how to navigate the internet enough to find the information thats needed, and usually it is reliable.
Yeah, there's my rant for the day.
That is a massive pain in the ass, damn
Is it the, "I will always be older and wiser than my children" attitude or the, "I will never bother to learn anything new because everything I ever needed to know was learned a long time ago" attitude?
They're both annoying but the second one seems to be much harder to overcome. They'll take in new information from random talking heads on television and believe that outright (even if it's laughably untrue) but if they buy a new appliance they will absolutely not--under any circumstances--read the manual or even glance at the quick reference guide. They will also not watch a video about it or ever bother trying to learn about the thing they just bought. Once they figure out where the time/temperature controls are and where the "start/on" button is that is literally the only thing they'll see on that appliance from now until it breaks.
DIY? They did that a long time ago so "now they don't have to" and that attitude apparently means that the TV "should just work (damnit!)" and the microwave, dishwasher, etc dozens of extra buttons and impressive features will never be used. Any given device will have a specific feature that solves the very problem they'll be complaining about but even after showing them how to use it they never will (and you'll catch them complaining about their problem not being solved again and again).
Another thing that really irks me: If they find they need a new they will purchase the they saw advertised on television! This sets off all my alarm bells that they're likely to fall for scams. I don't know if it's generational but if I see a product regularly advertised on TV I just instinctively want to avoid that product. My gut tells me, "if they need to advertise that much then it's clearly not the best".
Aside: What's also infuriating is that it isn't like some religious nonsense that other people can excuse old people's attitudes with. Like, "Oh my dad was raised in a very conservative, religious household so that's why he doesn't trust " or it explains why they think a particular way. With my parents--who rarely ever attended church--it's like, "How did we get here‽" LOL
He became one of my favorites after he got me to enjoy a half-hour video on storm lanterns. Dude has some serious charisma and really good investigative skills.
@Awesomejt @TechConnectify @Rentlar @SilentStorms A few years ago there was a thread on Twitter that basically came down to: either you have a Bosch dishwasher, or you need to study how to properly fill it if you want clean dishes.
I have a Bosch dishwasher, and it's still really helpful to follow the directions they provide on loading. IDK if it's a "German" thing, but they have very specific instructions, and everyone in the house is constantly like "why do you get the best results" and I'm like - I read the manual and don't think that if you "bob load" the dishwasher (stack things 3 items deep and jam in anything you can fit without hitting the arms) it'll work the best. I would have thought that if you block the water spray with a bowl, a plate on top if it won't get clean, but what do I know?
It's amazing how normalized it is to not read, or follow, the manual given to you specifically to teach you how to use the thing you bought properly... Then complaining it doesn't work well.
No shit, you don't use it how the literal manufacturers tell you how to use it! Haha
I switched to powder detergent and found mine doesn't work as well with it... I don't know why.
Probably because your dishwasher wasn't engineered to work with powder detergent. I bought a Bosch dishwasher a few years ago and I read the manual where it specifically stated that even though it supports powder and liquid detergents it was designed to work with dishwasher tabs so that's what they recommend.
I can't help but wonder if people buy a new dishwasher--made for a completely different kind of cleaning substance--then continue their old (powder) ways and wonder why it doesn't work as well as the old one.
Note: My Bosch dishwasher's manual had notes in it about powder like, "if you're going to use powder don't use the 'Auto' mode..." and instead you should follow their instructions in regards to things like pre-rinse and how long you should wait before running the dishwasher (like, with powder I think the goal was to make sure everything stays wet before starting but I forget).
Yes, No way i knew that i needed to know all that info on detergent :P
It changed the way I wash my dishes
Same. Love this guy. His video about how those roll-around "portable" HVAC units being hot garbage made me both upset I had ever used one, and also excited about the future of heat pumps... then he started doing more videos on heat pumps!
To be fair to portable AC, they are inefficient but functional, and you can improve their efficiency with a variety of methods such as insulating the tubes.
He definitely didn't make me upset for having a portable AC unit. It's... not power efficient, but it does keep my house cool enough to work in on the worst days.
He did sell me on heat pumps, though. I'm hoping to have one installed this fall, which will remove my need for that big luggin' AC unit entirely and totally get my house off of oil.
He actually might be wrong about the efficiency of the single-duct models, too. I read a counterargument that they actually work more efficiently than the dual-duct kind due to the fact that they're dumping heat into cooler indoor air to vent rather than trying to further heat up already-hot outdoor air. True, it causes some outdoor air to come inside in the process, but you're going to want some degree of air exchange anyway.
The newer systems for rating the efficacy of these units may ultimately account for all this. They basically make a mockup of a standard room and hot outdoor space, run the unit in it for a period of time, and then measure how much electricity was used to cool the interior by X degrees. Ultimately that's all that really matters - how much electricity gets turned into how much of a drop in indoor temperature.
That video has become required watching material / hazing ritual for new roommates. Mostly for the detailed explanation on the importance of pre-wash soap, but also for the tips on preheating the water.
I watched that video (twice) before ever owning a dishwasher. I bought a house this year which has one, and if I hadn’t watched his video I would have continued hand washing, believing it to be better! I live by myself so it does feel silly having to wait days before I have enough of a load, but he’s right even that days-old stuff comes off fine.
This is exactly the video that first got me started on the channel as well. It randomly came up in my YouTube feed and I let it play... then have since watched dozens of these fascinating, boring, videos.
Same, I ate that video up. Dishwashers are a rich people commodity in my country.
That video of his solved all my woes of using my dishwasher lmao