Everyone has a technology pet hate; mobile phones, apple, emacs, nuclear power (a little extreme there?).
Just because you put up with it, doesn’t mean you like it. This month we want you to answer:
If you could destroy one technology, what would it be?
Just post your answer below (in the comments section) and make sure you include some identifiable information (e.g. twitter name) so that we can track it back to you. You have until Friday, 4th September to submit your rant entry.
For the lucky winner, they will win waffles with us as well as a one-of-a-kind hand knitted iPod Sock! Yes, that’s right, a custom-made, iPod sock to keep it warm in time for winter (because it’ll take me that long to knit …)
Don’t worry, if you don’t have an iPod, that’s fine; we can change it to a mobile phone cover, or some other electronic equipment.
What are you waiting for? Get posting!
StartupCafe 
I’d destroy the refined and synthetic strain of MSG (Monosodium glutamate). The public majority unknowingly consume this hotly debated drug everyday. Added purely for it’s addictive effect and slight ‘twinge’ on your senses around your lobes, it is added (under many different names) into everything from cereal to coffee and easily recognisable in your local ‘fast food’; Indian and Chinese restaurants, who knowingly overdose their customers. Many are accustomed to the unique pull of ‘snacks’ which can guarantee that once you pop you can’t stop!
It is a fact that MSG plays a huge role in the lowering of the western public’s dietary standards. Although MSG has existed in a natural form for over 1000 years it was not discovered and then later refined until the start of the century.
In America, the bush administration just pushed through to prevent individuals suing fast food companies for the adding addictive qualities to their products. Learning from the backlash of tobbaco, the fast food industry has prepared for the inevitable backlash from thousands of ill educated, morbidly obese 50 year olds who come to learn their hearts can no longer pump blood around their humongous body: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3500388.stm
Just posting to say I agree with Kevin — MSG and the likes is a pet hate of mine too.
The fax machine. Or at least those that insist on it being more legally binding than an e-mail.
Has always struck me as strange as the company I am forced to send most faxes to is non other than Google.
An honourable mention for the modem. A device that sits in the corner making scushing noises as the only way to get online is bound to make a fine musuem piece in due course.
Mine would be those massive headphones. You know, the ones that “broadcasts” music so loudly that you and the rest of the bus/public transport can hear a mile away.
If I wanted to listen to hardcore techo on my journey, I would have done it myself!
@Tim Barlow, if the fax machines were to be erased from history it would have hindered the rise in transatlantic communications between their advent in the 1970s commercially and the mass public finally buying into email in around 1996. I don’t think that is such a good idea. I think the reason that the are perceived as being suitable for legal binding than emails is because traditionally you needed a registered phone number and accompanying address. This is no longer always the case, but now since more than one court has successfully used citations from faxed documents as legal defense you inevitably going to be more secure with that knowledge behind you.
I wish this worked: http://www.turnofftheinternet.com/
CCTV
This technology should be destroyed immediately.
CCTV is used to grossly violate our rights as citizens in both the US and UK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed-circuit_television
Its used by governments to break the 4th Amendment of the Consitution — which prohibits UNREASONABLE SEARCH and seizure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_and_seizure
From Louisa:
Hand dryers. I hate them with a pure and entirely rational hatred. In fact all bathroom-related sensor equipment. When I’m in charge they’ll all be turned into plant pots. Except possibly XCelerators which make your skin ripple.
anything instrument that measures time…. especially the alarmed ones.
thats right! alarmed time measuring instruments.
The combustion engine should go. It’s been a very useful technology for the development of the modern world, but now we have an alternative but no incentive to switch to the cleaner alternative, the switch is just not happening. Hence, it needs to go.
Cell phones! I spent the last year living without one, and it made me less flaky, less late. I caved and got one again, and now I show up late (if at all), text when I should be talking to the person I’m with, and angst about people not replying. I hate myself a little bit…
Ironically I got it to stop people complaining about me not having one. Now they just complain I don’t answer the stupid thing!
Bathroom scales – to end those tedious discussions about the 5lbs that the world and his dog are trying to lose.
And microwaves – good for time mgnt, s**t for health mgnt.
I agree with Mike Clouser on CCTV and Bela Hamid on bathroom scales … what a waste of time and brain power discussing weight loss.
Who won this by the way?
worse than headphones, are the noise-making technological devices without them.
i would abolish anything that can make a noise in a public place especially the quiet carriage on the train. phones which play music, key pad beeps, mobile phones that make any noise, in fact, laptops upon which passengers watch films, laptops that make any noise, alarm clocks. naturally, i wouldn’t object to the development of similar items which worked fine in one’s own home.
saša and grega say the washing machine for similar reasons (the noise scares them).
I really dislike the horns that go off when one locks and unlocks one’s car doors using a remote. It’s so “alarmingly” loud. And, so self-serving without thinking about what others may be doing at the moment. How about just locking the doors without sound – like the rest of us?
[…] October, 2009 by Jessica Williamson We’ve been highly amused by the responses to our last competition, so thanks very much for your thoughtful rants on technologies you’d like to […]