All posts tagged: annoyance

I almost gave up on my VPN until this tweak fixed the biggest annoyance

I almost gave up on my VPN until this tweak fixed the biggest annoyance

Published by skeptic

I use a VPN most of the time I’m online. It’s a habit, but it’s also a useful privacy and security boost in my day-to-day. But with constant VPN use comes a constant scourge. Fire hydrants. Traffic lights. Crosswalks. Motorbikes. The never-ending cycle of CAPTCHAs when you have a VPN enabled is immensely frustrating at times, forcing you to spend hours of your life confirming that you’re still not a robot… even though most AI tools can now reliably solve CAPTCHAs anyway. So, what’s the fix? I don’t want to stop using my VPN, but I also don’t want to have to figure out if that tiny sliver of bicycle wheel in the middle square is relevant. Related I stopped using browser VPNs after this—and you should too You should avoid browser VPNs for security and performance reasons. Why using a VPN triggers so many CAPTCHAs How many hours of human effort lost The problem with VPNs is architectural — it’s down to how VPNs work. When you connect to a VPN, you share an …

America’s Annoyance Economy Is Growing

America’s Annoyance Economy Is Growing

Published by Daniella Wilson

On a Wednesday evening in mid-June, Ralph Coolman, a small-business owner and accomplished athlete, set out to run a 5K in Ventura, California. He quit after a mile, and spent the next few days afflicted by nausea, indigestion, and exhaustion. His wife, Erika, a nurse and an athlete herself, figured he had the flu. But on Saturday morning, Ralph began breathing rapidly. She rushed him to an urgent-care center, where a doctor put him on oxygen and sent him to the emergency room. Four or five hours after he arrived, Ralph was dead of a heart attack at the age of 62. Shortly after, Community Memorial Hospital told Erika his care would cost roughly $270,000. “We always had insurance—always,” Erika told me. But when Ralph got sick, she was in the process of changing jobs. Erika initially did not opt to cover Ralph on the COBRA plan she was using as a stopgap, because he was going to purchase individual coverage. She later changed her mind and sent a check in to cover his premium. …

If These 11 Things Make You Fly Into A Rage, You Likely Have Unusually High Intelligence

If These 11 Things Make You Fly Into A Rage, You Likely Have Unusually High Intelligence

Published by Jenni Sidey

Being super smart isn’t always a gift. Sure, it’s easier to pass tests, and you might find yourself climbing up the corporate ladder faster. However, the downside of intelligence is often how many people or things seem to make you uncontrollably angry. The truth of the matter is that if certain things make you fly into a rage, you likely have unusually high intelligence. As the Davidson Institute explains, “The intense emotions and heightened sensitivities that come with being profoundly gifted can often lead to frustration and outbursts.” So while intelligent people may do their best to keep their cool and rein in their emotions, just because their facial expression is blank doesn’t mean they aren’t secretly seething on the inside. This is especially true for some particularly irritating circumstances. If these 11 things make you fly into a rage, you likely have unusually high intelligence 1. People who confuse confidence with competence insta_photos | Shutterstock If people confusing confidence with competence makes you fly into a rage, you likely have unusually high intelligence. It’s …