[LM_NET] TARGET: Featuritis??!!?

[Mary Ann Bell <drmaryannbell@GMAIL.COM>]

OK I have a penchant for exploring various maladies relating to technology.
In the past I have posted queries about technophobia and also its evil twin,
technolust. Today I want to find out about a slightly less serious
complaint...featuritis. While I am a recovered technophobe who does at times
battle technolust, throughout my evolution I have been and still am
afflicted by nagging featuritis. Featuritis, also called "creeping
featuritis" and also spoonerized as "feeping creaturitis," refers to the
tendency for devices to have more and more options/features crammed into
them, resulting in serious frustration on the part of users. Here is a fun
link:
http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2005/06/featuritis_vs_t.html

Here is my question: Do you suffer from featuritis, and if so, what
device/devices are most frustrating to you? Stories are encouraged. I will
start by admitting that I have a mental block about remote controls. They
always seem to have buttons whose functions I can never quite understand.
Sometimes when I hit one of these buttons, strange and unwanted things
happen. Since I would have pressed the button by mistake without even
knowing which one I hit, it is difficult for me to undo my mistake. This
leads to debilitating frustration. My weakness is embarrassing as well as
inconvenient.

I think it will be interesting to see which devices are most common carriers
of featuritis. Cell phones? Video/CD recorders? Software???

Thanks in advance, Mary Ann, who just today started typing with two hands
again after surgery for broken wrist.

-- 
*********************************************
"Try curiosity!"--Dorothy Parker
*********************************************
Dr. Mary Ann Bell
Associate Professor, Library Science
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX
drmaryannbell@gmail.com
lis_mah@shsu.edu

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