Looking for some Liberty

The trek through IKEA is rather stressful.  They've laid out the place like a course that they want you to follow.  Rather than go up and down rows based on my needs or desires, they would prefer that I follow their meandering course so that I pass every single thing they are selling.  Imagine if all stores and places were like that?

What if YouTube didn't allow me to search for videos that I wanted?  What if I had to do things there way instead of mine.  Okay, actually, they seem to be changing YouTube to force me to do thing that I don't want.  Maybe they took a page from Apple or Microsoft and decided that it's their way or the highway.

But I digress....as much as they will let me.

I just want some liberty.  We talk about freedom, but we really don't seem to have it.  Maybe Rousseau was right.  Stay inside the lines, have your quarter for your shopping car deposit, no substitutions with your combo meal, no you can't have those channels with that cable package.  I grant that none of these things is really that oppressive..... but they kind of are.

I don't think freedom is about doing whatever you want.  I do think freedom should not allow you to harm others, or even bother others.  If I believed that you should do whatever you want whenever you want without regard to anyone, then I wouldn't mind those annoying people on the bus whose crappy music bleeds out of their earphones.

No, I just want freedom from the people who could so easily give it to me.  I want to choose the channel I can watch.  If nobody wants a crappy channel, then it will go out of business and free up advertising dollars for someone else.  If I want to quickly blast through IKEA without checking out every piece of unpronounceable furniture, that should be my right.  If I want to have multiple names on my YouTube account, leave me alone.

Changes: Newer isn't better

I hate it when they make changes to things that I like.  New isn't always better.  Some things should be left alone.  Change just for change sake isn't really an improvement.
Why is this an issue with me?  Recently, they changed YouTube (again).  I get it.  YouTube is wants to remain fresh and relevant....but come on.  Yes, it is nice that you can watch longer videos...but that also means some people prattle on for longer than they should.  Sometimes it is good to give people a time limit.  Imagine if some movies went on four six or seven hours--even the Avengers would get tedious at that length.  A limit provides a good chance to edit. 
I would have put a remark about how less is more in the column but after watching Yngwie Malmsteen on a TV show explain that more is more, I will have to resist.  I agree Yngwie, more is more, but not everybody should be allowed to put more.
I used to love YouTube when after you watched one of your subscribed videos, or didn't want to see one of them, you could delete it from the cue.  Now they just stare at me for all eternity.  Some of my favourite Vloggers and JVloggers put several different series, but I don't want to see all of that.

Here is a few of they things I wish they hadn't changed.

McDonalds' Milkshakes

Yes, I get it.  They are healthier now.  Of course they are also more expensive.  If I were really concerned about my health I wouldn't eat at McDonalds. I go in there craving junk.  I know that drinking a large milkshake isn't going to help me towards my weight loss goal.  Please.

Used Cars.....Previously Enjoyed Automobiles

Change the words and you change to connotation.  It makes sense, but it is also a slap in the face.  You are trying to fool us, and we are not fooled.  If this car was so enjoyed, why is it in your used car lot....sorry previously enjoyed car lot.

Sizes of pop bottles

I could complain about the change from glass to plastic, but I am too late on that one.  Just why they decided to come up with a 710 mL bottle, I am unsure.  Basically that is two cans of pop.  When they had the 600mL bottle, they secretly changed that to a 591mL bottle, with no one being the wiser.  Maybe they will do the same with this one.  Remember when a 750mL bottle was good for three people, or three drinks.  I wonder what the current bottle is good for.  I am guessing that is a one person size.

As for the glass plastic debate....they couldn't make us switch our beer bottles to plastic, so I guess we won some kind of victory.

Windows anything

Here is a good idea, instead of trying to make it better by making it new.  Make it better by making it work.  Rather than release it half finished, release it when it works.

Your thoughts

I'd love to hear from you guys.  I wrote this rather quickly this morning, and I am sure that I will have many more thoughts over the coming days and will add to this blog.  Either way, I would love to hear what things you wished they hadn't changed.

Psy Versus Justin Bieber

I heard that there was a huge competition this week between fans of Psy and Justin Bieber to see whose fans could get the number YouTube views over one billion.  Fans of either of these two performers would log onto YouTube and view the video, thus increasing the number of views.  According to the media, Psy was the first to reach one billion.  Psy was the winner.  I wonder, maybe it is YouTube and its advertisers that were the winners.

I am in favour of competition, and am not bothered by this.  It may not be the most productive use of one's time, but I can hardly condemn it.  I spend my time writing blogs that only a small number of people read (for the time being I hope...) so I can't complain.  Certainly, it is interesting to see how far social media has grown, and how much it can do.

I have enjoyed other campaigns. The one that pushed Betty White back into the spotlight was especially good.  She is a hard working actress and deserved to rewarded for her years of hard work.  Besides, she is actually funny.

I wish I could redirect more of this social revolution to solve the bigger and smaller problems in our world.  I wish we could get more people behind gun control, more people to exercise their right to vote, more people to clean up their neighbourhoods, more people to spread good will, more people to realize that they can make a difference.  I guess I am motivated by Christmas and the positive (though sometimes overly commercial) message it brings.

Funny how this blog entry worked out.