Electronic lifestyle: on the spot

Self-tutoring about the wonderful trend of having to answer new questions to use a device or app.

I can’t imagine I’m alone in noticing that, especially during the past year, I’m sometimes pressured for answers when I want to use my device.

I’m not going to mention specific operating systems or programs because some of these situations have been incredible. Yet, the trend seems to be increasing: I guess, for now, people tolerate it. Will they eventually refuse?

A few months back, logging onto a laptop I use easily 6 hours per day for weeks at a time, I was asked to set up a different way to log in. I’d been asked to do so earlier, but had just ignored it and logged in the old way, because

I was already very happy with the way I logged in – the same way forever.

This time, though, the computer wouldn’t let me by, countering with something like “You haven’t given a sufficient method of login.” Next, it demanded me to set either voice recognition or a pin.

That’s right – my own computer was telling me I couldn’t log in the same way. It demanded me to set a PIN or else voice recognition.

As often, I was in a hurry, so I did as the computer demanded. However, am I crazy to ask the following:

Even when I’m entering the password correctly, can my own computer command me to set up a different mode of login, arguing what I’m doing now isn’t sufficient?

It didn’t stop there. A couple weeks later I tried to start an app I’d previously used. This time, the app demanded I set an extra login level – the password alone wasn’t enough anymore. It wanted a personally identifiable attribute such as my mobile phone number. Thankfully, I didn’t need that app, so just closed it and never went back.

My knee-jerk argument is that your own computer shouldn’t get to order you around. Yet, more and more I see it: An app that I’ve used before pumps me with a bunch of questions the next time I try to use it. I’ve never worried about computers taking over, but perhaps I should.

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.