What's the worst invention that has taken hold?

What is the worst invention that has actually come to be widely used? I submit #1 and #2:
THE WORST invention that is in wide use is the flat-head screw. This abomination has the incredible ability to fling the screwdriver out of the slot no matter how slow you go. And the screwdrivers always get a twist in the end and become useless.
The second worst is the Phillips screw. No matter the quality of the driver and screw, the phillips can't take any torque without the driver jumping out and stripping.
I just got done hanging a few doors. I ditched the phillips screws and used Torx. They are great, second only to square drive.

What do you think?

I vote Selfie-Sticks.

But flat head screws are totally infuriating. I suppose without them though, I'd have to buy actual pry bars and chisels.

Facebook.

Banks.

After careful deliberation, here is my list, and it's all general categories of software:

1: Curated computing platforms. The general-purpose computer is the most powerful device invented since the printing press, but apparently that E36 M3 was overrated compared to dumbing down one of those geeky "PDA-phones" so that noobs could use them without any mental exertion. Currently mostly used on mobile computing devices but spreading to bigger things - at least nobody ever thought the printing press was too hard to use and accepted an easier, censor-controlled model.

2: Proprietary video/voice/chat communication software: Did you know we have the technology to make all text/voice/video communication on the Internet as free as email? It's true, but someone always comes out with a proprietary piece of junk that somehow becomes popular instead. In recent years they're just slight modifications to the same free systems we could've been using instead - at least the Skype guys put in some effort to build their system almost from scratch. Whatsapp is the worst offender, it started out as just a slight modification to XMPP chat, a free and open chat system that existed before, but instead everyone jumped onto a proprietary piece of junk because it was a little bit easier up front. Apple Facetime is just SIP P2P calls with an HTTP-based peer lookup system, but nobody used or uses SIP otherwise, unless the company IT guy set it up for them. Why do people hate keeping their money and control? Mobile telecom companies would have to be much more competitive if they couldn't charge us per text/minute and they had to compete with any ol' WiFi connection.

I feel most of the problems with flat/phillips screws can be solved by having decent bits.

Mosquitoes are the worst invention (of nature) to ever take hold, most deadly animal on earth.

Didn't Henry Ford say that Mr Phillips and his screws were too expensive so he went flat blade. Then industry followed...

Dusterbd13 wrote: Facebook.

I thought about mentioning "social media" in general, but I don't use it and it's hardly inconvenienced me unless you count the eye-rolling and head-shaking at society's obsession with it.

Crocks

STM317 wrote: I vote Selfie-Sticks. But flat head screws are totally infuriating. I suppose without them though, I'd have to buy actual pry bars and chisels.

You call em selfie sticks, i call em shiny happy person poles. Because anyone that uses it is an shiny happy person.

I vote for the snuggie. There is no reason for it to exist.

Modern medicine. Between that and human fertility we're all going to be awash with unwashed bodies soon.

Grtechguy wrote: Crocks

There is a CROCS STORE in the snootiest mall in my country. IT ONLY SELLS CROCS

On a related note, I've realized that those silly "boating shoes" that wealthy people love so much look at least as dumb as crocs. They're sort of a less self-aware, more pretentious version of crocs. Crocs are like going nude because you couldn't be bothered to get dressed, and boating shoes are like strutting in the emperor's new clothes.

Since they are things, instead of real people, I vote the Kardashians as the single worst invention on Earth.

Crossfit, cause it advanced bro culture into the stratosphere.

Tire pressure monitoring systems. (AKA - the death of cool aftermarket wheels)

The Brassiere

DrBoost wrote: The second worst is the Phillips screw. No matter the quality of the driver and screw, the phillips can't take any torque without the driver jumping out and stripping. I just got done hanging a few doors. I ditched the phillips screws and used Torx. They are great, second only to square drive. What do you think?

Phillips screws are designed for the driver to cam out as a mechanism to prevent over-torquing. They work as intended. The fact that they're used all over the place in applications where that is exactly what you don't want, isn't the fault of the designer.

The alternate-universe version where that isn't the case is called Posidriv, they work quite well. Unless you try to screw them in with a ubiquitous Phillips driver.

But yeah, give me Torx or Robertson any day.

Jay wrote:

DrBoost wrote: The second worst is the Phillips screw. No matter the quality of the driver and screw, the phillips can't take any torque without the driver jumping out and stripping. I just got done hanging a few doors. I ditched the phillips screws and used Torx. They are great, second only to square drive. What do you think?

Phillips screws are *designed* for the driver to cam out as a mechanism to prevent over-torquing. They work as intended. The fact that they're used all over the place in applications where that is exactly what you *don't* want, isn't the fault of the designer.

Its not always the designer's fault. FAA, maintenance facilities, airlines, etc. specify what tools you can and cannot require to work on certain items.

For my own pick, I vote those Keurig coffee machines which are seemingly designed solely to produce mountains of plastic trash. The fact that they make (weak, lame ,stale-tasting) coffee is a side-effect.

Basically this came true.

Actually I vote anything designed to produce mountains of plastic trash for a product that's only useable once or for a short time. I'm looking at you, smartphones.

Wait, let me just change my vote to "planned obsolescence". That's probably the second most evil thing humanity has ever invented.

The most evil thing would flounder the thread.

GameboyRMH wrote: I thought about mentioning "social media" in general, but I don't use it

Says the guy posting on a forum...

I submit religion

I've heard that a dab of valve lapping compound on the tip of a screwdriver makes it bite a lot better, I haven't personally tried though.

Depends on what worst is.

There is one invention that has killed millions directly and millions more indirectly.

That seems like a pretty bad invention.

alfadriver wrote: Depends on what worst is. There are a lot of inventions that have killed millions directly and millions more indirectly. Those seem like pretty bad inventions.

Fixed that for you.

(no idea what your initial thought was, when trying to figure it out I could fill in the blanks with quite a few things)