#115 Why Do They Think They Know Better Than Us?

Anne Morse Hambrock

Jun 30, 2025

I have 5 iPads.

Yes.

You read that correctly.

FIVE.

iPads.

Why on earth you ask – and you have a perfect right to question this – would anyone have FIVE iPads.

The short answer is that each of them serves a special function in my work life and, rather than let the geniuses at Apple continuously fiddle with my very much needed apps and software through their specious updates – I have locked each unit in amber as it were.

The long answer is this:

Each iPad is utilizing the exact versions of special programs that I need. The versions that give me my best user experience.

I have had to resort to this sneaky workaround because the powers that be in the world of app and software design keep “upgrading” my systems in ways that turn out to actually be downgrades.

I’m sure you all know exactly what I am talking about.

Changes that sap our battery life, take away our favorite tools, change our workflow, and send us searching the internet for an hour just to find out what the new menu options and icons mean.

And where they just hid that really important email you need to respond to ASAP.

Only you can’t.

Because, in their infinite wisdom, the folks designing the email interface have just put it somewhere “better”.

Somewhere invisible.

Somewhere outside the bounds of natural human common sense.

This business of moving things around and renaming them – or creating nonsensical categories and plopping your emails into them without your permission – is one of my biggest pet peeves.

It’s as though every time you walk into the grocery store the manager has moved the carrots:

“This week carrots are by beef because you should always buy carrots when you buy beef. In case you want to make stew.”

“Today carrots are by corn on the cob because they are both long and both vegetables.”

“Now we’ve decided to put carrots in the snack section to encourage you to eat something healthier than those fattening cheese puffs. And, hey, added bonus, they are both orange!”

The nerve.

Clearly, there is a serious difference of opinion between me and the tech geniuses when it comes to “optimum user experience”.

And this is where the five iPads come in.

I have had to accept that there will always be important apps and programs that need to be absolutely up to date to keep me from getting locked out of them. Or even to just keep them working.

But I really really really really want to be able to continue to use the old versions of systems I rely on - the ones that still function perfectly fine and keep my workflow comfortable and productive.

So, when an iOS update threatens to screw up my whole world, rather than allowing the Apple gremlins to sneak in during the night with an automated update, I disable that option and keep that unit “as is”.

Then I hit the ol’ eBay to find an iPad that can accommodate the newest iOS.

The trick is to look for one that is newer than the tablet I am locking down but not new enough to be really expensive.

By the way, this rant is Applecentric because for almost the whole of my working life I have been border-collied into using Apple software and operating systems.

(In addition to the iPads are the three desktop computers and a laptop – each staying firmly in its own particular dimension of usefulness. Especially the one that lets me run the old CS3 Photoshop so I don’t have to pay Adobe EVERY MONTH for their clunky annoying and expensive current version of the program).

I have heard from numerous friends and colleagues that non-Apple systems are just as guilty of this “we know better than you do so suck it up buttercup” updating mentality.

I realize most folks don’t need as much tech in their lives as I do and/or function perfectly well without their brain exploding as they encounter tech updates.

But if you struggle at all with the issues I’ve touched on today, I hope I’ve given you an alternative path to consider.

Resist.

Sharing And Stuff

Speaking of technical stuff - it has come to my attention that many of my readers are not familiar with all the options they might have for interacting with this newsletter or sharing it with others.

I’m going to try to explain some things - both for folks who do not have the Substack app and folks who do. There are buttons in your email server and buttons that are always down at the bottom of the newsletter. “Forward” and “Reply” will be specific to whatever service you are using to deal with email. All other buttons are found at the end of the newsletters.

Currently no one has to be a “paid” subscriber to use any of these buttons and engage with posts.

Here goes:

Forward - easiest way to share a newsletter you have enjoyed is simply to hit “forward” on your email server and forward the whole issue to a friend. I always really appreciate when people do this because it helps new folks who might enjoy my work to find it. Getting the word out for something like a newsletter is really really hard and when readers share it with others it is a big help.

Like - You can just scroll to the bottom of the newsletter and look for the “like” heart. If you click on it, the newsletter will open in your web browser and you should be able to click “like”.

Comment - There are two different buttons you can use if you want to leave a comment. As with the “like” button, you don’t need to have the app or a Substack account. Just click one of the buttons, go to the web version, and leave your comment. I read all comments and always try to answer!

*Restack - If you have a Substack account you can use this button to repost a newsletter to your own Substack feed or notes. It’s like retweeting. As with “Forwarding”, I always really appreciate when people do this. As I said before, getting the word out for something like a newsletter is really really hard and when readers share it with others it is a big help.

Share - As far as I can tell, you can use this button to share a newsletter to other platforms like Facebook whether you have a Substack account or not. If you click on the button in your email, your web browser will open and give you a few different ways to share.

Reply - You can always just hit “reply” on your email to send me a direct message via email that will not be seen publicly.

*Message - If you have a substack account, you can use this button to send me a direct message that I will see over on Substack. These messages are not public.

*Recommend - this is the really big and helpful thing for folks who have their own Substack publications and like to recommend other people’s Substacks. Currently - if you visit my home page - you can see the Substacks I am recommending. Whenever a new person subscribes to my newsletter, a window pops up and shows them the other publications I recommend. A couple other Substackers have recommended me on their pages and I cannot say enough how much I appreciate it!!!

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From The Garden

I never heard of a fire bush before but it is supposed to like hot weather - which we currently have in abundance - so I took a shot. It looks lovely so far!