Overclocked

From where I sit there are six visible clocks, and more out of sight. Most have the wrong time set, and require periodic efforts to synchronize them with, probably, the weather system, which as I type this shows flashing thunder and lighting icons.

The station bears a 📶 totem so therefore probably has wifi and likely uses the Network Time Protocol (NTP), or similar. Apart from the weather problem, it does tend to get the time right, and does not drift by minutes over the span of a few days like the other clocks do.

The clocked oven in particular would be much improved with a physical dial in place of the LCD; the button to take the temperature to 495F takes much longer than rotating a dial would. Last I checked, the dial on the oven at the old place had not broken in something like 50 years; reportedly, a button on the clock oven broke and required servicing in perhaps half that time; the advice is now to hold down the button, which is slow, to avoid breaking a button, again.

For even more expense one could doubtless add wifi and NTP (or equivalent) to each and every clock. Another question might be why everything under the sun needs a clock, and if so what the cost and ewaste and security problems from all that complexity might be. More likely only the hedonic quality adjustments (and profits) will be considered. There are cultural issues here; some cultures like putting clocks everywhere. Others, not so much.

Why I've had to setup or fix NTP at almost every job I've had in a monochronic time culture might be another good question. Then there was the lady who wanted the computer clock set 15 minutes in advance so she could be on time, which of course broke various protocols sensitive to time...

tags #consumerism