Instead of just providing the temperature and forecast, my weather app has started adding commentary along with the numbers. Examples include: “It’s a perfect day to be outside,” or “The sky can’t make up its mind. Honestly, that’s perfectly fine.”
I wonder whose job it is to write these cute little quips and why someone thought they were necessary. It seems like a waste of effort, and for me, it distracts from what I am trying to learn when I open the app. I do not need a narrative along with the data. It would be like the gas pump displaying a “Hope you have a pleasant drive” message or the ATM encouraging me to “do something fun with your withdrawal.”
Maybe you’re a fan of cute commentary from technology, but I ascribe to Dragnet’s Joe Friday’s mantra: “Just the facts, ma’am.” Let the information-providers provide information and leave the rest out.
