Humor Quote by Jeanne C. Stein
““The GPS still has return coordinates programmed, although when I crank over the engine, I get the "reprogramming route" message. I hate the tone of these things-it manages to be mechanical yet condescending at the same time. All systems have it. Some frustrated engineer's idea of a joke, I suppose.””
About This Quote
A user complains that a GPS system’s error messages feel both mechanical and condescending, reflecting frustration with overly technical interfaces.
In simple terms: User feels GPS messages are cold and patronizing.
Key Takeaway
Design tech with respectful tone.
Themes
technology
communication
frustration
Mood
annustrated
critical
Type
observational
critical
When to use this quote
- customer support
- software development
- hardware troubleshooting
Key Concepts
human‑centered design
user experience
Questions to Reflect On
- How can designers make error messages feel more human?
- What tone would improve user trust?
A Different Perspective
Technical jargon can alienate users.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
