Xubuntu Network Manager, Revolut

• Xubuntu Network Manager / VPN tunnels / WiFi setting password fun. This is another case where small things make user experience extremely bad, unless you know how it exactly works. Lets say that we've got old password which is ****** as shown in UI. You need to know that the password place holder is always fixed length, which is of course right. Revealing password length isn't great idea. You enter the password field, enter new password which turns into ****** and select save for this user. Great job done, save. Try connect and fail, won't work. Why oh why? Ok, maybe I misentered the password. Few more attempts, writing password into Mousepad and pasting it into field. Testing with another computer that the password works etc. Bit swearing, and I removed whole connection and added it as new connection. Hooray, it works. Strange, way strange. I thought I didn't change anything. But because I've got multiple VPN profiles, I started to fiddle with the next one and it happens again. Sigh, deep sigh. Why is this happening, what's causing this. After lot of testing I figured out that to enter new password, you can't just write it in the password field. You'll need to first edit the account, set option this account doesn't need a password, save. And then, edit again, enter new password and save for this user. Yahoo, it works. But to be honest. This is just kind of UX annoyance trick, which kind of drives users mad. On the other hand, this is perfect example where you can be the expert and laugh that you're just stupid and doing it wrong. Try again. And then, ok ok, if you really can't manage something simple like setting a new password... Now I it's done and it works. Was it really so hard, really? Oh joy.
• It's nice to see how scams are so common with-in the new fintech community. As example Revolut is clearly a scam. One friend recommended it and I decided to check it out. But it turns out it's just a money grab. And it has been running for a long time. Such companies ruin trust for fintech. Revolt would be much better name, at least that whats many customers call it. Not because it's revolutional service but because it's revolting service. Let's see, I made official account closure request, if it goes smooth. But based on feedback of the service, it probably won't go that well. As example, N26 isn't a scam service. So far they've kept everything they promised and there hasn't been extra fees. Yet most of these services naturally provide very little or no value over traditional banks, if you've got a good and cheap service agreement. Sure, there might be countries where mobile banking isn't as advanced as in Finland in those countries situation might be different.
• To previous segment. Also the sign-up process was really confusing, and I'm sure that many people can't get it done. Why? Well, when topping up the account for first time, they'll verify the user identity and in this case it's was done by using my mobile banking app. There are quite tight timeouts and you have to in that time frame get it all done. First you'll have to see the sign-up process asking for confirmation. Which requires you to enter your bank-app user id (which isn't basically ever used, except in situations when you set-up the banking app). After that the confirmation request times out, when you try to launch the banking app and confirm the state. That's because getting the banking app loaded and in right state takes a while. The way to making ti work is to first sign in the baking app so it's loaded in memory. Then switch to Revolut, set it to ask for confirmation from bank. Immediately switch to banking app, click confirm, wait for the confirmation request and accept it. Then you can return to Revolut app and you're good. But that's kind of tricky process which everyone who isn't "mobile native" quite probably fails. I've done this with a few other apps, and it's always annoying. Also if the process is stopped for any reason, and the state is lost, you're probably unable to complete that process. As example situations where there isn't enough memory available on the phone etc. Also the service is incredibly crappy. When you're doing bank transfers you can't add reference code or message, and so on. Saying it honestly, they're really retarded. And as bonus, there's no way to get the money out without completing the registration. With these flags, I would say it's plain scam bad pain in the, yeah you know what.

2020-09-06