Matt BlazeEncountering an irritating number of devices that are charged/powered via a USB-C port but that don’t work with a USB-C pd charger (only with a USB-C to USB-A cable).
Bonus irritation: a device with a USB-C port that works with a PD charger only if the cable is plugged in one orientation, but will work in either orientation if connected to a USB-A charger. (A Phillips rechargeable pocket work light).
I’m hard pressed to think of another “standard” that has as many incomprehensible and unpredictable ways things can be incompatible as USB-C.
Oborosaur@mattblaze but the thing always fits in the other thing! That's what compatible means, right?
Tom - KB9ENS@mattblaze I offer up MIL-STD-1553 as tribute!
Adam Shostack 
AI6YR Ben@adamshostack @mattblaze Meh, I used to write SCSI device drivers, it wasn't too bad (the drives, at least, obeyed the standard fairly well).
Carl Malamud@mattblaze I happen to deal with a lot of standards professionals in my day job, and I can tell you that what you amateurs might call "incomprehensible and unpredictable ways" they would instead refer to as "flexibility."
@carlmalamud Those same professionals think you're a terrorist.
@mattblaze sticks and stones, etc, etc. They can call me whatever they want.
William Witteman@carlmalamud @mattblaze I call you a hero, and I talk to my kids about what you do when they ask about my heroes. So, I suppose it's a counterpoint?
@willyyam I'll take that. Your kids are the jurisdiction which I'm trying the most to impress. Please tell them I said hi and seek their approval. :)
MarkD@carlmalamud @mattblaze Mmm. Flexibility. That's a goodun.
My favourite word when used with standards is "profiles".
We all know what that means. Each manufacturer gets to pick and choose which parts of the standard applies to their product.
matthew green@mattblaze have you seen the size of the USB-PD spec? oh my. and they keep making it worse.
KarlE@mattblaze @koehntopp USB-C "the connector to end all connectors" - see EU charging "law" just for one example - when you overload one connector with so many purposes and variations, it will become a monster. "keep it simple" changed into "make it look simple".
Ethycs@mattblaze Bluetooth
Jef Poskanzer@mattblaze TIFF is up there.
soaproot@jef @mattblaze I was thinking of the many flavors of RS-232 and RS-422 but I think you've topped that with TIFF which more fully embraces the principle of appearing to be compatible (often falsely) and not always even being aimed at the same purpose.
Dan Riley@mattblaze ITU-T X.212-X.237?
A. R. Younce@mattblaze It seems you do not own any Bluetooth devices.
Mike Taylor 🦕
Winchell Chung ⚛🚀I believe that the RS-232 "standard" is worse.
HowToPhil (Phillip R)"Standard" bicycle parts? Maybe
Larry H@howtophil
I don't think there was ever a worldwide bicycle parts standard. Threading could be different depending on the country of origin. That said, any standardization has practically disappeared with so many proprietary systems per manufacturer.
@mattblaze
I don't think there was ever a worldwide bicycle parts standard. Threading could be different depending on the country of origin. That said, any standardization has practically disappeared with so many proprietary systems per manufacturer.
@mattblaze
The only standard thing in bikes is the bike-shop "joke" that there is no standard anything. Bike companies like to claim they use "standard part X" though
@mattblaze I'll see your USB-C and raise you Bluetooth.
Niels Moseley@mattblaze the imperial measurement system.
Kevin B@mattblaze Methinks you forget about RS232 and the various voltages and clock timings mfrs used.
Mike P@mattblaze #ActivityPub is doing pretty well on this front, too...
Ignas Kiela@mattblaze it's surprisingly hard for hardware developers to put two resistors in the way they should unfortunately...
IPmonger@mattblaze that’s not how any of this (supposedly) works!!!
Gary Parker@mattblaze worse than devices with USB-C sockets that don’t PD are USB-C *chargers* that don’t negotiate and have a fixed output.
Looking at you, #nintendoSwitch 👀🤨
SarcastiCanadian@mattblaze Oddest definition of "universal" ever.