Hurray for Bank Fees! (Said No One)

Remember the time when we were able to put money away in a saving accounts and actually make money off of the interest rates? In today's world, not only are interests rates a joke but you also have bank fees that are way higher than the interests you get from your savings.
Got 10k saved up but you made 3 transactions during the month? Well you likely made 25 cent in interest but had to pay a few bucks for those bank/transaction fees.

I once confronted my bank about this - asking them what were those fees. They said "It's to maintain the buildings, pay the employees and all sorts of things". The thing is, they are already making money from my money by lending it to other people. Why do they need to charge me, again, for the privilege of using their banks?
I also asked if I had any options, apparently, I can pay 20 some bucks a month for a subscription to the bank that would give me some free transactions. Wow - what a deal?

How much profit does a bank need to make in order for them to say "You know what? That's enough. Let's focus on making the customer happy now." Enough is enough!

Bad Publicity

Ever been on a website where an ad just started playing in the background? The ad is a video and it shifts the content you’re reading or takes over your entire view area. Aren’t those annoying?

Not all publicity is good: there is such a thing as bad publicity. If the goal of an ad is to paint a positive picture of a company then this kind of strategy is failing. The feeling I get, from those type of ads, is one of frustration. I’m asking myself “Why are you pushing this on me?” Is this the type of feeling those brands are looking for in their potential future customers?

I doubt it.

The goal of an ad is to make people happy and to associate that happiness with the brand. I shut off when ever I see these types of shady tactics being forced on me.

Is it the same for you? Do you just shut off when you see these types of ads or do you enjoy them?

The AI Revolution

Some see the future as a bleak, dark, place where robots will dominate the workplace leaving many without jobs while others, like myself, see it as an opportunity for humans to achieve greater intellectual heights.

I have a test automation background and the entire field's philosophy is "if you have to do it more than once - then automate it so you don't have to do it again". The time I saved from my automated script is spent on something else that's just as productive and beneficial. To me, the same type of approach can be used when (not if) the AI revolution occurs.
Most of us are asleep, we run our lives with our eyes closed. We wake up, go to work, go to sleep & repeat. When the job is manual/tedious in nature then it should be done by a machine so that the person doing the work can do something that will use his mind more.
The brain is the most complex part of our body - it can and should be challenged rather than be stuck in a routine.

Will some be forced into this future? Of course but I also believe that it is for the greater good of the specie. We will need time to adjust. Let's not fear it but look forward to it. Lets not have any one of our individual brain power go to waste. Lets learn every day.

How do you see the future?