Because "how do we know you didn't copy paste it from a tutorial and claim it as yours?"

It is insulting, and frankly discouraging. As if the only one true way to tell whether you know your stuff or not is to check if you can solve some silly riddle/puzzle under the gun.

One solution is to only apply to companies without a broken hiring process, but sadly they're very rare.

I use concert earplugs now, they are invisible unless someone really looks in my ears, and they attenuate all frequencies equally. This way I can also use them at concerts and they won't ruin the music, just make it much quieter across every frequency.

The open office can't die soon enough, what an absurd fad this is.

When I want commodity items that don't have a specific manufacturer (HDD enclosures, small tools, etc), I'll go to aliexpress because it's exactly the same things as sold on amazon but for a quarter of the price. I just have to wait 3 weeks longer than on amazon.

I don't even get books from Amazon anymore, because there are pirate prints of books.

It's all fun and games when it's just about having the item break after a couple of weeks because it was a low quality copy, but amazon also sells more dangerous things like Christmas lights with fake CE and UL markings or PPE that aren't sturdy enough to meet the norms they supposedly adhere to.

Not even mentioning the returned and used items sold as new for the full price, or the appalling way in which Amazon treats its workers.

It doesn't even make life that much more complicated, and thinking whether I want something so much as to go to the store or wait a month to get it from China is an excellent filter to block impulse purchases.

I was told that this was a technicality: you plan on assassinating the president (or whatever the form asks these days) but you answered no. Now you can be charged for lying on your immigration document which gives the government a lot more leverage and opens more avenues to convict you (because lying is bad mmmkay). I don't know how much truth there is to it but it makes more sense than having the question hoping someone with bad intentions will have a lapse of judgement and decide to be truthful on the form.

At least on Android I can install a custom ROM, root it, and install a system wide adblocker like adaway. Oh and also my phones cost under 300$ and I can keep them working until I decide it's time to replace it.

Because android works better for me doesn't mean it has to be the same for everyone, but in any case Apple is out to milk money out of you and not to save you from google. Neither companies have your best interest in mind, you're just there to make them money.