• @halvar@lemm.ee
    39•6 months ago

    One day I realized I developed a skill for correctly inserting the USB on first try and I’m in an existential crisis ever since.

    • nudny ekscentryk
      19•6 months ago

      The “empty” half of the plug (with the two hollow squares) is either at the top or on the right in 99% of cases. Once you realize that you barely ever have to flip it even one time.

      • ZagorathEnglish
        7•6 months ago

        Do you mean the empty half of the cable? Because the plug itself has the empty half on the bottom.

        Usually easier to look for the USB logo or company’s branded logo on top. The bottom is usually blank or containing legal info. The bottom also has the zig-zaggy join in the metal.

        • silly goose meekah
          7•6 months ago

          Yeah they’re talking about the cable, as that’s usually easier to look at. Also a plug is on the cable, and a socket is on devices.

          • Zagorath
            3•6 months ago

            Also a plug is on the cable

            Maybe this is an American English thing, because to me the plug is the socket. The two words are synonyms. Like I’d talk about the electricity plug in the wall.

            • @EtherWhack@lemmy.world
              2•6 months ago

              Could be, though I’ve heard people use plug interchangeably.

              Connections for data, the female side is usually called a port; for electrical, it’s officially called a receptacle, though more commonly called an outlet or sometimes a socket. The male side is always the plug.

            • nudny ekscentryk
              2•6 months ago

              I’m European but I’m an English second language speaker, so that may be the reason I use this words that way. However wikipedia for example calls the male part the plug and the female the receptacle as well

            • @BCsven@lemmy.ca
              1•6 months ago

              Americans often call the wall plate the plugs, but technically in electeical hardware ordering catalogs the wall end is a female receptacle, and the cord end is a male plug

      • @EtherWhack@lemmy.world
        2•6 months ago

        Part of the reasoning is that dust can’t really settle on the contacts if they are facing down. It’s the same for the most part with rj45 (ethernet) ports.

      • @BCsven@lemmy.ca
        1•6 months ago

        The irony is the USB keyboard- mouse -peripheral switcher I bought has the USB ports upside-down from normal

    • @fatalError
      20•6 months ago

      That may help in the case of a properly installed usb port, but what if the port is upside down? Or what if it’s a vertical port? Is upside left or right?

        • @fatalError
          1•6 months ago

          Not talking about my ports. Also ports can be installed the wrong way by the manufacturer. I had a pc case that the front usb ports upside down. But again, usb ports can be installed vertically, in which case it won’t matter if you know which is up or down your usb plug, because now it’s left or right

          • @mexicancartel@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
            1•6 months ago

            I mean, if your manufacturer installed USB ports the wrong way, you have to get familiar to know which direction the ports face(the wrong way if ports are wrong), then you only have to see the usb since you already know the ports

            • @fatalError
              1•6 months ago

              What about the back of your tv? Or friend’s PC? Or library computer? Or phone charger? Or… Any other Universal device using the Universal Serial Bus…

              You may learn YOUR devices, but you may also have to interact with other devices at times and USB didn’t make it easy in the past.

              Now, type C is a thing and it helps with plugging it in right the first time, but that one has the HUGE issue with allowing any protocol since USB 1.0 and everyrhing else is optional. So even though you can plug a type C monitor into a type C microphone, nothing will happen, so it’s not stupid proof anymore.

              • @mexicancartel@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
                1•6 months ago

                True, but rare. Back of your TV? You’ll defenitely see it while plugging in because you wouldn’t even know where the ports are otherwise. Other’s devices don’t work but you still can flip it three times since thats rare

              • @mexicancartel@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
                1•6 months ago

                True, but rare. Back of your TV? You’ll defenitely see it while plugging in because you wouldn’t even know where the ports are otherwise. Other’s devices don’t work but you still can flip it three times since thats rare

      • TheEmpireStrikesDak
        1•6 months ago

        My old Lenovo tablet has the USB port upside down on the plug, and consequently, the micro USB also plugs into the tablet upside down. And for some reason, stupid thing always breaks the little notches on the micro USB, so you have to position everything in a way so that it won’t slide out while charging.

  • @Etterra@lemmy.world
    5•6 months ago

    I firmly believe that rather than superpositional, these are 11 dimensional. It doesn’t matter which direction you rotate it, it will still take you on average five or six 180° rotations until it fits into the damned slot.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven
    4•6 months ago

    Here’s the way: look at the little “crack” on the middle of the plug on one side (the vast vast vast majority have one) – that should be facing down. I haven’t used a vertical plug in a while but I think it faces left there.

    For the forsaken anguish of God, microUSB, it’s reversed, so crack up.

    • @Albbi@lemmy.ca
      1•6 months ago

      This post cracked me up!

      But seriously, this is the way. Works even when the cable wasn’t properly marked with a USB symbol.