The article states that usability is declining, the arguments to back that up are: things are somewhat inconsistent and I don't like [some UI patterns].
My point is that the claim is wrong, and the arguments don't support it and have little to do with usability.
This follows from a misconception that usability, UI, and user experience are the same thing, which is really showing a lack of understanding of what they actually are.
I write my comments in the hope that people will actually look into these topics more deeply as they are quite interesting and often require setting aside the preferences, gut instinct, and pet peeves this article is filled with.
If you insist on nitpicking with a specific definition, you can of course dismiss the points in the OP. But if you try to understand what it's saying on its own terms–it's obviously talking about UI/UX and using the term 'usability' in a colloquial way. All the examples given in there are examples of bad UI/UX. Your point that it's possible to do things now that weren't back in the day, is just completely off on a different tangent than the actual thesis of the OP. I don't even know what to say except that it's a strawman.
My point is that the claim is wrong, and the arguments don't support it and have little to do with usability.
This follows from a misconception that usability, UI, and user experience are the same thing, which is really showing a lack of understanding of what they actually are.
I write my comments in the hope that people will actually look into these topics more deeply as they are quite interesting and often require setting aside the preferences, gut instinct, and pet peeves this article is filled with.