Are many user interfaces deliberately bad?

Question

AWS is very difficult to navigate and has a lot of friction that feels unnecessary. However, when compilating means by which any of its issues can be "fixed", I realize a lot of its problems may serve to increase profits in the long run. The friction that makes it hard to use also maximizes unnecessary overuse of its services and minimizes ease of de-integrating from its "ecosystem".Is this true for a lot of user interfaces? Are many of them that seem slapdash actually genius-level traps that inch on every possible edge case and incremental value capture?

smt88 · Accepted Answer

You're describing a well-established practice called "dark patterns" and you are absolutely correct that they can be badly designed on purpose.

blondin · Answer

beside the dark patterns mentioned in other comments, we have been conditioned to accept modern interfaces as being always right. we blame ourselves for not understanding them and they shame us for not understanding them.that for me only exacerbates the problem.

cushpush · Answer

this sort of parasitical behavior might be by design (dark patterns) but often it might not be extractive as much as "manually refunding stuff works well enough for now"