Everything is Shit: Tracking the Great Enshittening

Hefeweizen · February 23

Oh fuck this dead horse again? Yes. The reason Amazon is dogshit is retail theft. And it only happens in California which destroyed the national retail economy.

F250 · February 23

Retail theft, solar flares and the theory of everything is serious business.

Homercles · February 23

Definitely. Let’s get that JosephStang guy on it, he seems like a real problem solver with upper management written all over him

Edited February 23 by Homercles

52-80 · February 23

8 hours ago, Chopper said:

Did someone say there's no such thing as retail theft by shoppers? Tell me, genius, what percentage of sales nationally is inventory theft on the floor of a store and how does that compare to other ways inventory disappears? Is there a number that shows floor theft is greater now than in any previous year? Also is that your picture or did you rip it from the internet? Where is the store located? I was in a Target earlier today and saw nothing remotely like that. I was also in a Walgreens in CA 3 weeks ago and saw nothing like it. A store that puts their deodorant behind lock and key like that is a store that doesn't want to sell deodorant. Whose neck do you think retailers are trying to put their foot on?

Read the preceding posts, genius. Theft was dismissed as corporate spin. There are numbers showing floor theft has increased -- i fucking showed it. I also said and showed its a regional issue, not a nationalwide issue, so your experience at Target in Abilene don't matter for shit. You would know that if you read.

Quote

A store that puts their deodorant behind lock and key like that is a store that doesn't want to sell deodorant. Whose neck do you think retailers are trying to put their foot on? Are you, in fact, gullible ...

Holy conspiracy batman. Guy says store doesn't actually want to sell product... and implies manager erecting locks to scapegoat sales figures.

And THEN uses the word gullible in the next sentence. Fucking incredible.

Quote

...to believe that increasing criminal penalties for petty theft is going to deter theft or prove somehow beneficial to society?

Criminalizing crimes is a good thing, actually. But feel free to play blind to that like you did everything else that was posted.

February 23

13 hours ago, 52-80 said:

retail theft cant possibly be a factual thing.

stores love to lock $2 products behind glass protection to feign the appearance of theft and advance “corporate agenda and interest”….. which dont include enabling sales because they hate revenue.

Serious question -- are these actually locked up? I looked at the picture and every row has "lift here for product":

Also, I know you were being hyperbolic calling it a "$2 product" but is it really $7 for a stick of deodorant?

Kennythetiger · February 23

3 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Serious question -- are these actually locked up? I looked at the picture and every row has "lift here for product":

Also, I know you were being hyperbolic calling it a "$2 product" but is it really $7 for a stick of deodorant?

Chicks dig Old Spice.

Captainant · February 23

11 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Also, I know you were being hyperbolic calling it a "$2 product" but is it really $7 for a stick of deodorant?

You will pay 30 to 50% more for all goods and you will be happy about it. Can't be harming profit margins for JORB CREATORZ!

52-80 · February 23

15 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Serious question -- are these actually locked up? I looked at the picture and every row has "lift here for product":

Also, I know you were being hyperbolic calling it a "$2 product" but is it really $7 for a stick of deodorant?

They place locks on the plexiglass, same here, with same "lift here" label:

So now the competing theories on why these things are locked up, wherea this was not normal before:

1. because they want to guard against theft

2. because they want to make it a hassle for legitimate customers to buy them

or

3. because apparently it's a false flag operation... to distract from the fact that legitimate customers don't want to buy them (my new favorite conspiracy theory)

February 23

7 minutes ago, Captainant said:

You will pay 30 to 50% more for all goods and you will be happy about it. Can't be harming profit margins for JORB CREATORZ!

Also, if you notice, it's $14.99 for a twin pack ($7.50 each), but $6.99 for a single, which is also on sale for 50% off a second one.

February 23

I don't doubt the plexiglass is there for a reason, which I can only assume is to prevent theft. But when I look at the photo, I don't see any locks. Seems like it's more to keep you from being able to grab a bunch at once by needing one hand to lift the plexiglass. Just kind of perplexed by it.

Edited February 23 by FirstTimeCaller

Homercles · February 23

Well we all know how employees react when they hear those plastic covers dinging…

Chopper · February 23

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

They place locks on the plexiglass, same here, with same "lift here" label:

So now the competing theories on why these things are locked up, wherea this was not normal before:

1. because they want to guard against theft

2. because they want to make it a hassle for legitimate customers to buy them

or

3. because apparently it's a false flag operation... to distract from the fact that legitimate customers don't want to buy them (my new favorite conspiracy theory)

Yeah this discussion was weeks ago but for some reason you brought it up.

You appear to have the reading comprehension of an aggy. You can't even quote yourself correctly let alone me.

"to distract from the fact that legitimate customers don't want to buy them (my new favorite conspiracy theory)" -- I wrote nothing even remotely like this. You appear to be having hallucinations.
You just told us the items aren't actually locked up. "LIFT HERE" means NOT LOCKED. Unless you can't read or have the comprehension of a sow. At least make up your mind what you're arguing.

Why do you care if there's plexiglass in front that has to be lifted, or not? Is that a big deal for you? Do you get similarly chafed when you have to ask a sales person to get the size shoes you want out of the back? Or ask to get a watch or item of jewellery you'd like to look at? When I was a kid in high working at a famous record store, people had to ASK for help to look at/purchase pre-recorded cassette tapes because they were kept behind a counter to deter theft. Oh, the horror.

If you're familiar with Barry Rithholtz he published this in December

https://ritholtz.com/2023/12/retail-lobby-we-lied-about-organized-theft/

If you want to be a blathering idiot and point and cry about huge supposed organized retail crime (just a slice of shrinkage but it's been the most sensational), I can't stop you. But that shouldn't stop you from having a basic understanding that there's a reason for the misinformation.

https://popular.info/p/organized-journalistic-crime

Call it a conspiracy theory if you want, or if you have fox news brain. I'd call it ulterior motives.

F250 · February 23

2 hours ago, Kennythetiger said:

Chicks dig Old Spice.

Younger ones do. The forty years and up don't really seem to care for it.

Da Fino · February 23

3 hours ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

I don't doubt the plexiglass is there for a reason, which I can only assume is to prevent theft. But when I look at the photo, I don't see any locks. Seems like it's more to keep you from being able to grab a bunch at once by needing one hand to lift the plexiglass. Just kind of perplexed by it.

They slow down the act of bulk shoplifting. It used to be easy to grab a ton of those, other cosmetics (major high shrink category), energy drinks, medicines..etc, quickly and discretely. Fewer employees in the store made these items an even simpler target. These shields provide an inconvenience to that. Especially if the hinges are as loud as the ones that some stores use.

Incredulity · February 23

39 minutes ago, Da Fino said:

They slow down the act of bulk shoplifting. It used to be easy to grab a ton of those, other cosmetics (major high shrink category), energy drinks, medicines..etc, quickly and discretely. Fewer employees in the store made these items an even simpler target. These shields provide an inconvenience to that. Especially if the hinges are as loud as the ones that some stores use.

No, No

its a false flag to justify PrIcE GoUgInG!111!!! sHriNk FlatIonsze!11!11! GrEde!1!11! CoRPoRatiOzE BaDz!!1!11 LaTe StaGe CPtiamslslm!1!1/ Captain Antifa

52-80 · February 23

4 hours ago, Chopper said:

lWhy do you care if there's plexiglass in front that has to be lifted, or not? Is that a big deal for you? Do you get similarly chafed when you have to ask a sales person to get the size shoes you want out of the back? Or ask to get a watch or item of jewellery you'd like to look at? When I was a kid in high working at a famous record store, people had to ASK for help to look at/purchase pre-recorded cassette tapes because they were kept behind a counter to deter theft. Oh, the horror.

Call it a conspiracy theory if you want, or if you have fox news brain. I'd call it ulterior motives.

Why do you care if theres plexiglass bro?!?!? Did you even take those photos bro?!?!? Do you know about the famous record store I visited as a kid bro?!?!?? Do you even shop in CVS bro?!?!?!?

Because in your confusion you keep constructing strawman arguments, before talking the ethics of policing and criminalization or any of the shit nobody brought up, lets try to settle on some simpler facts:

1. do these anti-theft barriers guarding mundane items now exist where they did not before? (or did the right wing fox ne— i mean cbs and nbc news channels embedded above just make it up?)

2. if so, what is the reason for their existence? (you alluded to them but make it really really explicit to us now)

lets see you walk before you run, prefonfaine.

52-80 · February 23

2 hours ago, Incredulity said:

No, No

its a false flag to justify PrIcE GoUgInG!111!!! sHriNk FlatIonsze!11!11! GrEde!1!11! CoRPoRatiOzE BaDz!!1!11 LaTe StaGe CPtiamslslm!1!1/ Captain Antifa

I’m sitting here trying to understand:

1. If these people think CVS’ 3.5% operating profit on their retail pharmacy business is egregious

2. Why they, of all people, would ever be concerned with the price of deoderant. Is there kombucha inflation too?

Incredulity · February 23

1 minute ago, 52-80 said:

I’m sitting here trying to understand:

1. If these people think CVS’ 3.5% operating profit on their retail pharmacy business is egregious

2. Why they, of all people, would ever be concerned with the price of deoderant. Is there kombucha inflation too?

They don't understand the difference between Revenue and Profit so everything else is pretty much Mandarin Chinese.

Captainant · February 23

It's cute the stories you tell each other. I'm fortunate that rent is free in your head

Mrs Whiggins · February 23

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

lets see you walk before you run, prefonfaine.

Blasphemer. It's Prefontaine, aka 'Pre." RIP to one of the greats.

Chopper · February 23

2 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Why do you care if theres plexiglass bro?!?!? Did you even take those photos bro?!?!? Do you know about the famous record store I visited as a kid bro?!?!?? Do you even shop in CVS bro?!?!?!?

You've enshittened the enshittification thread. Congrats. Now seek mental help.

You're so fucking out of touch with reality you can't even grasp the concept of WORKING AT versus VISITING. You're seriously suffering some form of cognitive impairment. The example I used about a store was one of many measures stores take to reduce inventory shrink - just like the burden of having to lift a piece of plexi.

Edited February 23 by Chopper

Biff Tannen · February 23

I don't understand the premise of this thread.

956 Worldwide · February 23

3 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

I don't understand the premise of this thread.

Well, I started it. The premise is basically to track how (especially on the Web), we are watching as services and platforms slowly degrade in utility to users because of the incentives in place to extract value by making things worse.

956 Worldwide · February 23

On 2/22/2024 at 8:48 AM, Captainant said:

Shit, on an expensive ticket you're looking at $150-200 on fees that are not part of the listed price of the ticket. Shit should be illegal, but regulating business is unfortunately communism so we just get to bend over and enjoy it

Yep, airlines pioneered this shit. The idea is to get you down the road of plannings something— whether an outing or a trip— by offering a reasonable cost estimate then butt-fucking you in all other ways. Check ticket prices, raise the idea with spouses/kids. Get the affirmative and then you go to check out and mentally, you are in already. If you had just seen the price up-front, you’d have moved on to movie night at home. “Required” fees are bullshit and should just be “the price.”

Non-transparent pricing is a huge market inefficiency but we just swallow it. We are expanding the auto dealer experience to every part of our economic existence.

I’ve said this on other threads but the sheer amount of scams and attempts to distract and deceive has had a disastrous effect on our social fabric. We go through our days literally trying to avoid getting ripped off.

Parliament · February 24

Have we discussed the rogering Vivid Seats, Seekgeek, etc. give us for fees to buy a ticket that is no longer available in paper form?

hayden_horn · February 24

On 2/22/2024 at 5:30 PM, 52-80 said:

“record quarter” = the first 2 quarters of ttm profits, ever.

each bar is a quarter.
they should be forced to continue losing money so we get cheaper taxi rides.

now do their stock price.

uber is a perfect example of enshittening. disrupt with innovation. then displace with crazy vc money getting unrealistic customer lock in. then replace that with something only marginally better than what you disrupted in the first place.

your last sentence captures it. it's become a taxi company which is what it was supposed to disrupt, not become.

HenryJames · February 24

4 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

I don't understand the premise of this thread.

Incredulity · February 24

Braff Zacklin · February 24

1 hour ago, HenryJames said:

Well, if you would answer the damned phone and hot talk with me, I wouldn't have to call so often or use so many burner accounts.

Biff Tannen · February 24

13 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

I’ve said this on other threads but the sheer amount of scams and attempts to distract and deceive has had a disastrous effect on our social fabric. We go through our days literally trying to avoid getting ripped off.

I would argue there is a large part of capitalism and the American dream that encourages these tactics as well.

Bevo · February 24

19 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

I would argue there is a large part of capitalism and the American dream that encourages these tactics as well.

Nah, it is the lack of traditional opportunities, the lack of punishment, and the quest for material goods that drives these things, I saw it in China 30 years ago as it was just developing here. People had like 4 different business cards - anything for a buck.

Kennythetiger · February 24

15 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Well, I started it. The premise is basically to track how (especially on the Web), we are watching as services and platforms slowly degrade in utility to users because of the incentives in place to extract value by making things worse.

And then folks started fighting and the thread went sideways. Imagine that.

Captainant · February 24

21 minutes ago, Kennythetiger said:

And then folks started fighting and the thread went sideways. Imagine that.

We can thank 52-80 and incredulity for repping the surly IDW and bringing their insight of "NUH UH!!!" to the thread.

Incredulity · February 24

1 hour ago, Captainant said:

We can thank 52-80 and incredulity for repping the surly IDW and bringing their insight of "NUH UH!!!" to the thread.

Lol. The world champion dead horse beater has spoken.

mdmost · February 24

One decent thing I have on my phone to help block telemarketers to my cell is Active Armor by AT&T. I swear it blocks 9 out of 10 calls I get but nothing from verified people. It shows you the blocked call as it comes in so I can do a quick Google search to make sure it isn't a bonafide person calling me. Before the app, I was getting deluged with spam calls, a lot of them with my same area code and close to my same cell number. The masking these people do is not enshitting. They're quite good at it. I made my elderly mother put it on her phone as she's the perfect target to get scammed.

Captainant · February 24

39 minutes ago, mdmost said:

One decent thing I have on my phone to help block telemarketers to my cell is Active Armor by AT&T. I swear it blocks 9 out of 10 calls I get but nothing from verified people. It shows you the blocked call as it comes in so I can do a quick Google search to make sure it isn't a bonafide person calling me. Before the app, I was getting deluged with spam calls, a lot of them with my same area code and close to my same cell number. The masking these people do is not enshitting. They're quite good at it. I made my elderly mother put it on her phone as she's the perfect target to get scammed.

The enshittening is that telco providers have the solution to the spam and scam calling - add fucking authentication like the STIR/SHAKEN framework so that some dudes in in office in Chennai can't call me from my own cell number to tell me about my cars extended warranty.

But the telcos won't, because it would take away a significant revenue stream from the number spoofing service for outbound calls that is used by legitimate businesses, and abused by scammers. Plus, implementing that authentication framework would finally push the telcos to upgrade the 60 year old systems that they've been taking money for to upgrade for decades. The executives don't want to spend the money because it would mean less payout to shareholders.

That said, I'll check out that active armor solution because I have been getting upwards of a dozen scam and political calls a day and it's fucking driving me crazy because it's interrupting meetings and coming from area codes that I have customers in, so I have to pick up.

Fudge Nuggets · February 24

21 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Yep, airlines pioneered this shit. The idea is to get you down the road of plannings something— whether an outing or a trip— by offering a reasonable cost estimate then butt-fucking you in all other ways. Check ticket prices, raise the idea with spouses/kids. Get the affirmative and then you go to check out and mentally, you are in already. If you had just seen the price up-front, you’d have moved on to movie night at home. “Required” fees are bullshit and should just be “the price.”

Non-transparent pricing is a huge market inefficiency but we just swallow it. We are expanding the auto dealer experience to every part of our economic existence.

I’ve said this on other threads but the sheer amount of scams and attempts to distract and deceive has had a disastrous effect on our social fabric. We go through our days literally trying to avoid getting ripped off.

Banks are good at this too. Want to withdraw $100 from the ATM right outside the branch? $5 fee. Got an account with less than $100k in it? $25 per month fee (not sure on that one, but it certainly ain’t free). Want to use your debit card? Pay up mother fucker. Etc, etc, etc.

4 hours ago, Incredulity said:

Lol. The world champion dead horse beater has spoken.

Says the guy that ragged on JJ about grocery inflation for the better part of three years.

Captainant · February 25

Those commies at the IEEE pointing out that rampant profiteering is obstructing baseline infrastructure improvements because they don't have enough immediate profit impact

https://spectrum.ieee.org/transmission-expansion

Quote

Profiteering Hampers U.S. Grid Expansion

Share

ENERGY OPINION

Profiteering Hampers U.S. Grid Expansion

Private utility companies are blocking new interregional transmission lines

ARI PESKOE

22 FEB 2024

6 MIN READ

The planned SunZia 500-mile transmission line would carry wind power across the Southwest.

MINESH BACRANIA/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES

The United States is not building enough transmission lines to connect regional power networks. The deficit is driving up electricity prices, reducing grid reliability, and hobbling renewable-energy deployment.

At the heart of the problem are utility companies that refuse to pursue interregional transmission projects, and sometimes even impede them, because new projects threaten their profits and disrupt their industry alliances. Utilities can stall transmission expansion because out-of-date laws sanction these companies’ sweeping control over transmission development.

As we increasingly electrify our homes, transportation, and factories, utility companies’ choices about transmission will have huge consequences for the nation’s economy and well-being. About 40 corporations, valued at a trillion dollars, own the vast majority of transmission lines in the United States. Their grip over the backbone of U.S. grids demands public scrutiny and accountability.

Biff Tannen · February 25

On 2/24/2024 at 7:25 AM, Bevo said:

Nah, it is the lack of traditional opportunities, the lack of punishment, and the quest for material goods that drives these things, I saw it in China 30 years ago as it was just developing here. People had like 4 different business cards - anything for a buck.

It’s the same picture.gif

immamac · February 25

50 minutes ago, Captainant said:

Those commies at the IEEE pointing out that rampant profiteering is obstructing baseline infrastructure improvements because they don't have enough immediate profit impact

https://spectrum.ieee.org/transmission-expansion

This is also true at major hardware and technology companies. If it doesn’t immediately have global scale world class profit margins on release that rival an existing product your shit doesn’t get green lit. Know the only things that do have that? Minor product revisions. All those product revisions are full of? Not new features, just cheaper BOM cost or shittier components that are deemed good enough.

Incredulity · February 25

10 minutes ago, immamac said:

This is also true at major hardware and technology companies. If it doesn’t immediately have global scale world class profit margins on release that rival an existing product your shit doesn’t get green lit. Know the only things that do have that? Minor product revisions. All those product revisions are full of? Not new features, just cheaper BOM cost or shittier components that are deemed good enough.

Exactly why we need a societal system that encourages entrepreneurial capitalism based on the rule of law.

Captainant · February 25

18 minutes ago, Incredulity said:

Exactly why we need a societal system that encourages entrepreneurial capitalism based on the rule of law.

[Laughs in regulatory capture]

Incredulity · February 25

10 minutes ago, Captainant said:

[Laughs in regulatory capture]

I know what will fix that… central planning, comrade.

Captainant · February 25

Just now, Incredulity said:

I know what will fix that… central planning, comrade.

It really undercuts your credibility when you continue to insist that I am arguing for things that I have never posted. But whatever lies help you get through the day, I guess.

Incredulity · February 25

Just now, Captainant said:

It really undercuts your credibility when you continue to insist that I am arguing for things that I have never posted. But whatever lies help you get through the day, I guess.

Nicole44 · February 25

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ar-BB1iQFrK

Massive Joro spiders are likely to continue their march across the United States thanks to their ability to adapt to human-dominated environments, a new analysis suggests.

The spiders, which are native to East Asia, have large yellow-and-black bodies, long legs and an ability to spin orb-like webs. First confirmed in the United States in 2014, in northeast Georgia, they have since spread across the Southeast.

———————

In about two years man…these spiders 🕷️ will be everywhere. Probably eating the massive mosquito (even though not related to mosquitos) insects we see at end of winter/beginning of spring.

They have no fear of noises or city environments. Can pretty much tolerate all out obnoxiousness. Cool cool cool.

Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand · February 25

Quote

“We're beginning to see the consumer no longer willing to take the higher pricing,” Rines said. “So companies were beginning to get a little bit more skeptical of their ability to just have price be the driver of their revenues. They had to have those volumes come back, and the consumer wasn’t reacting in a way that they were pleased with.”

https://www.msn.com/en-US/finance/-companies/consumers-are-increasingly-pushing-back-against-price-increases--and-winning/ar-BB1iQNyF?ocid=sapphireappshare

Surly Bevo · February 25

2 minutes ago, Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand said:

https://www.msn.com/en-US/finance/-companies/consumers-are-increasingly-pushing-back-against-price-increases--and-winning/ar-BB1iQNyF?ocid=sapphireappshare

Your link

Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand · February 25

I blame AT&T.

How ya like me now?

https://www.msn.com/en-US/finance/-companies/consumers-are-increasingly-pushing-back-against-price-increases--and-winning/ar-BB1iQNyF?ocid=sapphireappshare

Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand · February 25

Shit!

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