51–60 of 217 posts
Can't say how effective this campaign can be, but I'm glad QR codes are now officially included in the list of bullshit. Can't agree more.
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The problem is that bullshit is a negative externality. It's cognitive pollution. Those who clutter the world with bullshit reap the rewards of nabbing the suckers who respond to it, but don't pay the costs of imposing those cognitive loads on everyone else. That leads to more bullshit than would be economically efficient. Take a simple example like billboards. If billboard advertisers had to pay every person whose l…
Billboards are pretty helpful. They often tell me I can get food by taking the next exit. Someone might be pulling out their phone while driving instead, because the only alternative is to pull over first. Affecting the equilibrium might have obvious consequences. Are you sure the prevalence of bullshit isn't healthy? If there weren't so much bullshit, you'd be less immune to it when it matters. Seeing the wrong kind…
Usually I find the state-made info signs on the sides of freeways more informative than the advertisement billboards because it displays everything I need in one quick glance. The tiles of each "food" or gas or whatever option partitioned left or right, denoting which way I need to turn after the exit. That's just me, though. And I'm a weirdo who sometimes drives with his phone in airplane mode and chases NPR on the dial.
-> If there weren't so much bullshit, you'd be less immune to it when it matters.
I don't think this is necessarily true. It's not like it's 2 alternatives of content we're talking about, one legitimate and one not. I think it's more that there's legitimate content that's constantly getting interference from this extraneous and meaningless noise.
It's funny. This page strikes me as the height of bullshit. It's basically a manifesto written by an individual interested in being another absolute arbiter of taste. It completely ignores the nuances, relativism and circumstance of how people internalize ideas, make decisions and generally connect. It even go as far as to say that it is the reason why being a great engineer or creator of things is am anti-pattern fo…
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I haven't seen a QR code that wouldn't lead to a plain online ad for a long while. Their other, "sincere" uses have diminished most likely because there are always more reasonable alternatives, such as a short and memorable brand/trade name that can be easily found online if needed. QR codes are really just an awkward way of collecting "clicks" so to say, and they require too much effort for that (take out your phone…
It's probably worth distinguishing between QR Codes used for advertising, vs other uses. For example, I print QR codes on the back of my business cards containing a VCard record, to make it easier to import them into an address book if needed. Or at home, I have a QR code that automatically populates credentials for my WiFi network when guests come over. It's also the easiest way to add a TOTP code to Authy or Google…
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Billboards are pretty helpful. They often tell me I can get food by taking the next exit. Someone might be pulling out their phone while driving instead, because the only alternative is to pull over first. Affecting the equilibrium might have obvious consequences. Are you sure the prevalence of bullshit isn't healthy? If there weren't so much bullshit, you'd be less immune to it when it matters. Seeing the wrong kind…
-> Billboards are pretty helpful. They often tell me I can get food by taking the next exit. Usually I find the state-made info signs on the sides of freeways more informative than the advertisement billboards because it displays everything I need in one quick glance. The tiles of each "food" or gas or whatever option partitioned left or right, denoting which way I need to turn after the exit. That's just me, though.…
It's important to remember that such abstractions enable you to reject the content you don't personally see as meritorious as unwholesome. And that's a sure way to fool oneself. Rewind the clock a hundred years and you might be arguing for prohibition. It's also classic no true Scottsman, for what it's worth.
One's noise is another's music. Why is it there if no one finds it helpful?
A better distinction is mistaken or not mistaken.
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Are QR codes still a thing? Or were they ever a thing? Dunno, my brain seems to filter them out automatically, I rarely notice them.
I just used one to board a plane. It worked well, that's no bullshit.
What's amazing is that the author pays his own bills as a result of such bullshit existing. The companies he's consulting to don't magically make money from nothing.[0]
This is great. Reminds me of Jon Stewart's speech that he gave on his last show. Video and transcription: http://leoherzog.com/jon-stewarts-incredible-bullsht-speech
see also, the book, "On Bullshit" ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Bullshit ) This book should have a spot on everyone's desk in hard copy. Use it as a coaster, walk around with it in the hallways, take it to meetings. No need to preach from it though - its very presence will be enough of a sign to others re: your tolerance levels of the amount of bullshit stinking up the current situation. EDIT: BTW, I do indeed h…
I bought it on your recommendation. It had better be good, otherwise I will come back to haunt you.
BTW - what I found most enlightening in the book is how he articulates the difference between the "bull session" and bullshit.
America is spent out. The US personal savings rate is under 5%. Everything else gets spent, and the saved money gets spent later. There's no "pent-up demand" waiting to be unlocked by advertising.
Advertising is thus a net lose for Americans. All that effort adds to cost. For some products, including movies, long distance phone service, and many prescription drugs, the advertising cost exceeds the manufacturing cost.
This is an argument for a tax on advertising. Advertising expenses should not be deductible business expenses at all.
Note that neither Amazon nor WalMart advertises much, compared to other large businesses. Target spends more on ads than WalMart does, although WalMart is much bigger.