Death to Bullshit • Hacker News Board

Re: Death to Bullshit

#101

Post by TeMPOraL » Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 9:32 PM UTC

noir_lord wrote: post #51

mojuba wrote: post #8

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.

I've seen precisely one use of QR codes that was a benefit and that's with WhatsApp's web app, you point your phone at the screen and it instantly syncs your profile to the web app, I thought that was clever.

Yup. AirDroid uses them this way to establish a LAN connection between your phone and your browser. Other interesting users: Foursquare links back before the company destroyed the product, Wi-Fi credentials, turning lights on and off with your phone.

Re: Death to Bullshit

#102

Post by blattenshitser » Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 9:32 PM UTC

Yeah let's get rid of trackers and unnecessary bullshit. After, of course, I load my Google tracker and accompanying LOBSTER font.

http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Lobster' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'>

Re: Death to Bullshit

#103

Post by FilterSweep » Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 9:36 PM UTC

Houshalter wrote: post #71

Encosia wrote: post #2

Be sure to click the "Turn bullshit on?" link at the top-right for a chuckle.

I thought that was bad, but I noticed adblock was blocking 67 things. I turned it off and it is truly awful.

Sadly, 67 things is actually low for most Alexa Top 1000 trafficked websites.

Re: Death to Bullshit

#104

Post by qwtel » Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 9:37 PM UTC

mojuba wrote: post #100

qwtel wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But the profit made on the few clueless ones keeps the bullshit economy going You make it sound like the clueless ones are always the same people though. I certainly paid for my share of BS (and guilt-tripped my parents into paying before that) and now I feel like I'm not doing that any more (even though there was no point when I didn't feel this way..).

The clueless ones are usually newcomers e.g. to the Internet. Everyone of us got caught up in a scam at least once.

You could almost think of it as an entry ticket ;) I'd agree that the price of the ticket varies greatly by age, education, etc., though.

Re: Death to Bullshit

#105

Post by goodcanadian » Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 9:43 PM UTC

XorNot wrote: post #83

spacehome wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The savings rate being low is insufficient to justify your claim that advertising does not create net demand. It's also possible that people choose to work more to afford more goods. I see Americans working very hard when I feel they would get more life satisfaction out of cutting expenses, primarily the big three: transportation, housing, and food.

You mean the 3 expenses that are entirely non-optional?

Sure, they're non-optional in the sense that you will almost certainly have to pay some money for them. However, I can readily admit that I spend more on housing and transportation than I need to. Food is less clear; I know I can eat cheaper food, but I don't want to compromise health. Eating out is rarely for the sake of simply getting food, so I don't really count that in the grocery budget. It is entertainment plain and simple which is, by definition, largely optional.

Re: Death to Bullshit

#106

Post by Lerc » Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 9:47 PM UTC

Animats wrote: post #60

Advertising in the US doesn't create demand. It just moves it around. 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 pr…

I have always been suspicious of advertising, for a number of reasons. Can anyone come up with an example of something funded by advertising revenue that has not in some way been corrupted by it?

I have often suggested that the financial benefit of advertising seemed unconvincing. Advertising spending certainly has been shown to increase revenue, but how often does it come to pass that the revenue gain from advertising translates to a sufficient increase in gross-profit to cover the advertising expenditure?

Google is a company that is built on data and advertising. Surely they have the required information and the skills to analyse to give an answer.

Re: Death to Bullshit

#107

Post by TeMPOraL » Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 9:50 PM UTC

blattenshitser wrote: post #102

Yeah let's get rid of trackers and unnecessary bullshit. After, of course, I load my Google tracker and accompanying LOBSTER font. http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Lobster' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'>

Lobster font is probably for the "Turn on bullshit?" page mode. I recommend testing it, it makes the site look properly modern.

Re: Death to Bullshit

#108

Post by frame_perfect » Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 9:57 PM UTC

Animats wrote: post #60

Advertising in the US doesn't create demand. It just moves it around. 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 pr…

> Advertising expenses should not be deductible business expenses at all.

Wait, WHAT!? Advertising is a tax-deductible business expense? Why on earth?

Re: Death to Bullshit

#109

Post by ris » Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 10:03 PM UTC

I find it hugely ironic that the author hosts the site's blog on tumblr, the king of user-signup-driving no-we're-not-going-to-give-you-an-rss-feed-we-want-you-to-join-our-service-to-subscribe.

Re: Death to Bullshit

#110

Post by killface » Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 10:13 PM UTC

Animats wrote: post #60

Advertising in the US doesn't create demand. It just moves it around. 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 pr…

> There's no "pent-up demand" waiting to be unlocked by advertising.

This is why any economic recovery plans that don't focus on growing the income of middle- and lower-class americans is doomed to fail. The rich can already buy anything they want, and they're saving like crazy. Until we unleash more demand from the lower- and middle-class, all efforts are futile.

It's also why we should be focusing on, and supporting, raises in the minimum wage, reductions in work weeks (more demand for leisure goods and services), and decreased tax burden on the middle class.

This necessarily implies a (potentially dramatic) increase in taxes on the wealthy. They can afford it. If someone claims they'll cut and run to a tax haven country -- let them. We'll do better without them around.