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How Bodega typifies Silicon Valley’s cultural ignorance

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Re: How Bodega typifies Silicon Valley’s cultural ignorance

#61

Post by falsedan »

richmarr wrote: post #58
falsedan wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you imagine the point-of-view of someone who did find this helpful? And then, the opinion of this hypothetical reader would hold of the Bodega clowns? To me, the commentary helps call out how insincere and non-genuine the quoted text is.

> Could you imagine the point-of-view of someone who did find this helpful? Who would this "bank details" comment help, and how, and why does someone's point of view affect whether it's helpful? > To me, the commentary helps call out how insincere and non-genuine the quoted text is. There's plenty to discuss on the branding, commercial model, and social implications without attempting to smear them with vague implica…

Taking this as a 'no' then.

Re: How Bodega typifies Silicon Valley’s cultural ignorance

#62

Post by falsedan »

hownottowrite wrote: post #42
falsedan wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How is this "situation" with Bodega any different than the destruction of small town shops? The $2.5MM funding for a bad vending machine which will only work in cities, in the face of extreme income inequality.

Don't get me wrong, I think Bodega is an exceptionally stupid idea. What bothers me is the outrage about the potential loss of these small shops in urban areas when absolutely zero concern was paid to the eventual shredding of the social fabric of rural communities. The author of the article does not address this, even in passing.

I guess the cause of that isn't 2 techlife 'product' guys with a ton of other people's money (which they got on the off-chance they completely disrupt the market).

Gutting of small towns is done with multi-year business strategies decided in the boardrooms & committees of giant corporations for shareholder benefit: also bad, but less offensive.

Re: How Bodega typifies Silicon Valley’s cultural ignorance

#63

Post by richmarr »

falsedan wrote: post #61
richmarr wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Could you imagine the point-of-view of someone who did find this helpful? Who would this "bank details" comment help, and how, and why does someone's point of view affect whether it's helpful? > To me, the commentary helps call out how insincere and non-genuine the quoted text is. There's plenty to discuss on the branding, commercial model, and social implications without attempting to smear them with vague implica…

Taking this as a 'no' then.

> Taking this as a 'no' then.

Take it as a 'I don't consider your question as stated to be meaningful'.

Re: How Bodega typifies Silicon Valley’s cultural ignorance

#64

Post by kmonad »

imartin2k wrote: post #48
kmonad wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article is not centered around the choice of name, it's an example. The offensiveness, to the author, comes from more than that.

It's the idea that "offensiveness" even is a reasonable critical descriptor of a startup idea that i see as a problem. This is such a fluid term which lacks any clear, objective boundaries. Everybody has their own view on what's offensive (apart from some areas in which somewhat of a consensus exists about offensiveness, mostly regarding pejorative expressions). Some people have a thick skin and find nothing offensiv…

The waste of money on a stupid idea is offending the author in light of the increasing issue of wealth discrepancy and homelessness in SF. This may not be offensive to all, but is not inappropriate usage.

Re: How Bodega typifies Silicon Valley’s cultural ignorance

#65

Post by falsedan »

richmarr wrote: post #63
falsedan wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Taking this as a 'no' then.

> Taking this as a 'no' then. Take it as a 'I don't consider your question as stated to be meaningful'.

It's a empathy exercise, not a question? You implicitly asked, "who would this statement about bank accounts be helpful for?", and I suggest that you try to think of someone.

Re: How Bodega typifies Silicon Valley’s cultural ignorance

#67

Post by 7Z7 »

humanrebar wrote: post #51

> Two Ex-Googlers Want To Make Bodegas And Mom-And-Pop Corner Stores Obsolete It's my understanding that bodegas (gas stations in car towns) make their money from "unsavory" things: nicotine, alcohol, and lottery tickets. Unless Bodega is planning on stocking vending machines with this stuff (they can't; it's generally illegal), corner stores will be fine.

Actually, and this might be different where you live, but it's my understanding that shops don't really make any profit on cigarettes/alcohol/lottery tickets, and that they are only sold to entice you to buy other things (ie. if they didn't stock them, people would shop elsewhere).

Re: How Bodega typifies Silicon Valley’s cultural ignorance

#68

Post by Xoros »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #56
gcatalfamo wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Look, if I were to believe I was being denied opportunities in the US because of the portrayal Olive Garden (and the like) was doing about Italy and Italian, I think I wouldn't deserve the job in first place. Culture is important, you must know yours and others, but I really believe people on certain echo chamber aren't getting their priorities straight. Or, if you let me, they have life SO good, they have run out of…

> Or, if you let me, they have life SO good, they have run out of good things to complain about. This is my perception of things. Or, as I sometimes put it in person, "people haven't experienced a war in a long time so they're going batshit with priorities now". Also: it's not that we run out of issues to solve, it's that most of the actually important ones - like energy security, climate change, stabilizing agricult…

There was an episode on The Soprano (no mafia/pizza pun intended :-D) where Tony tried to visit a prostitute he was "in love" with.

She was not there, but her roommate, also a prostitute, from Russia (or an alike country I don't remember), with one fake leg, was.

As he was complaining how miserable he was, she starts lecturing him of how Americans people have stopped having real issues, or living in life threatening situations, and so they invents themselves new ones which looks ridiculous for people coming from less developed countries.

For me it's exactly that.

And don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly aware that there are people in deep trouble in America, homeless or not wealthy enough to treat nasty diseases right.

And this is a first world problem you can also witness in some European countries too. Or cities, not necessarily while countries.

It's like we, humans, cannot bare to go through life being just happy.

Re: How Bodega typifies Silicon Valley’s cultural ignorance

#69

Post by Xoros »

kstenerud wrote: post #8
wink wrote: post #6

When reading about things like this I'm always wondering if I'm the odd one out or others' perceptions are really off. Background: I live in Munich, Germany which grew from ~1.3m to 1.5m people in my lifetime. I've never lived in the city center, and never outside. Just in "normal" neighborhoods, as I'd call them. And the same discussion about "brick and mortar book stores" and their downfall and people lamenting the…

In America (especially the East coast), the mom & pop bodegas serve as impromptu social gathering places for the locals, as the store and its owners are very much a part of the community. Taking that away feels a lot like ripping apart a family.

Well, I think nobody will force anyone to use those vending machines instead of going to their corner store.

If people do it, maybe it's because they don't feel this family thing ? So does it matter after all ?

Not supporting the vending machines here, just interrogating you :-)

Re: How Bodega typifies Silicon Valley’s cultural ignorance

#70

Post by richmarr »

falsedan wrote: post #65
richmarr wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Taking this as a 'no' then. Take it as a 'I don't consider your question as stated to be meaningful'.

It's a empathy exercise, not a question? You implicitly asked, "who would this statement about bank accounts be helpful for?", and I suggest that you try to think of someone.

> It's a empathy exercise, not a question? You implicitly asked, "who would this statement about bank accounts be helpful for?", and I suggest that you try to think of someone.

The question I asked you was a literal question, not an empathy exercise. By all means suggest a way that anyone might be helped by this apparently-unevidenced smear.

It may comfort people to read things that support their worldview, but I don't agree that it helps them.

[Edit: changed questions to question as I only asked one]

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