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Chess.com regional pricing: A case study

mobeigi.com

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Re: Chess.com regional pricing: A case study

#111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is the idea of quality oriented “getting by” businesses popular here, but worker cooperatives generally scorned? A worker owned coop is more resilient to deciding to focus on quality and affordability than a business with investors and hierarchical ownership that can change (after a death or a sale etc)

Worker co-ops are scorned here? I think they just don’t come up much due to the nature of the industry. Like all [citation needed] nerds I consumed a ridiculous amount of fantasy fiction growing up, and think programming is as close to magic as we’ll ever get in the real world. If somebody made a “Programmers Guild” in the style of a wizard’s guild, who among us wouldn’t join such a thing?

Yes. HN is a western, liberal, and capitalist hive mind essentially. Or to put it another way, it is for the status quo, more or less. Things like coops are naturally going to not be too well received in such a place.

Re: Chess.com regional pricing: A case study

#112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Worker co-ops are scorned here? I think they just don’t come up much due to the nature of the industry. Like all [citation needed] nerds I consumed a ridiculous amount of fantasy fiction growing up, and think programming is as close to magic as we’ll ever get in the real world. If somebody made a “Programmers Guild” in the style of a wizard’s guild, who among us wouldn’t join such a thing?

Yes. HN is a western, liberal, and capitalist hive mind essentially. Or to put it another way, it is for the status quo, more or less. Things like coops are naturally going to not be too well received in such a place.

I’ve seen co-ops come up in a couple threads. Usually I see interest, not a ton of direct experience, sometimes a little bit of skepticism of the idea, but not a ton. Here’s an example:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42748394

Now, you can find some negative reception I’m sure of you look hard enough, but generally the reception ranges from “a little experience” to “totally naive but curious.”

Re: Chess.com regional pricing: A case study

#113
post #110
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't it the case that US prices are without sales tax, whereas all EU/UK prices are inclusive of tax by law?

Yes as the sales tax rules vary from state to state. The interesting thing is historically I think sales tax was only for physical goods if you download the software there is no sales tax but if you get a physical CD then its taxed. Some states have modified the laws but many like California still don't tax downloaded software.

For what it's worth VAT isn't uniform across the EU either. IIRC the EU specifies minimums, but countries are allowed higher rates and can manage their own exclusions too.

Re: Chess.com regional pricing: A case study

#114
post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to say without turning back time that this would've changed things. I could see a seasoned cleaner arguing that the diff of x and y dividends would be impactful to their lives and that I could be pressured to build a less efficient, decentralized system that compliments the existing decentralized system because when I signed up inefficiency was already built in. Having voting power didn't actually change my…

https://www.sociocracyforall.org/consent-decision-making/

A reply would've been better. I'm not going to read an entire website after putting that much effort into a reply.

Re: Chess.com regional pricing: A case study

#115
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.sociocracyforall.org/consent-decision-making/

A reply would've been better. I'm not going to read an entire website after putting that much effort into a reply.

Your reply was premised on a misinformed understanding about consent based decision making so I shared how it works. Ok if you’re not interested. Have a good one

Re: Chess.com regional pricing: A case study

#116
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There would be similar pushback if Steam started selling games for cheaper in Greenville, Alabama vs New York City. Plenty of regions in the USA have way worse economic disparity than the two you have highlighted. The point of being a single economic/political bloc is to be able to negotiate collectively and work towards a balance.

Eh you'd be surprised. GDP per capita in Bulgaria in 2024 was just $17,412 compared to $57,723 in Sweden (331% increase) while GDP per capita in Alabama was $61,846 compared to $116,883 in New York (189% increase). America's a lot more socioeconomically homogeneous compared to the EU due to Federal spending and a more integrated economy.

> Eh you'd be surprised. GDP per capita in Bulgaria in 2024 was just $17,412 compared to $57,723 in Sweden (331% increase) while GDP per capita in Alabama was $61,846 compared to $116,883 in New York (189% increase). America's a lot more socioeconomically homogeneous compared to the EU due to Federal spending and a more integrated economy.

Using GDP as your _only_ metric, it does look that way.

Why do you feel that GDP is repetitive of the average citizens purchasing power for entertainment?

Re: Chess.com regional pricing: A case study

#117
post #113
post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes as the sales tax rules vary from state to state. The interesting thing is historically I think sales tax was only for physical goods if you download the software there is no sales tax but if you get a physical CD then its taxed. Some states have modified the laws but many like California still don't tax downloaded software.

For what it's worth VAT isn't uniform across the EU either. IIRC the EU specifies minimums, but countries are allowed higher rates and can manage their own exclusions too.

It can get even more complicated here because you can have a county and/or city sales tax add-on so sales tax can vary from city to city.. Doesn't matter to much until you get into big purchases like cars that people starting buying cars in the lowest tax cities. So then the state starting requiring that the tax to be calculated to the address where you are registered.

Re: Chess.com regional pricing: A case study

#118
post #29

Steam used to have (until 2016) a two tier regonal pricing in the EU (EU1 and EU2) but they had to stop it because it was discrimination that people in Sweden paid more for a game than people in Bulgaria. Now everyone in the EU pays the same as people in Sweden. And of course games haven't become cheaper either

Huh? Steam does have regional pricing. And they didn't update the suggested conversions for years, so they are rather outdated by now due to exchange rate changes.

Re: Chess.com regional pricing: A case study

#119
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A reply would've been better. I'm not going to read an entire website after putting that much effort into a reply.

Your reply was premised on a misinformed understanding about consent based decision making so I shared how it works. Ok if you’re not interested. Have a good one

My reply was based on my experience at an actual company that makes money and holds a dominant market position, not a website or an idea. You have a good one as well.

Re: Chess.com regional pricing: A case study

#120
post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your reply was premised on a misinformed understanding about consent based decision making so I shared how it works. Ok if you’re not interested. Have a good one

My reply was based on my experience at an actual company that makes money and holds a dominant market position, not a website or an idea. You have a good one as well.

Ok
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