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Amazon Dash Button

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Re: Amazon Dash Button

#361
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This a case of you seeing in the video what you want to see. Practically every advertisement ever created has happy people using a product. This is just a device meant to make life easier - stop overthinking it.

The difference is that while most advertisements show people happily using a product, this one shows people becoming happy merely from the act of purchasing. I also got a very uneasy "consumer junkie" vibe from it. Of course, it's in Amazon's best economic interest to normalize and associate good feelings with the ideas of endless consumption and perpetually repeating purchasing.

The buttons are to assist with repeat purchases that we All make and that are a hassle for most of us. Detergent, toilet paper, razors, etc. It's not a matter of whether we buy these things - we all do - it's How. And for a lot of us the How is still inconvenient. This is not the perfect solution but that's the problem it seems to want to solve. It IS a problem of Remembering to purchase. How do we make it easier for people to purchase those core items they frequently run out of?

The only "junkie" vibe I got from this was the k-cups.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#362

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's ridiculous just because it clearly involved a lot of effort to solve a problem that doesn't really need solving. The choice isn't between a button and the massive hassle you describe. The choice is between a button and ordering the product on your smartphone in ten seconds, or picking up the product at the grocery store the next time you're there. How often do you need laundry detergent? Every two weeks?…

This button isn't about saving time, it's about preventing the instances of not having something when you need it. The moment when you realize you need more of something is typically when you're using it. If you can literally just hit a button to order more, that's a significant change from having to do something else to order more.

Actually, it's about a vendor making sure you buy their brand (again) when you need to fill up instead of going to the store and looking at the 50 choices in the detergent aisle one more time.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#363
post #39

It's a intermediate step towards absolute frictionless purchasing. We went from physical in-store cash payments to online 1-click delivery. The purchasing experience has continuously been quickened, to close the gap between the intent and the action. Nowadays, running out of coffee capsules (for example) still requires some interaction, via your phone or your laptop. There's at least a dozen of seconds between the in…

(Fast forward to 2025) "Wait, you expect me to actually PUSH A BUTTON?"

If it all goes as planned, you will likely have that too automated(More like automated detection if you are running out of groceries, in some way), either self driving cars or drones will deliver it to you.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#364

A lot of negativity posted on this by a lot of people, including myself, just to be negative. But here's why I (and I bet many others) really dislike this: it tightly couples purchasing everyday things to Amazon. What would be better? I would have rather seen a third party come out with these little buttons, with an open API such that they could be connected to things like: - Todo/grocery list apps that adds the item…

This. Dash removes any type of "shopping" from the conversation. Platform lock in for consumables. My bet is they'll just give them away on the containers themselves to get you to use it.

Or just start mailing them at random a la AOL.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#365
post #330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't go to the store to buy detergent. You go to the store to buy a whole bundle of items, and you go regardless of whether or not you need detergent. 10 seconds is IMO a decent approximation of the marginal cost of time for adding detergent to the stuff you buy. As for the big gain being that it's right there, I figured everybody's phones are right there too. Apparently not everybody does that. Seems like if yo…

10 seconds is the marginal cost /if you're going to the store/. It's entirely possible to make zero regular trips to the store under normal conditions. I'd use the heck out of a "cause more cat litter to arrive in a day or so" button, in fact I have a bookmark on my laptop for just this use. Mobile apps are (imo) universally horrible for this kind of directed action.

How do you get your food and other things? I'm genuinely interested. I've lived for periods where I ate out every meal but I still ended up in a store now and then.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#367
post #347

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's ridiculous just because it clearly involved a lot of effort to solve a problem that doesn't really need solving. The choice isn't between a button and the massive hassle you describe. The choice is between a button and ordering the product on your smartphone in ten seconds, or picking up the product at the grocery store the next time you're there. How often do you need laundry detergent? Every two weeks?…

It's not about saving time, it's about avoiding context switches. Also I'm really bad at remembering that I'm out of something even 5 seconds later, much less when I'm at the store racking my brain for what I'm running low on.

I solved this problem with a notepad in my back pocket. Write it down as soon as I realize I need it, and refer to it next time I'm at the store. Not saying it invalidates this Amazon offering, just a suggestion if this is a real problem you're struggling with.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#369
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great, so now when I buy a Whirlpool washing machine it'll be hardcoded to use products with its reorder button. Gross, gross, gross.

Or you'll have to set up your MyWhirlpool account on their website so that you can pair their app on your iPhone with your washing machine so you can search their incomplete list of detergent brands and add your second choice to your MyWhirlpoolBrandSelect Favorites List and then give up when Amazon seems to stop supporting that brand.

It would be easier to just wash my fucking dishes.

Re: Amazon Dash Button

#370

This makes me envious of you Americans. Here in Norway online shopping involves finding an online store that sells what you need (there's no site that sells everything, like Amazon, here), going through a cumbersome sign-up/payment process, paying a lot of money for the shipping costs, waiting several days and having to go to the post office unless the package is really small (or if you're willing to pay even more fo…

I think it's ridiculous just because it clearly involved a lot of effort to solve a problem that doesn't really need solving. The choice isn't between a button and the massive hassle you describe. The choice is between a button and ordering the product on your smartphone in ten seconds, or picking up the product at the grocery store the next time you're there. How often do you need laundry detergent? Every two weeks?…

I signed up for this. I want this button -- but because I want to hack it so I can have buttons for other shit.
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