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Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

johnwhiles.com

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Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#561

Post by coryrc »

epistasis wrote: post #304
andrewzah wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who is “we”? It’s not surprising or creepy that people focus on what they actually can control. None of us realistically can change the fact that America is built around roads. Not everyone can work from home. People drive not because they want to, but because they have to. Criticizing that is a highly privileged take.

"We" is our society and laws and common discussion topics and social mores, etc. Let's keep on using the "creepy" adjective here, because I think I applies especially to this comment, even more than the prior one. Who sets the laws for how buildings are built and whether we have to drive or not? Local communities (at least in the US). So people can get involved, change what is legal and not legal to build, and advoca…

> At one of the meetings I was at, trying to advocate for a mixed use building

Thank you for trying to make the world better.

I try to make the same case as you. I think people get off on the controlling part (banning plastic bags) and just use environmentalism as a cover.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#562

Post by aksss »

pbreit wrote: post #505
mrob wrote: post #418

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I started shaving a few years ago with a cheap Chinese electric razor. It needs cleaning occasionally but is otherwise trouble free. It shaves close enough to get a good respirator seal, which is close enough for me. It's impossible to injure myself with it, and it's so easy to use that I can literally shave while browsing the web. Unless you are concerned with getting the closest shave possible, electric seems the o…

May I ask which one? Flat across or the floating heads? Amazon is mostly the more expensive name brands.

I’m using a higher-end Panasonic I bought over ten years ago, which is a foil type rather than the three head. Works great. Still have to replace blades every so often - far less often than a safety razor - and the foil periodically/rarely. Electrics are never as close as blades (despite marketing) but far easier, far quicker, and amortized out over many years, pretty cheap. Cheap electrics suck, so prioritize best shave quality within the electric razor type (foil vs three disc) that’s most compatible with your face and get the functionally best example you can afford, ignoring add-on gadgets like cleaning stations etc.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#563

Post by [deleted] »

jader201 wrote: post #398

Why is a thread on electric razors not the top comment on a post about the expense/waste of straight razors? I get that they have some downsides, but if we’re talking about the expense/waste of straight razors, then it would make sense to consider electric razors. I’ve seen so many ads about companies trying to “invent” the most effective, lowest cost straight razor and it still confuses me, given we already have ele…

[deleted]

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#564

Post by kgwxd »

kvakvs wrote: post #41

Hair trimmer set to shortest length will make your face like shaven 2 days ago. Costs nothing. Needs no foam, no aftershave gel, creates no irritation or red skin, just splash of water and optional facial creme. My condolences to those who must have a clean shave every day of their life.

I used to shave once a week. I bought a safety razor ($20) and 100 razors ($20) in 2015 and only ran out about a month ago. I ordered 200 more razors ($40) and decided to start shaving every day. I find a razor is comfortable enough for about a week, so I expect to get about 3+ years out of them. I have a pretty heavy beard with thick black hairs, I'm not sure if that has an actual effect on how quickly a razor degrades but, if it does, I expect it could last that long for most. I use hand soap as "shaving cream", which I buy to wash my hands anyway. I prefer the auto-foaming kind but liquid and bar soaps work just as well.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#565

Post by cagey »

raesene9 wrote: post #466
jader201 wrote: post #398

Why is a thread on electric razors not the top comment on a post about the expense/waste of straight razors? I get that they have some downsides, but if we’re talking about the expense/waste of straight razors, then it would make sense to consider electric razors. I’ve seen so many ads about companies trying to “invent” the most effective, lowest cost straight razor and it still confuses me, given we already have ele…

Yep, I've had two electric razors in my adult life (now in my late 40's) and they do the job well enough for me. Need periodically washed out and regularly charged, but apart from that they're maintenance free. Both Philips, only got rid of the first one as it got broken by being knocked off a high shelf. The idea of shaving being expensive, just seems ... odd.

Same for me; I've used Philips/Norelco rotary shavers for almost[1] all of my 45+ shaving years. As the battery technology has gotten better (NiCd: awful!; NiMh: decent; Li-Ion: wow!), the shavers last longer and longer; I bought a dup of my current shaver on sale for $20 as a backup maybe 5 years ago, but it's still unopened.

So the idea that "shaving is getting expensive" strikes me as silly; I'm sure you could spend thousands if you wanted to, but that's a choice.

[1] I tried a Braun "wet or dry" shaver, but one drop in the shower was the end of that "upscale purchase".

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#566

Post by bombcar »

smnrchrds wrote: post #367
foolfoolz wrote: post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

check out “commercial display” tvs. they always have ports and usually don’t come with as much software

I was under the impression that commercial displays optimize for longevity instead of picture quality. Is that not the case?

Correct - they’re usually designed for always-on signage like you’d see at an airport.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#567

Post by mike_hock »

gruez wrote: post #158

>Other examples of products that seem to exhibit a similar trend, where purported convenience leads to higher prices >Cooking equipment: essentially indestructible Cast Iron skillets transition into teflon pans. The newer pans perform worse, and must be replaced on a shockingly regular basis. They also seem to be poisonous. They have their uses. I wouldn't try frying eggs in a cast iron, for instance (technically you…

> Why are they only superficially convenient?

Because they're a PITA to clean compared to a regular coffee maker.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#568

Post by pengaru »

Shaving flush with a razor always gave me in-grown hairs anyways.

Between that, "razor burn", and the likelihood of nicks/cuts, it's obviously unhygienic vs. just a close no-guard clipping.

Actually spending money regularly on consumables to do this to yourself is utterly misguided IMO.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#569

Post by prepend »

gruez wrote: post #158

>Other examples of products that seem to exhibit a similar trend, where purported convenience leads to higher prices >Cooking equipment: essentially indestructible Cast Iron skillets transition into teflon pans. The newer pans perform worse, and must be replaced on a shockingly regular basis. They also seem to be poisonous. They have their uses. I wouldn't try frying eggs in a cast iron, for instance (technically you…

> They have their uses. I wouldn't try frying eggs in a cast iron, for instance (technically you can, but it requires an absurd amount of oil).

A seasoned pan is fine for eggs. I just use a little butter.

I switched to aluminum/copper core from Teflon and eggs are easy with a little butter, or oil, or spray. And cleaning is easier with some steel wool.

An all-clad pan was $100 but is going strong 15 years later and should last a few hundred more. My non-stick pans were $20 and lasted a year or two.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#570

Post by thayne »

gruez wrote: post #479
thayne wrote: post #421

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> smart TVs are cheaper than dumb TVs because they're subsidized by ad revenue. What if you count having to view ads, and having the tv spy on you as a cost? RN,for many TVs you can just not connect to wifi, but how long until the TV won't work unless it is connected? > Also, the claim itself doesn't really make any sense. Even if you stop getting software updates, that doesn't prevent you from using it as a dumb dis…

>What if you count having to view ads, and having the tv spy on you as a cost? I don't connect it to wifi, problem solved. >for many TVs you can just not connect to wifi, but how long until the TV won't work unless it is connected? Is there reason to believe that it won't work? The "smart" TV I have hasn't been connected to wifi for years and still works. >Perhaps a better argument is that a bad software can brick th…

> Is there reason to believe that it won't work? The "smart" TV I have hasn't been connected to wifi for years and still works.

I've heard of some tvs that work that way, rn it is the exception rather than the rule, but there is an incentive for tv makers to move in that direction.

> If you use it as a dumb TV from day 1 I can't imagine why it would randomly break later.

Smart tvs have inherently more complicated electronics, and that means more things to break. If you don't use the smart features it might be less likely for those components to break, but unless the designers were careful to sufficiently isolate the smart components, it still increases the chances of breakage.

> That's seems to be more of a theoretical concern than something that's actually happening right now.

For TVs maybe, but it is already the case for other "smart" devices like thermostats.

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