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Bodega - for some reason, the author doesn't mention the already extant, amazing vending machine technology in Japan it's interesting that some people take the

Bodega - for some reason, the author doesn't mention the already extant, amazing vending machine technology in Japan it's interesting that some people take the angle on this story that Bodega wants to put immigrant run NYC bodegas out of business. but that's just one angle on the story. another angle is that, inevitably, some of the employees of SV's Bodega will be among the population of much lauded, indispensable, highly educated immigrant programmers, earning high salaries and contributing their unique talents to "the most dynamic and creative economy in world." still another angle is that any current corner store employees whose jobs are eliminated by these new high-tech vending machines will be "free to pursue other, more profitable careers" (a favorite argument of certain economics writers). yet another angle is that the WP author is an unimaginative Luddite who doesn't want new efficiencies to be introduced into the marketplace and can't see that these vending machines might complement existing corner stores, etc. journalists are great. they can always spin a story like this in a direction that lets them fling sh*t at an upcoming enemy of the people (in this case, Silicon Valley corporations).

geofft 9y ago
The Luddites were good and well-intentioned; owners of capital later redefined the term to mean people who are irrationally afraid of all technological progress, after shooting the Luddites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite
- HillaryBriss 9y ago
  yes. ok. but, people today assign additional shades of meaning to "Luddite." also, one can compare the activities of the original Luddites in England to the activities of the author of that WP article. the original Luddites "destroyed weaving machinery as a form of protest" because business owners were using that machinery to "to get around standard labour practices." in a similar way, one might argue that this journalist is damaging Bodega's reputation (a critical element of any startup's "machinery") because it gets around a standard immigrant labor practice (starting and working in NYC corner shops).

geofft 9y ago

The Luddites were good and well-intentioned; owners of capital later redefined the term to mean people who are irrationally afraid of all technological progress, after shooting the Luddites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite

HillaryBriss 9y ago
yes. ok. but, people today assign additional shades of meaning to "Luddite." also, one can compare the activities of the original Luddites in England to the activities of the author of that WP article. the original Luddites "destroyed weaving machinery as a form of protest" because business owners were using that machinery to "to get around standard labour practices." in a similar way, one might argue that this journalist is damaging Bodega's reputation (a critical element of any startup's "machinery") because it gets around a standard immigrant labor practice (starting and working in NYC corner shops).