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Yeah, all those kids that haven't poisoned themselves are a real drain on our society. I just don't buy that warning labels somehow create a dumber populace. A

by ketzo 5y ago

Yeah, all those kids that haven't poisoned themselves are a real drain on our society. I just don't buy that warning labels somehow create a dumber populace. Are we saying that self-electrocution is a required ingredient for critical thinking?

spaetzleesser 5y ago
I think warning labels produce a number populace and produce nothing of value. And that's by design. If you put lengthy labels on everything the effect is the same as no labels at all. Nobody reads them and you just use the item as best as you can figure out. In CA they put cancer warning stickers on almost everything. Either you stop buying anything or you ignore them.
- californical 5y ago
  I agree about the warning labels being too… eager… but I was shopping in the past and was about to buy a bottle of olive oil, except that there was a big cancer warning on the shelf for that specific bottle. So I bought a different bottle of olive oil that didn’t have the cancer warning. So in that case it was quite effective
ColFrancis 5y ago
Warning labels, perhaps not. But in Australia I cannot run Cat6 for "safety". I might electrocute someone with the 12V and must get a licensed professional to do the work for me. A label warning that high voltage is inside is fine, a required label is quite ok, a fine because you didn't put the label on (even though it wasn't explicitly required) is a little bit of a stretch, banning modification is clearly an overreach (in my book). There is a line somewhere, and drawing it too close to either end is harmful. So now we're arguing degrees, and not absolutes.
- bombcar 5y ago
  The way this usually works in the USA is a “homeowner’s exemption” - you can run cat6 in your house all you want but you can’t charge others to do it for them without certification/licensing. Which can lead to all sorts of fun homeowner specials when you buy an older property.
  - Hizonner 5y ago
    You can also have fun times if they used "professionals". Electricians, and especially plumbers, are like termites. In the course of following their own imperatives, they often do serious damage to the building structure. Sometimes they also screw up their own trades, but more often they screw up something else.
    - bombcar 5y ago
      Yeah, even if you're having a custom home built, you either need a really diligent prime contractor, or you need to visit it every day, because nobody cares about anyone else on the job site, and very few companies have all the trades in-house. Definitely have an independent home inspector do an inspection before the sheetrock goes up. Issues are cheap or free to fix before that step.
  - ColFrancis 5y ago
    A genuine question, from someone who doesn't have the option: would you prefer to have it banned?
    - bombcar 5y ago
      No. It’s very nice, but for things like actual electrical and gas work, a permit is required. Many people don’t pull permits however - it’s something to be aware of when buying older homes. The advent of arc breakers and GFCI have reduced the chance of serious harm in these areas. And I’ve also seen (and done) work that was significantly above the base line contractor level (that nobody would pay for usually) just because it was the homeowner bothering to do things very right.
- collegeburner 5y ago
  In your own house you can not run Cat6? Or is it just can't install as a professional? If the first one, then that is loicense culture gone too far.
  - ColFrancis 5y ago
    I cannot run it "permanently". Basically, I can run it along the floor but not hidden at all as that counts as installing. https://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/diy_cabling_-_read_this_before_posting https://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/diy_cabling_-_read_this_before...
- pixl97 5y ago
  Are you talking about running it in your own house? Because if you're talking about a commercial building you are talking about a non zero chance of setting up a situation that can harm others. It's not about the 12v. It's about you getting it hooked in with 110/220 and killing someone else. People that do it professionally tend to have liability insurance you pay your survivors something.
yucky 5y ago
I don't think it's any one thing making society dumber, but there is a clearly a combination of things at work making society dumber. I'd be interested to know which of those things show the highest correlation, but something is inf act making people dumber. Idiocracy is only 15 years old, how did we get to where we are this fast?
PolygonSheep 5y ago
I do wonder if too many warning labels leads to warning fatigue. I remember the first time I saw a Proposition 65 warning it gave me serious pause wondering if the product (a set of Christmas lights) was even safe to handle with bare hands. The 10,000th time I didn't notice at all. "Yeah everything causes cancer nowadays whatever who cares". Meaning there is now a chance I will end up ignoring the warning on something that is actually really carcinogenic because everything I buy says it can cause cancer and reproductive harm.

by ketzo 5y ago

spaetzleesser 5y ago

I think warning labels produce a number populace and produce nothing of value. And that's by design. If you put lengthy labels on everything the effect is the same as no labels at all. Nobody reads them and you just use the item as best as you can figure out. In CA they put cancer warning stickers on almost everything. Either you stop buying anything or you ignore them.

californical 5y ago
I agree about the warning labels being too… eager… but I was shopping in the past and was about to buy a bottle of olive oil, except that there was a big cancer warning on the shelf for that specific bottle. So I bought a different bottle of olive oil that didn’t have the cancer warning. So in that case it was quite effective

ColFrancis 5y ago

Warning labels, perhaps not. But in Australia I cannot run Cat6 for "safety". I might electrocute someone with the 12V and must get a licensed professional to do the work for me. A label warning that high voltage is inside is fine, a required label is quite ok, a fine because you didn't put the label on (even though it wasn't explicitly required) is a little bit of a stretch, banning modification is clearly an overreach (in my book). There is a line somewhere, and drawing it too close to either end is harmful. So now we're arguing degrees, and not absolutes.

bombcar 5y ago
The way this usually works in the USA is a “homeowner’s exemption” - you can run cat6 in your house all you want but you can’t charge others to do it for them without certification/licensing. Which can lead to all sorts of fun homeowner specials when you buy an older property.
- Hizonner 5y ago
  You can also have fun times if they used "professionals". Electricians, and especially plumbers, are like termites. In the course of following their own imperatives, they often do serious damage to the building structure. Sometimes they also screw up their own trades, but more often they screw up something else.
  - bombcar 5y ago
    Yeah, even if you're having a custom home built, you either need a really diligent prime contractor, or you need to visit it every day, because nobody cares about anyone else on the job site, and very few companies have all the trades in-house. Definitely have an independent home inspector do an inspection before the sheetrock goes up. Issues are cheap or free to fix before that step.
- ColFrancis 5y ago
  A genuine question, from someone who doesn't have the option: would you prefer to have it banned?
  - bombcar 5y ago
    No. It’s very nice, but for things like actual electrical and gas work, a permit is required. Many people don’t pull permits however - it’s something to be aware of when buying older homes. The advent of arc breakers and GFCI have reduced the chance of serious harm in these areas. And I’ve also seen (and done) work that was significantly above the base line contractor level (that nobody would pay for usually) just because it was the homeowner bothering to do things very right.
collegeburner 5y ago
In your own house you can not run Cat6? Or is it just can't install as a professional? If the first one, then that is loicense culture gone too far.
- ColFrancis 5y ago
  I cannot run it "permanently". Basically, I can run it along the floor but not hidden at all as that counts as installing. https://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/diy_cabling_-_read_this_before_posting https://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/diy_cabling_-_read_this_before...
pixl97 5y ago
Are you talking about running it in your own house? Because if you're talking about a commercial building you are talking about a non zero chance of setting up a situation that can harm others. It's not about the 12v. It's about you getting it hooked in with 110/220 and killing someone else. People that do it professionally tend to have liability insurance you pay your survivors something.

yucky 5y ago

I don't think it's any one thing making society dumber, but there is a clearly a combination of things at work making society dumber. I'd be interested to know which of those things show the highest correlation, but something is inf act making people dumber. Idiocracy is only 15 years old, how did we get to where we are this fast?

PolygonSheep 5y ago

I do wonder if too many warning labels leads to warning fatigue. I remember the first time I saw a Proposition 65 warning it gave me serious pause wondering if the product (a set of Christmas lights) was even safe to handle with bare hands. The 10,000th time I didn't notice at all. "Yeah everything causes cancer nowadays whatever who cares". Meaning there is now a chance I will end up ignoring the warning on something that is actually really carcinogenic because everything I buy says it can cause cancer and reproductive harm.