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The part about cash seems strange. While there are certainly downsides to digital payments (or at least the current implementations of them) such as dependency

The part about cash seems strange. While there are certainly downsides to digital payments (or at least the current implementations of them) such as dependency on the banking system and surveillance there can be no doubt that electronic payments are more convenient. The problem with cash is that there are two separate steps which need to performed in separate geographical locations: 1) Getting the cash (from an ATM or a bank) 2) Spending it What people want to do is #2 but with cash they also have to spend time travelling to some place to do #1. You can optimise this by carrying large amounts of cash to reduce the frequency and time spent doing #1 but that has obvious downsides (like risk of theft) Using electronic payments doesn't force anyone to "go faster" it just spares them from having to do "busy work".

antx 3y ago
But... your point doesn't contradict the author's ? So, electronic payments are of course more convenient... but they do indeed force us to go faster. They speed up transactions, reduce queues, and eliminate the need for cash. I'm happy I can buy stuff online, but that in turns also makes me consume more. You're speaking of some of cash issues... but have you thought about impacts on the the homeless of a 100% cashless society?
- mfuzzey 3y ago
  My point is that electronic payments don't force us to "go faster". They only free us from doing stuff like going to an ATM to get cash (which means getting in my car where I live). I can choose how to spend that time, maybe I want to spend it going for a relaxing walk around my village (which has no ATM). Buying online doesn't have to make you consume more - it remains up to you how much you choose to consume. A 100% cashless society is off topic. I'm not saying we should be 100% cashless but I would like to see electronic payments accepted everywhere (not necessarilly exclusively) - the author mentions Germany which is a real pain with some places only taking cash.
carlosjobim 3y ago
Before digital payments become the norm, you didn't have to go to an ATM to get cash, because cash was all around. You'd get paid in cash and you'd buy and sell in cash. So you've gotten everything backwards.
- Tadpole9181 3y ago
  > You'd get paid in cash and you'd buy and sell in cash. What are you talking about? I've never received a paycheck in actual cash in my entire life, only checks and then deposits when they became the norm.
  - carlosjobim 3y ago
    > What are you talking about? I'm talking about before digital payments. Deposits are digital payments and the problem of having to find an ATM to get your money is something that happened in the transition period after digital payments became the norm. In the time when everybody where getting paychecks, they were probably not difficult to cash? I didn't really think about paychecks, because that system was/is very regional.
    - Tadpole9181 3y ago
      Think I getchya. > In the time when everybody where getting paychecks, they were probably not difficult to cash? It was a trip to the bank. Then add in another trip to the bank weekly or on any major purchase, usually. Wouldn't want to go back. I'm personally happy I have that 30-40 minutes a week to do my other hobbies or sleep in.
      - carlosjobim 3y ago
        I remember where I lived there were bank offices everywhere a few decades ago, because people had to go to the bank to cash their salary. Then credit cards became more common and also ATM cards. For a while it was really difficult for people who didn't have credit cards, because ATMs were rare and banks started closing their offices or shortening hours rapidly. Not until debit cards arrived did things become more convenient. But all this was already in a time with digital salary payments to your bank account, had it all been cash there wouldn't have been a problem for anyone. Or if you want to go even further back in time, when people had a credit book that they used when making purchases. Honestly I don't understand why people accepted the humiliation of having their salary put in a bank account where they couldn't easily access it, or getting a check you had to go and cash. A lot of busy work for no benefit to anybody.

antx 3y ago

But... your point doesn't contradict the author's ? So, electronic payments are of course more convenient... but they do indeed force us to go faster. They speed up transactions, reduce queues, and eliminate the need for cash. I'm happy I can buy stuff online, but that in turns also makes me consume more. You're speaking of some of cash issues... but have you thought about impacts on the the homeless of a 100% cashless society?

mfuzzey 3y ago
My point is that electronic payments don't force us to "go faster". They only free us from doing stuff like going to an ATM to get cash (which means getting in my car where I live). I can choose how to spend that time, maybe I want to spend it going for a relaxing walk around my village (which has no ATM). Buying online doesn't have to make you consume more - it remains up to you how much you choose to consume. A 100% cashless society is off topic. I'm not saying we should be 100% cashless but I would like to see electronic payments accepted everywhere (not necessarilly exclusively) - the author mentions Germany which is a real pain with some places only taking cash.

carlosjobim 3y ago

Before digital payments become the norm, you didn't have to go to an ATM to get cash, because cash was all around. You'd get paid in cash and you'd buy and sell in cash. So you've gotten everything backwards.

Tadpole9181 3y ago
> You'd get paid in cash and you'd buy and sell in cash. What are you talking about? I've never received a paycheck in actual cash in my entire life, only checks and then deposits when they became the norm.
- carlosjobim 3y ago
  > What are you talking about? I'm talking about before digital payments. Deposits are digital payments and the problem of having to find an ATM to get your money is something that happened in the transition period after digital payments became the norm. In the time when everybody where getting paychecks, they were probably not difficult to cash? I didn't really think about paychecks, because that system was/is very regional.
  - Tadpole9181 3y ago
    Think I getchya. > In the time when everybody where getting paychecks, they were probably not difficult to cash? It was a trip to the bank. Then add in another trip to the bank weekly or on any major purchase, usually. Wouldn't want to go back. I'm personally happy I have that 30-40 minutes a week to do my other hobbies or sleep in.
    - carlosjobim 3y ago
      I remember where I lived there were bank offices everywhere a few decades ago, because people had to go to the bank to cash their salary. Then credit cards became more common and also ATM cards. For a while it was really difficult for people who didn't have credit cards, because ATMs were rare and banks started closing their offices or shortening hours rapidly. Not until debit cards arrived did things become more convenient. But all this was already in a time with digital salary payments to your bank account, had it all been cash there wouldn't have been a problem for anyone. Or if you want to go even further back in time, when people had a credit book that they used when making purchases. Honestly I don't understand why people accepted the humiliation of having their salary put in a bank account where they couldn't easily access it, or getting a check you had to go and cash. A lot of busy work for no benefit to anybody.