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// Look how bad the self checkout experience is. You might say “if people cared, they would shop elsewhere”. I would say that bad checkout matters - in the way

// Look how bad the self checkout experience is. You might say “if people cared, they would shop elsewhere”. I would say that bad checkout matters - in the way that I am talking about mattering - because it does effect a non-trivial amount of behavior. First, I am much more likely to opt for self-checkout at Whole Foods vs in my town's supermarket (that I otherwise like) because the WF experience is pretty smooth while at the other store, the machine blocks until help arrives every X items. Does that matter? Well I think so, because (1) some # of people will go to WF over this store just because of that (2) some # of people will stand in a cashier line - costing the store money - because of this (3) some people will opt for delivery because of this - undermining the "local store" value proposition in the long run. The above impact exists because in the bad case, self-checkout is nearly unusable. If it was just a matter of every item scan taking 2 seconds instead of 1, or needing to get human help once a year instead of several time per checkout - nobody would care.

tonymet 3y ago
Until a critical mass of movers forms, no change will be made. And there's other inertia, including lack of signal from customers, existing practices, vendor monopolies. Your reasoning assumes a fluid system with perfect observability into everyone's interests. Consumers can't even articulate their own interests fully -- it's impossible for vendors to respond properly. Quality and high performing software exists when vendors elect to produce it. There are intrinsic motives and extrinsic. Most quality products exist despite consumer demands not because of them. Don't fall for the "money incentivises everything" trap.
- xyzelement 3y ago
  // Quality and high performing software exists when vendors elect to produce it. Can you give me an example of where this exists separately from "and we can sell more units before its performant"? I am open to that being the case, but wasn't able to think of a good example. Can you?

tonymet 3y ago

Until a critical mass of movers forms, no change will be made. And there's other inertia, including lack of signal from customers, existing practices, vendor monopolies. Your reasoning assumes a fluid system with perfect observability into everyone's interests. Consumers can't even articulate their own interests fully -- it's impossible for vendors to respond properly. Quality and high performing software exists when vendors elect to produce it. There are intrinsic motives and extrinsic. Most quality products exist despite consumer demands not because of them. Don't fall for the "money incentivises everything" trap.

xyzelement 3y ago
// Quality and high performing software exists when vendors elect to produce it. Can you give me an example of where this exists separately from "and we can sell more units before its performant"? I am open to that being the case, but wasn't able to think of a good example. Can you?