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I was skeptical the washing machine needed defending; I'm not convinced this article, or the offending tweet really need highlighting. That said, this is a gen

I was skeptical the washing machine needed defending; I'm not convinced this article, or the offending tweet really need highlighting. That said, this is a genuinely quite surprising statistic to me: > The UN estimates that only two billion people have washing machines; for the other six billion, a life of washing clothes by hand is not a relic of the distant past but an exhausting chore that consumes a significant fraction of women’s time and energy worldwide. I suppose that "The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed" == "The past is still here, it's just not evenly distributed"

jurip 2y ago
I wonder how that's counted; is it ownership or access? In Finland most apartment buildings have shared spaces with a washer and a dryer where you can book time for free. Doesn't mean everyone relies on them, but many people don't bother buying their own machines, especially those living alone in small apartments. I assume we're not the only country doing this.
Iulioh 2y ago
That phrase is REALLY intresting because HOW it is wrong From the UN site https://unhabitat.org/washing-machines-indicator-for-measuring-advances https://unhabitat.org/washing-machines-indicator-for-measuri... 2 billion - 5 billion Not 2bil-6bil The article seems to be from 2015 or we are talking about 10 years ago
- truculent 2y ago
  Yes, I checked the source, and I don’t think it meaningfully changed my reaction. Though you’d hope more people have access to washing machines now than in 2015.
- rob74 2y ago
  This also clarifies that the 2 billion are those who have access to a washing machine, not own one. Of course the question is how you define access - how near does a laundromat (or similar establishment) have to be to still count as "access"? What if there is one, but you can't afford it?
  - Iulioh 2y ago
    The quote is wrong, that's what i'm saying. The article says 2-6 but the article says 2-5. The author wanted to say "we are 8 bil people on the planet" but when the article was written there were 7.

jurip 2y ago

I wonder how that's counted; is it ownership or access? In Finland most apartment buildings have shared spaces with a washer and a dryer where you can book time for free. Doesn't mean everyone relies on them, but many people don't bother buying their own machines, especially those living alone in small apartments. I assume we're not the only country doing this.

Iulioh 2y ago

That phrase is REALLY intresting because HOW it is wrong From the UN site https://unhabitat.org/washing-machines-indicator-for-measuring-advances https://unhabitat.org/washing-machines-indicator-for-measuri... 2 billion - 5 billion Not 2bil-6bil The article seems to be from 2015 or we are talking about 10 years ago

truculent 2y ago
Yes, I checked the source, and I don’t think it meaningfully changed my reaction. Though you’d hope more people have access to washing machines now than in 2015.
rob74 2y ago
This also clarifies that the 2 billion are those who have access to a washing machine, not own one. Of course the question is how you define access - how near does a laundromat (or similar establishment) have to be to still count as "access"? What if there is one, but you can't afford it?
- Iulioh 2y ago
  The quote is wrong, that's what i'm saying. The article says 2-6 but the article says 2-5. The author wanted to say "we are 8 bil people on the planet" but when the article was written there were 7.