6 ms·

The video reads like some kind of dystopian consumer hell. Everything comes in a packet from a trusted brand who is taking care of you. Consume! Consume! Consum

The video reads like some kind of dystopian consumer hell. Everything comes in a packet from a trusted brand who is taking care of you. Consume! Consume! Consume! See you useless you are when you can't consume! Your whole day is ruined. Good job we've got your back. We'll send you some more of those precious packets.

ovi256 12y ago
>Everything comes in a packet from a trusted brand who is taking are of you. And how is this different from the present ? Everything comes non-packets ? From an untrusted brand ? That dystopian future sounds better somehow.
- untog 12y ago
  Even Amazon have their own "Amazon Basics" brand. When it comes to paper towels you really don't need a brand sponsored button.
  - guan 12y ago
    I’d like an AmazonBasics button.
- afandian 12y ago
  Depends on your present. I like to make a choice before buying things. Especially coffee.
  - quadrature 12y ago
    So then you don't get the coffee button. There are a set of products where selection isn't important or where you have brand loyalty (detergent is an excellent example).
  - tdaltonc 12y ago
    That sounds exhausting. I need my decision-making-juice[0] for more important things. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_depletion#Consumer_behavior http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_depletion#Consumer_behavior
    - afandian 12y ago
      Interesting link. Suggests that presenting unnecessary choice leads to passive behaviour. I'm thinking of active choices rather than seeing a row of a dozen different identical kitchen towel brands at the supermarket. Like, what are the ethical standards of this shop, how does it treat it's suppliers, does it exploit it's workforce etc. Every decision is important, and every time it is automated for the sake of convenience is a little bit of disenfranchisement. Again, it depends what you consider important. Purchasing decisions arguably dictate much transnational economic concerns. For example palm oil, the fair trade movement. As a global citizen I would say that was well spent decision juice. I'm sitting higher up on my high horse than I started, but discussions tend to polarise / crystallize views!
- aendruk 12y ago
  > Everything comes in non-packets? From an untrusted brand? Close; bulk ingredients and reusable containers, from a minimally branded supplier to which I have no loyalty.
mberning 12y ago
My thoughts exactly. This video did not make me want the dash button. It made me want to re-think my existence.
- dbecker 12y ago
  Most supposedly anti-consumerism arguments I hear imply we should devote more attention to our purchases. But, if you want an identity that isn't based on consumerism, it seems we should devote less attention to your purchases rather than more. Honestly, I don't care about toilet paper. If I can hit a button and move on with the rest of my life, that seems better than spending time shopping for it.
teddyuk 12y ago
what isn't to love about this, oh look i'm running out of bog roll so I push the button ordering more....a little while later it arrives - probably the next day with 0 p & p as i have amazon prime. I get lots of small deliveries of whatever i need an can spend less time shopping - perfect.
- mbarrett 12y ago
  This is the part that bothers me most. A lot of small deliveries are convenient and all, but the cost to ship multiple small items (maybe separately) to your door has an impact. We are currently in a single-serve consumer-focused environment and this takes it a step farther.. potentially a single item shipment environment. Unless they batch days or a full week, I think this is a bad habit to get in.
secalex 12y ago
So you clean your clothes in the stream out back using a washboard and lye you made from white ash? "The dream of the 1890's is alive in Portland..."
- 15155 12y ago
  You'd have to be out of your fucking mind to touch the rivers in Portland, much less wash your clothing in them. I swear, mutants under the overpasses...
- afandian 12y ago
  No, I'd make informed purchasing decisions and question them. Then again, I doubt my current preferred brand[0] would be available with a branded button. [0] http://uk.ecover.com/en/products/laundry/ http://uk.ecover.com/en/products/laundry/
  - warkdarrior 12y ago
    Why wouldn't it have a branded button? Amazon carries it right now: http://www.amazon.com/Ecover-Laundry-Liquid-Fluid-Ounce/dp/B000WS1DNS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1427834693&sr=8-2&keywords=ecover+laundry+detergent http://www.amazon.com/Ecover-Laundry-Liquid-Fluid-Ounce/dp/B...
    - afandian 12y ago
      Did we see the same video? Those were all megabrands, probably all manufactured by a small number of Unilever-type companies. (Of course amazon carries it, they carry everything.)
LegendaryTeeth 12y ago
Except this is literally FOR consumables. Like, detergent and toilet paper and things that get used up quickly. If the physical button was free, I wouldn't mind having a few of these to just press when I need some more of something like that. Remembering to write it on a list and bring it with you to the store and pick it up is a bit of a hassle. This could be pretty handy to have.
- afandian 12y ago
  It also makes sure you don't question your consumption habits, shop around for better deals or look at the competition.
  - epochwolf 12y ago
    I already don't question my habits for paper towels or laundry detergent. I buy the same ones every time because it works and it's not worth optimizing the $20 of paper towels or detergent I'll buy every 6 months.
    - afandian 12y ago
      Maybe you're right about those particular things (but maybe in a dystopian future you would because the interference with competition drove the price up into local maxima). Seriously though, do I question my habits when buying food, drinks and coffee. This video is saying "you can lock yourself into a cycle of dependence on this one brand of coffee and this one brand of water and this one brand of cheap unhealthy ready-made packaged food". Either you find that unpalatable in principle or you don't. It's probably a cultural thing.
      - scott_s 12y ago
        The conversation started about consumables like laundry detergent and paper towels, not food and drinks. So I'm not sure why food and drinks came up, and then why the further jump to "unhealthy" food and drinks. Personally, I buy the same stuff over and over because it doesn't matter. I don't want to spend time worrying about things that don't matter.
ourmandave 12y ago
The dystopian future is when China does a DDoS on our washers and we've forgotten how to shop, so end up wearing the same laundry week after week. D= Or you can't reorder until you sit through a 30-second Tide commercial first.

ovi256 12y ago

>Everything comes in a packet from a trusted brand who is taking are of you. And how is this different from the present ? Everything comes non-packets ? From an untrusted brand ? That dystopian future sounds better somehow.

untog 12y ago
Even Amazon have their own "Amazon Basics" brand. When it comes to paper towels you really don't need a brand sponsored button.
- guan 12y ago
  I’d like an AmazonBasics button.
afandian 12y ago
Depends on your present. I like to make a choice before buying things. Especially coffee.
- quadrature 12y ago
  So then you don't get the coffee button. There are a set of products where selection isn't important or where you have brand loyalty (detergent is an excellent example).
- tdaltonc 12y ago
  That sounds exhausting. I need my decision-making-juice[0] for more important things. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_depletion#Consumer_behavior http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_depletion#Consumer_behavior
  - afandian 12y ago
    Interesting link. Suggests that presenting unnecessary choice leads to passive behaviour. I'm thinking of active choices rather than seeing a row of a dozen different identical kitchen towel brands at the supermarket. Like, what are the ethical standards of this shop, how does it treat it's suppliers, does it exploit it's workforce etc. Every decision is important, and every time it is automated for the sake of convenience is a little bit of disenfranchisement. Again, it depends what you consider important. Purchasing decisions arguably dictate much transnational economic concerns. For example palm oil, the fair trade movement. As a global citizen I would say that was well spent decision juice. I'm sitting higher up on my high horse than I started, but discussions tend to polarise / crystallize views!
aendruk 12y ago
> Everything comes in non-packets? From an untrusted brand? Close; bulk ingredients and reusable containers, from a minimally branded supplier to which I have no loyalty.

mberning 12y ago

My thoughts exactly. This video did not make me want the dash button. It made me want to re-think my existence.

dbecker 12y ago
Most supposedly anti-consumerism arguments I hear imply we should devote more attention to our purchases. But, if you want an identity that isn't based on consumerism, it seems we should devote less attention to your purchases rather than more. Honestly, I don't care about toilet paper. If I can hit a button and move on with the rest of my life, that seems better than spending time shopping for it.

teddyuk 12y ago

what isn't to love about this, oh look i'm running out of bog roll so I push the button ordering more....a little while later it arrives - probably the next day with 0 p & p as i have amazon prime. I get lots of small deliveries of whatever i need an can spend less time shopping - perfect.

mbarrett 12y ago
This is the part that bothers me most. A lot of small deliveries are convenient and all, but the cost to ship multiple small items (maybe separately) to your door has an impact. We are currently in a single-serve consumer-focused environment and this takes it a step farther.. potentially a single item shipment environment. Unless they batch days or a full week, I think this is a bad habit to get in.

secalex 12y ago

So you clean your clothes in the stream out back using a washboard and lye you made from white ash? "The dream of the 1890's is alive in Portland..."

15155 12y ago
You'd have to be out of your fucking mind to touch the rivers in Portland, much less wash your clothing in them. I swear, mutants under the overpasses...
afandian 12y ago
No, I'd make informed purchasing decisions and question them. Then again, I doubt my current preferred brand[0] would be available with a branded button. [0] http://uk.ecover.com/en/products/laundry/ http://uk.ecover.com/en/products/laundry/
- warkdarrior 12y ago
  Why wouldn't it have a branded button? Amazon carries it right now: http://www.amazon.com/Ecover-Laundry-Liquid-Fluid-Ounce/dp/B000WS1DNS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1427834693&sr=8-2&keywords=ecover+laundry+detergent http://www.amazon.com/Ecover-Laundry-Liquid-Fluid-Ounce/dp/B...
  - afandian 12y ago
    Did we see the same video? Those were all megabrands, probably all manufactured by a small number of Unilever-type companies. (Of course amazon carries it, they carry everything.)

LegendaryTeeth 12y ago

Except this is literally FOR consumables. Like, detergent and toilet paper and things that get used up quickly. If the physical button was free, I wouldn't mind having a few of these to just press when I need some more of something like that. Remembering to write it on a list and bring it with you to the store and pick it up is a bit of a hassle. This could be pretty handy to have.

afandian 12y ago
It also makes sure you don't question your consumption habits, shop around for better deals or look at the competition.
- epochwolf 12y ago
  I already don't question my habits for paper towels or laundry detergent. I buy the same ones every time because it works and it's not worth optimizing the $20 of paper towels or detergent I'll buy every 6 months.
  - afandian 12y ago
    Maybe you're right about those particular things (but maybe in a dystopian future you would because the interference with competition drove the price up into local maxima). Seriously though, do I question my habits when buying food, drinks and coffee. This video is saying "you can lock yourself into a cycle of dependence on this one brand of coffee and this one brand of water and this one brand of cheap unhealthy ready-made packaged food". Either you find that unpalatable in principle or you don't. It's probably a cultural thing.
    - scott_s 12y ago
      The conversation started about consumables like laundry detergent and paper towels, not food and drinks. So I'm not sure why food and drinks came up, and then why the further jump to "unhealthy" food and drinks. Personally, I buy the same stuff over and over because it doesn't matter. I don't want to spend time worrying about things that don't matter.

ourmandave 12y ago

The dystopian future is when China does a DDoS on our washers and we've forgotten how to shop, so end up wearing the same laundry week after week. D= Or you can't reorder until you sit through a 30-second Tide commercial first.