mrzaius🚸Jan 20, 2023
Ex-Amazon employees on the almost impressively cynical way Amazon smile started:
Show threadJiva DeVoeJan 20, 2023

@mrzaius @uliwitness question: why is this bad? Some people I know would say this shows capitalism is compassionate. They’d argue that amazons motivation is irrelevant and the out come of the charity receiving anything is good.

So what’s bad here, other than just being judgy about why they’re doing it.

Show threadSteve B Holt
@jiva @mrzaius @uliwitness Well, if at base it's related to cost savings, there's nothing in the incentives or motives that ensures the happy accident of charity rather than, say, a different route for capturing those sales without Google. That is, in this case that route went charity, but the incentives are as likely to produce non-altruistic outcomes, and those outcomes might be good, bad, or neutral in terms of social benefits.
Jan 21, 2023 at 5:12amWeb
Show threadSteve B HoltJan 21, 2023
@jiva @mrzaius @uliwitness Not that I'm particularly worked up about it, mind you. Just laying out the case.