@pluralistic delivers the goods again pulling #SurveillanceCaptialism, #PersonalizedPricing, #Monopolies, #Inflation, #FederalReserve #InterestRates, #DMCA, and #IP #Law together into the best description I've seen of how monopolies are fucking each and every one of us. Every. Single. Day.
With a word to the wise:
"any time a company gives you a hard-sell to order via its apps rather than its storefronts or its website, you should assume you're getting twiddled, hard."
@oliversampson @pluralistic It’s also worth noting #Cloudflare’s use of #personalizedPricing:
#Amazon was also caught #surveillancePricing CDs and DVDs:
That’s a good read because it also goes into how insurance companies profile consumers on their likeliness to shop out insurance. The less likely, the higher your insurance premium will be.
I have to nit-pick @pluralistic’s #English here:
“computers allow businesses to alter their processes”
“Allow” implies permission. The computers did not grant permission to alter processes. It’s a bit annoying how often “allow” is used when they really mean “enables”.
Great point from @pluralistic’s article on #personalizedPricing:
“These companies use the enshittification playbook to trap you into using their apps. First, they offer discounts to customers who order through their apps – then, once the customers are fully committed to shopping via app, they introduce surveillance pricing and start to jack up the prices.”
@pluralistic From the consumer reports article:
“Staples.com and Princetonreview.com were found to have been changing prices based on ZIP codes.”
If zip code gives them enough resolution to personalize pricing, just imagine what an app gives them with a much more refined sense of location. Of course in addition to whatever else the app collects.
@eastbaynian Enable is to give ability to. Allow is to permit. The computer does not permit, authorize, or allow a business to do something (unless we actually are talking about perms, such as an authentication procedure). The computer facilitates, enables, creates the option to, etc..
You can run with facilitates if you prefer, but _allows_ is just wrong in this case because the computer did not give permission in this case. People get this wrong so often I can see why it would sound natural.
@eastbaynian @hyakinthos I disagree that it would be awkward or odd. And while I think allow is effective. enable is definitely more accurate and conveys the correct intended nuance.
>Enable is used mostly as a marketing word
I don't think I agree with this at all.
@godzero
To shop out is to research pricing. Some consumers are lazy and buy things on impulse. Other consumers look around for different options and prices and compare before buying. So we say they are shopping out prices.
Most consumers just renew their insurance on autopilot with autopay setup. So the insurer knows those personalities are not shopping out prices so they increase the premiums more for those people.
@oliversampson @pluralistic
@hyakinthos @godzero @pluralistic
It seems like it has gotten more common lately, although this would also include uses like "shop out of town."
@godzero @hyakinthos @pluralistic
I wouldn't describe "build out" as improper. "Build out" means "to complete," or "to expand" whereas just "build" means "to construct."
Oliver Sampson
hyakinthos
Eastbaynian
wolfkin
gz