Have Y'all seen what Walmart is doing? They're implementing digital pricing, where you have to scan a QR code with your phone, or use their app, to find out what the price is. Talk about data mining. They also took out all the handheld scanners, so it forces you to use your phone. I think Kroger and Target are also looking into doing the same thing, including dynamic pricing, which is a fancy way of saying price gouging, with price fluctuations based on demand, kind of like how Uber does peak demand pricing. I hate it.

As an old, I don't even take my phone with me everywhere. I don't always want to bother keeping up with it, so I leave it at home on the charger. I guess people like us don't count.

So, to retail stores with no prices, even on clothing merchandise tags, restaurants with no physical menu, and businesses whose website info. can only be accessed via social media: I want nothing to do with you! I will find a way to get what I need, without you.

These stores also want to use facial recognition software to get information on your buying habits, so it's a great time to mask up in public spaces.

I wish I were being paranoid. The truth is, I probably don't even know the half of it.

@kimlockhartga

My response is to get all my shit and price check as I CHECK MYSELF OUT and leave them piles of crap that is priced wrong.

I'll cost them every pirated cent they tack-on by killing their register availability and stuffing employee go-back carts.

@GGMcBG @kimlockhartga

Beloved and I went out to dinner in Denver, a special occasion, fancy restaurant…girl, I put on heels. And makeup. We get to this place, with the ambience and the candles and the waiter handed me a leather portfolio with a QR code.

I looked at it, I looked at him, I looked back at it, and said “No, I will not be starting this evening with a security breach, thanks. May we please have menus.” And I was fully prepared to walk out if they didn’t have them.

My phone is not your business asset. Do not assume I will provide your infrastructure or architecture for free. Fuck off with all of that.

@MissConstrue @GGMcBG @kimlockhartga glad they had a phyiscal menu. Otherwise, would have been a perfect time for a @gvy_dvpont portable QR code menu printer! https://hackaday.io/project/193322-a-la-qrte-qr-code-menu-printer
A LA QRTE: QR Code Menu Printer

A portable, combination scanner/printer for converting QR code menus into physical copies. Ultimately a very simple build! tl;dr: - Runs on a rechargeable 12V battery. - Uses a Tiny Code Reader (from Useful Sensors) for QR scanning. - Uses a Seeed Studio XIAO Esp-32 S3 to read from the scanner, communicate with the backend, and drive the thermal printer module. - Talks to a web server written in Python that fetches menus, scrapes the text, feeds it to ChatGPT, and formats the final result.