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What’s this from? Is the dude with white eyes possessed?
Dune.
Additionally, that dude is a human super computer (“mentat” in the fiction). In the movie, they chose to portray him doing hard math by having his eyes roll back in his head.
Didn’t even tell him that they make these human super computers by feeding them space cocaine. That’s the best part.
I don’t think that that’s true. Mentats themselves work alright without spice or that Sapho juice, though I think that both of these substances expand their abilities. It is Guild Navigators that are immersed in spice tanks for much of their lives.
They get their powers literally from drinking a substance made with spice. It’s explained in the books, and it’s why their lips are stained red (something only the 1984 film actually showed on screen). The bene jesuit (the female witches; probably fucked the spelling up lol) also get powers from a spice-based beverage (the same one Paul consumes). Pretty much any expanded mind powers come directly from the spice, it’s just a matter of degree of how much they take.
No, their lips are stained by Sapho . The first mentats came about just after the Butlerian Jihad, before the discovery of Arrakis and spice.
Dune (2021)
they’re not really doing this, are they? i assumed it was a clickbait outrage farm concept that would never see the light of day
Yes they are.
They started with digital price tags stating it would “save the customer money” which is absolute bullshit. Adding a new tech-laden system to quickly adjust pricing isn’t saving anyone money, it’s a way to make more money.
These things can save the store money in the long run, but if I ever have the price change between picking an item up and checkout that’s an instant manager lecture and walkout.
They tried to walk it back by claiming “we’d only be doing this to reduce prices” which clearly shows they want to do it but are trying to spin it in a way to minimize outcry for when they do introduce it.
Call your house representatives, have them legislate on and forbid this practice, be explicit about not voting for them if they don’t make it part of their platform.
https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
My representatives are already trying to prevent me from voting. Any other ideas?
Start volunteering for the person running against them!
My general assemblyman has run unopposed since I’ve been old enough to vote; my congressman’s district is so jerrymandered he’s got better job security than a licensed plumber.
Then volunteer to phone bank for someone in a swing state where a vote may make the difference, and write other representatives. It’s not illegal to tell other reps that you feel under-represented and the issues you are concerned about
As long as you found a good excuse fuck trying to do anything huh?
Dude I’m from a Red State, we don’t have a government of, for and by the people here. Writing my congressman has less of an effect on society than pissing in my own mouth.
What I’m actually doing about it is not eating at my local Wendy’s ever again.
Just refuse to go anywhere that does dynamic pricing (if possible.) Steal from places that do it (if possible.)
So, no traveling? Airlines are well known for already doing this.
No more online shopping? All online shopping has at least the potential, plus you’d never really know
Yeah, because boycotts are well known to be super-effective and are definitely a great replacement for consumer-protection legislation.
No it’s obviously no replacement for proper legislation. However in the meantime it is a step you can take in the right direction as an individual. When Wendy’s started throwing around this bullshit I stopped going. Do they care? No probably not. But I know I’m trying
It should be protected against. But, you know if a business changes to dynamic pricing and their next quarterly numbers shows that the vast majority of people didn’t swallow it, and revenue is hugely down, they would undo it in a second.
The fact is, though. They know enough people WILL let them them get away with it. From their point of view, why would they turn down free money?
But, you know if a business changes to dynamic pricing and their next quarterly numbers shows that the vast majority of people didn’t swallow it, and revenue is hugely down, they would undo it in a second.
You would be right if we assume that
- The people leading these companies are making informed data driven decisions.
- Companies majorly made money through selling goods/services
However once a company is a certain size or in the correct position it’s more about showing a growth potential to investors, then actually proffiting from selling goods/services. Investors is really how these companies make money now. I’m not an economist so I’m not sure if this is still technically capitalism when the majority of profits come straight from investors but to me it sounds much more like a ponzi scheme.
My point being is that in a best case scenario, a nationwide boycott could take place and a company makes $0 gross income. But they can still profit if they can convince their investors that they are taking the right steps to position themselves in “this new economy”. Now realistically someone is still going to buy their products and any boycott effort will just have minor effects. The absolute worst case scenario for anyone actually in charge of making decisions like this at a large company is they get a golden parachute and hop over to another place.
Just like you said, why would they turn down free money?
Seems to be working, see all the news about fast food places lowering their prices because profits are down.
Everywhere is going to do it…
You know the ducks in the park are free, you can just take them home.
I mean, it kind of already exists a lot of places. Look at places that have had lunch menus vs dinner menus for fifty years.
The difference is that prices change in a predictable manner, with dynamic prices especially if they go for max greed will be impossible.
The one in front of you gets a Big Mac for $5 your price is $15, and they can’t say why the algorithm has spoken!
Yea, makes sense. Still proves my point - everywhere does it/will do it, so good luck botcotting it.
But how can I do the B if I cannot do the A
B is for people who live where there’s no alternative, like small towns where Walmart undercut every other business and is now the only game in town. If you live in a place like that, steal from Walmart. If you live in a place where you have one store doing dynamic pricing and another that isn’t, go to the place that isn’t doing it.
Hit the trucks on the highway
Are happy hours and lunch specials not dynamic pricing? It’s just a different way of framing it as a discount rather than surge price, but it’s basically the same idea as far as I’m concerned. I’m happy to vote with my wallet on this, if Wendy’s decides they want dynamic prices then I’ll just go elsewhere. Fast food certainly isn’t an essential.
As the other guy said, lunch specials aren’t dynamic insofar as any pricing can be dynamic when the restaurant just changes prices willy-nilly. Which is what surge pricing is.
Lunch specials are a separate, generally static part of the menu. Like how using a coupon isn’t considered dynamic pricing for the times when you have a coupon on you.
Lunch menus everywhere I’ve gone give smaller portions vs. the dinner menu to justify the lottery price. If love some lunch portions (and prices) fire dinner as an option.
Happy hour is a good analogy though, except that they publish the prices and times 24/7 so it’s not a surprise like surge pricing is turning into.
Not familiar with the implementation, so maybe this is incorrect, but does Wendy’s tell you when you’re paying more or less? If not, my primary issue would be transparency. I know to show up for happy hour or lunch and I know what the prices will be.
I don’t want to have to memorize the prices because they quietly bump up everything on the menu by $0.50 at peak meal times everyday for an hour and don’t indicate that anywhere.
It is known in advance which item is in special and at what price during a determined period of time.
With dynamic pricing, the price could change between you choosing what you want and actually order, without any notice.
This is two different beasts.
I think what they’re going to do is to change the price based on how much they think you can afford.
Say “I got a bonus today” while your phone is listening? Guess eggs just went up 20%.
We’ll each need our own personal mentat to figure out how much lunch will cost soon.
You mean a phone? Thinking machines are not outlawed yet
Step 2 is Butlerian jihad
let’s fucking goooooo
At last, we will rid ourselves of these troublesome large language models
about a Twufir
